Mark,
In regard to the Numbers verse, here is a explanation of what happened with the women....
*keep alive for yourself
It has been groundlessly asserted, that Moses here authorised
the Israelites to make concubines of the whole number of
female children; and an insidious objection against his
writings has been grounded upon this monstrous supposition.
But the whole tenor of the law, and especially a statute
recorded in De 21:10-14, proves most decisively to the
contrary. They were merely permitted to possess them as
female slaves, educating them in their families, and employing
them as domestics; for the laws concerning fornication,
concubinage, and marriage, were in full force, and prohibited
an Israelite even from marrying a captive, without delays and
previous formalities; and if he afterwards divorced her, he
was to set here at liberty, "because he had humbled her."
And about captives, De 21:10-14
10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
Hope that helps.....
God Bless,
Steve |
