Numbers25
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab;
2for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel.
4Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.”
5Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.”
6Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
7When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.
8He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.
9Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
10Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
11“Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace.
13It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’”
14Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites.
15The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian.
16Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
17“Harass the Midianites, and strike them;
18for they harassed you with their wiles, wherein they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the incident regarding Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.”
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.