19 Heb “every male among the little ones.” The command in holy war to kill women and children seems in modern times a terrible thing to do (and it was), and something they ought not to have done. But this criticism fails to understand the situation in the ancient world. The entire life of the ancient world was tribal warfare. God’s judgment is poured out on whole groups of people who act with moral abandonment and in sinful pursuits. See E. J. Young, My Servants, the Prophets, 24; and J. W. Wenham, The Enigma of Evil.
20 Heb “every woman who has known [a] man by lying with a man.”

In other versions

Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him.

Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man,

So now, kill every male among the dependents and kill every woman who has gone to bed with a man,

So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man.

Now kill every male among the little children, and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man.

Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.

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