Some Bible verses are inspirational.
Others are poetic.
And then there are the ones believers desperately hope you never read.
Numbers 31:17–18 is one of those verses — a passage so morally bankrupt, so shockingly explicit, that if it appeared in any other ancient book, Christians would cite it as proof that the religion behind it is evil.
Let’s look at it:
“Now therefore kill every male among the little ones,
and kill every woman who has known a man by sleeping with him.
But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man by sleeping with him.”
Read it again. Slowly.
This isn’t an atheist exaggeration.
This isn’t “taken out of context.”
This isn’t metaphor, poetry, or symbolism.
This is the Bible.
And it’s a command attributed directly to Moses, allegedly acting under God’s authority.
1. Kill the little boys. Kill the women. Keep the virgins. Seriously?
If a modern religious leader said this today, Christians would be the first to demand his arrest.
But because it’s in the Bible, suddenly it becomes:
- “Contextual.”
- “Cultural.”
- “A different time.”
- “Part of God’s mysterious plan.”
Funny how morality suddenly evolves when the atrocity is in your own holy book.
2. Imagine the God Behind This Verse
Let’s be brutally clear:
- A loving god does not order the killing of children.
- A moral god does not command the execution of women for being sexually active.
- A just god does not tell soldiers to “keep” virgins for themselves.
This verse paints a picture of a deity that looks far more like a Bronze Age warlord than an all-loving creator.
If this were a test of character, the God of Numbers 31 fails spectacularly.
3. The Apologist Circus Begins
Christians will perform Olympic-level mental gymnastics to defend this:
“It was a different culture.”
So morality is relative? Then stop claiming the Bible is the source of eternal moral truth.
“God had a reason.”
If you need to invent imaginary justifications for killing children and taking virgins as spoils of war, maybe the book you’re defending isn’t divine.
“It doesn’t mean what it says.”
Yes it does. The verse is as clear as daylight. The apologetics are what’s unclear.
“Without God, you have no objective morality!”
Great. The God you claim provides morality literally commands child-killing. Not the slam-dunk argument you think it is.
4. If This Verse Is Moral, Anything Is Moral
This is the true danger of divine command theory:
- If God says something is good, it becomes good — no matter how horrific it is.
Which means:
- Morality is no longer morality.
- It’s obedience.
- And obedience can justify absolutely anything.
If this verse is considered “good” or “holy,” then genocide, slavery, and child brides become moral as long as God signs off.
And that should terrify anyone who cares about ethics.
5. Why This Verse Shatters the “Good Book” Illusion
Numbers 31:17–18 is not a minor footnote.
It’s not a translation issue.
It’s not a metaphor.
It is state-sponsored murder and forced sexual possession — blessed by God.
You cannot claim the Bible is the ultimate guide to morality while ignoring the parts that reveal the exact opposite.
This verse alone is enough to disqualify the Bible from being the “inspired, perfect word of God.”
Not because atheists say so — but because the Bible itself exposes the brutality embedded in its pages.
Conclusion: If You Still Think This Is Holy, Ask Yourself Why
If your religion requires you to excuse killing children and keeping girls for yourself…
Maybe your religion isn’t the moral high ground you think it is.
Numbers 31:17–18 isn’t just a problem for Christianity — it’s a mirror.
And what it reflects is a God that looks nothing like love, justice, or goodness.
If this is the “Word of God,” maybe it’s time to stop listening.
