And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
They slew all the males. This was in accordance with a divine order in all such cases (Deuteronomy 20:13). But the destruction appears to have been only partial-limited to those who were in the neighbourhood of the Hebrew camp, and who had been accomplices in the villanous plot of Baal-peor, while a large portion of the Midianites were absent on their pastoral wanderings, or had saved themselves by flight (cf. Judges 6:1).