Numbers25
New International Version
1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,
2who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.
3So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.
4The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”
5So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”
6Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
7When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand
8and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;
9but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
10The Lord said to Moses,
11“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal.
12Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him.
13He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”
14The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.
15And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.
16The Lord said to Moses,
17“Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.
18They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 25.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Israelites enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian. (1–5). Phinehas puts Zimri and Cozbi to death. (6–15). The Midianites to be punished. (16–18).
vv1-5
The friendship of the wicked is more dangerous than their enmity; for none can prevail against God's people if they are not overcome by their inbred lusts; nor can any enchantment hurt them, but the enticements of worldly interests and pleasures. Here is the sin of Israel, to which they are enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian. Those are our worst enemies who draw us to sin, for that is the greatest mischief any man can do us. Israel's sin did that which all Balaam's enchantments could not do; it set God against them. Diseases are the fruits of God's anger, and the just punishments of prevailing sins; one infection follows the other. Ringleaders in sin ought to be made examples of justice.
vv6-15
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
vv16-18
We read not that any Midianites died of the plague; God punished them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of a father. We must set ourselves against whatever is an occasion of sin to us, Mt 5:29, 30. Whatever draws us to sin, should be a vexation to us, as a thorn in the flesh. And none will be more surely and severely punished than those who, after Satan's example, and with his subtlety, tempt others to sin.
Key Words
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
יָשַׁב: properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
שִׁטִּים: Shittim, a place East of the Jordan
עַם: a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
חָלַל: properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)
זָנָה: to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)
בַּת: a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
מוֹאָב: Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants
קָרָא: to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
זֶבַח: properly, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)
Cross References
Numbers 25Direct poetic commentary on Israel joining themselves to Baal-peor and eating sacrifices of the dead.
Paul references the plague's death toll (twenty-three thousand vs twenty-four thousand total including executions).
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Hosea explicitly mentions Israel going to Baal-peor and separating themselves unto that shame.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Moses recalls what the Lord did because of Baal-peor, destroying all who followed him.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Commemorates Phinehas's intervention that stood up and executed judgment, staying the plague.
Explicitly connects this incident to Balaam's counsel to cause Israel to trespass at Peor.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Declares that Phinehas's zeal was counted to him for righteousness unto all generations.
Prophetic reference to God's covenant of life and peace established with Levi (Phinehas).
Identifies Shittim as Abel-shittim, the final camp of Israel before crossing Jordan.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Warns against making covenants, eating sacrifices of false gods, and taking their daughters.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Joshua references the 'iniquity of Peor' from which Israel was not yet cleansed.
Lists Zur, Cozbi's father, among the five kings of Midian slain in Israel's vengeance.
Supported by JFB
Jesus condemns Balaam's doctrine of casting a stumblingblock to eat sacrifices to idols.
Establishes the law that bodies hung on a tree must be taken down by sunset.
Supported by JFB
Similar judicial slaughter of idolaters by the Levites to turn away God's wrath.