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Numbers 25

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The Sin at Baal-peor 1–5

1
And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab: ​
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for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. ​
3
And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel. ​
4
And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel. ​
5
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor.

Phinehas Executes Judgment 6–9

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And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish 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. ​
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And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand; ​
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and he 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 stayed from the children of Israel. ​
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And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand. ​

Phinehas Rewarded with Priesthood 10–15

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And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
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Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. ​
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Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: ​
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and it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel. ​
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Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites. ​
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And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian. ​

Command to Attack Midian 16–18

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And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
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Vex the Midianites, and smite them; ​
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for they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Numbers 25

Verse 1

Shittim — Abel-shittim, 'in the plains of Moab' (Num 33:49), where Joshua's spies later set out (Josh 2:1). 'Commit whoredom' is zanah, which the next verses show to be idolatry as well as immorality. Rev 2:14 names its source: Balaam 'taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel… to commit fornication'.

Verse 2

the sacrifices of their gods — The danger the LORD had set out at Sinai: 'lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice' (Ex 34:15). 'Bowed down' is shachah, to worship. Paul says such sacrifices are offered 'to devils, and not to God' (1 Cor 10:20).

Verse 3

joined himself unto Baalpeor — Tsamad, to link or fasten, as the Psalm repeats: 'They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead' (Ps 106:28). Baalpeor is 'lord of Peor', the name of the height Balak chose in Num 23:28. Hosea says Israel 'went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame' (Hos 9:10).

Verse 4

hang them up before the LORD — 'Hang up' is yaqa, the word used of the sons of Saul hanged 'unto the LORD' (2 Sam 21:6). The purpose is stated: 'that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away'. The verb of turning, shub, is the same one used when the wrath is turned away in v.11. The judges receive the order to slay in v.5.

Verse 6

in the sight of Moses — The man brought a Midianitish woman 'in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation', while Israel was 'weeping before the door of the tabernacle'. Moab had already spoken to 'the elders of Midian' about Israel (Num 22:4). The woman is named in v.15 and the man in v.14.

Verse 7

Phinehas — Son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron (Ex 6:25). 'Javelin' is romach, a spear. He 'rose up from among the congregation' to act. Ps 106:30 gives the sequel: 'Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.'

Verse 8

thrust both of them through — 'Tent' (qubbah) and 'belly' (qobah) occur only in this verse. 'The plague was stayed' (atsar) is the phrase that closed the plague after Korah's rebellion, when Aaron 'stood between the dead and the living' (Num 16:48) and after David's altar (2 Sam 24:25).

Verse 9

twenty and four thousand — Paul says of Israel's fornication that 'some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand' (1 Cor 10:8), which may be the part of the total that fell in a single day. Moses recalls it: 'all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you' (Deut 4:3).

Verse 11

zealous for my sake — The verb qanah is from the same root as 'jealousy' (qinah) in this verse: Phinehas shared the LORD's own jealousy, and so the LORD 'consumed not' Israel. The psalmist says it 'was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore' (Ps 106:31).

Verse 12

my covenant of peace — A gift from the LORD: 'Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace.' Ezek 34:25 uses 'a covenant of peace' of the LORD's promise to his flock, and Isa 54:10 'the covenant of my peace'. Malachi speaks of 'my covenant… with Levi' (Mal 2:4), 'of life and peace' (Mal 2:5).

Verse 13

an everlasting priesthood — Olam, for ever, with kehunnah, priesthood; the reason given is that he 'made an atonement' (kaphar) for Israel. Phinehas is still ministering generations later: 'Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days' (Judg 20:28). 1 Chr 6:4 continues the line: 'Eleazar begat Phinehas'.

Verse 14

Zimri, the son of Salu — The man who was slain is named and given his standing, 'a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites'. Simeon was numbered 'fifty and nine thousand and three hundred' in the first census (Num 1:23) and 'twenty and two thousand and two hundred' in the census after the plague (Num 26:14).

Verse 15

Cozbi, the daughter of Zur — Zur was 'head over a people' (ummah) and 'of a chief house in Midian'. He is among the five kings of Midian slain in Num 31:8: 'Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba'. The woman is named again in v.18 as 'the daughter of a prince of Midian'.

Verse 17

Vex the Midianites — Tsarar, to treat as an adversary. The command is carried out in Num 31, where the LORD says to Moses, 'Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites' (Num 31:2) and Moses tells the people to 'avenge the LORD of Midian' (Num 31:3).

Verse 18

they vex you with their wiles — The same verb, tsarar, as in v.17, so the order and its reason are joined. 'Wiles' (nekel) are schemes, and 'beguiled' (nakal) is the verb of the same root. Num 31:16 names the instrument: 'through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor'.