Massacre

How Nave’s arranged it

• Authorized by MosesDeuteronomy 20:13Deuteronomy 20:16
• Decree to destroy the JewsEsther 3
• INSTANCES OF
• Inhabitants
• Of HeshbonDeuteronomy 2:34
• Of BashanDeuteronomy 3:6
• Of AiJoshua 8:24–26
• Of HazorJoshua 11:11Joshua 11:12
• Of the cities of the seven kingsJoshua 10:28–40
• MidianitesNumbers 31:7Numbers 31:8
• Prophets of Baal1 Kings 18:40
• Worshipers of Baal2 Kings 10:18–28

The passages, in Bible order (17)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Numbers 31:7

   Then they waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Numbers 31:8

   Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.

   ›Commentary on Numbers 31:82 voices

   “The soothsayer Balaam set up a scandal for the people of Israel when he went to meet their warriors, not with men in armor but with women arrayed in all their finery. He hoped to make the men drop their arms for debauchery, change their …

   “Balaam - they slew with the sword - This man had probably committed what St. John calls the sin unto death - a sin which God punishes with temporal death, while at the same time he extends mercy to the soul. See the remarks at Num 24:25 (note).

   Everything gathered on Numbers 31:8→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Deuteronomy 2:34

   At that time we captured all his cities and devoted to destruction the people of every city, including women and children. We left no survivors.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 2:342 voices

   “And we took all his cities at that time,.... As Heshbon, and others mentioned in Num 21:25, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones of every city, we left none to remain; for the Amorites were one of the seven nations who were devoted to destruction, the measure of whose iniquity was now full, and therefore vengeance was taken.

   “Utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city - Render, laid under ban (compare Lev 27:28 note) every inhabited city, both women and children: these last words being added by way of fuller explanation.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 2:34→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Deuteronomy 3:6

   We devoted them to destruction, as we had done to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Deuteronomy 20:13

   When the LORD your God has delivered it into your hand, you must put every male to the sword.

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Deuteronomy 20:16

   However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 20:161 voice

   “But of the cities of those people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance,.... The cities of the seven nations, six of which are mentioned by name in the next verse: thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; the reason of this severity was because of their wickedness, the capital crimes and gross abominations they were guilty of, and for which they deserved to die; and on account whereof they were reserved to this destruction, when the measure of their iniquities was full, such as idolatry, incest, witchcraft, soothsaying, necromancy, &c. see Lev 18:3.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 20:16→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Joshua 8:24–26

   When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.

   ›Commentary on Joshua 8:24–261 voice

   “Returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. - This must refer to the women, children, and old persons, left behind; for it is likely that all the effective men had sallied out when they imagined the Israelites had fled. See Jos 8:16.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 8:24–26→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Joshua 10:28–40

   On that day Joshua captured Makkedah and put it to the sword, along with its king. He devoted to destruction everyone in the city, leaving no survivors. So he did to the king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of Jericho.

   ›Commentary on Joshua 10:28–401 voice

   “That day Joshua took Makkedah - It is very possible that Makkedah was taken on the evening of the same day in which the miraculous solstice took place; but as to the other cities mentioned in this chapter, they certainly were subdued some days after, as it is not possible that an army, exhausted as this must have been with a whole night’s march, and two days’ hard fighting, could have proceeded farther than Makkedah that night; the other cities were successively taken in the following days.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 10:28–40→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Joshua 11:11

   The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself.

   ›Commentary on Joshua 11:111 voice

   “And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them,.... Men, women, and children: there was not any left to breathe; any human creature; for as for the cattle they were taken for a prey: and he burnt Hazor with fire; as he did Jericho and Ai, though no other cities he had taken; but it seems that this city, though burnt, was built again and inhabited by Canaanites, who had a king over them of the same name with this in the times of Deborah, Jdg 4:2.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 11:11→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Joshua 11:12

    Joshua captured all these kings and their cities and put them to the sword. He devoted them to destruction, as Moses the LORD’s servant had commanded.

    Verse page →Original language →

11. 1 Kings 18:40

    Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

    ›Commentary on 1 Kings 18:402 voices

    "Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and cut their throats there." There is no doubt that the people rose against the prophets of shame and brought them before Elijah. But it is not entirely clear who killed them. The Scripture says that Elijah …

    “If Jehovah be the true God, Baal is a false God, to whom these Israelites had revolted, and seduced others to the worship of him; and therefore, by the express law of God, they were to be put to death, Deut. xiii.

    Everything gathered on 1 Kings 18:40→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. 2 Kings 10:1–8

    Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of the sons of Ahab, saying:

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 10:1–82 voices

    “Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria--As it appears (2Ki 10:13), that grandsons are included it is probable that this number comprehended the whole posterity of Ahab.

    “Ahab had seventy sons - As he had several wives, he might have many children. The Israelites, from the earliest part of their history, were remarkably fruitful. How amazingly did they multiply in Egypt, even under the hand of the severest oppression! And as to the individuals of whose families we have an account, they are quite remarkable: Rehoboam had thirty-eight sons; Abdon had forty; Tola had thirty; Ahab, seventy; and Gideon, seventy-one.

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 10:1–8→

    Verse page →Original language →

13. 2 Kings 10:18–28

    Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 10:18–282 voices

    “Jehonadab the son of Rechab--(See 1Ch 2:55). A person who, from his piety and simple primitive manner of life (Jer 35:1-19), was highly esteemed, and possessed great influence in the country.

    “Ahab served Baal a little - Jehu had determined to have no worship in Israel but that of the golden calves at Dan and Bethel; therefore he purposes to destroy all the worshippers of Baal: and that he may do it without suspicion, he proclaims a great sacrifice; and that he may do it the more easily, he gathers them all together into one place.

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 10:18–28→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. 2 Kings 11:1

    When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 11:12 voices

    “This massacre she was incited to perpetrate--partly from a determination not to let David's family outlive hers; partly as a measure of self-defense to secure herself against the violence of Jehu, who was bent on destroying the whole of Ahab's posterity to which she belonged (2Ki 8:18-26); but chiefly from personal ambition to rule, and a desire to establish the worship of Baal.

    “Athaliah exterminated all the royal children. In fact, after her son had been killed by Jehu, she had conceived an extremely perfidious and vicious scheme, saying to herself with anger, "I will reign just the same against the will of God by fighting God's promises, …

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 11:1→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. 2 Kings 14:7

    Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 14:72 voices

    “Selah--literally, "the rock"; generally thought to be Petra. Joktheel--that is, "given" or "conquered by God." See the history of this conquest more fully detailed (2Ch 25:6-16).

    “Amaziah’s Idumaean war is treated at length by the writer of Chronicles (marginal reference). The “Valley of Salt” is usually identified with the broad open plain called the Sabkah, at the southern end of the Dead Sea - the continuation of the Ghor or Jordan gorge. At the north-western corner of this plain stands a mountain of rock-salt, and the tract between this mountain and the sea is a salt-marsh. Salt springs also abound in the plain itself, so that the name would be fully accounted for.

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 14:7→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. 2 Kings 15:16

    At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 15:162 voices

    “Shallum . . . reigned a full month--He was opposed and slain by Menahem, who, according to JOSEPHUS, was commander of the forces, which, on the report of the king's murder, were besieging Tirzah, a town twelve miles east of Samaria, and formerly a seat of the kings of Israel.

    “Menahem . . . smote Tiphsah--Thapsacus, on the Euphrates, the border city of Solomon's kingdom (1Ki 4:24). The inhabitants refusing to open their gates to him, Menahem took it by storm.

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 15:16→

    Verse page →Original language →