Numbers 25:8

KJV

And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

KJV (with Strong's)

And he went {H935} after {H310} the man {H376} of Israel {H3478} into the tent {H6898}, and thrust {H1856} both {H8147} of them through, the man {H376} of Israel {H3478}, and the woman {H802} through {H413} her belly {H6897}. So the plague {H4046} was stayed {H6113} from the children {H1121} of Israel {H3478}.

Complete Jewish Bible

and pursued the man from Isra'el right into the inner part of the tent, where he thrust his spear through both of them -the man from Isra'el and the woman through her stomach. Thus was the plague among the people of Isra'el stopped;

Berean Standard Bible

followed the Israelite into his tent, and drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and on through the belly of the woman. So the plague against the Israelites was halted,

American Standard Version

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.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 25:8 captures the pivotal and divinely sanctioned act of Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, whose righteous zeal decisively intervened to halt a devastating plague afflicting Israel. This plague was God's severe judgment for the Israelites' egregious sin of idolatry and sexual immorality with Moabite and Midianite women at Baal-peor. Phinehas's immediate and uncompromising execution of an Israelite man and a Midianite woman, who brazenly defied God's holiness, served as a critical act of propitiation, turning away the Lord's fierce wrath and demonstrating the severe consequences of covenant infidelity.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Numbers 25:8 marks the dramatic climax of the Baal-peor incident, which commences in [Numbers 25:1](/numbers/25-1 "Numbers 25:1 - Israel's Sin at Shittim"). The narrative opens with Israel's profound spiritual and moral decline, as they engage in harlotry with Moabite women and participate in the worship of their gods, specifically Baal-peor. This blatant apostasy ignites the Lord's intense anger, resulting in a severe plague that claims many lives. Amidst this divine judgment and the public weeping of the congregation, a man named Zimri, a leader from the tribe of Simeon, brazenly brings a Midianite woman named Cozbi into his tent, doing so in full view of Moses and the entire assembly. This audacious act of defiance, a public affront to God's holiness and the covenant, directly precedes Phinehas's intervention described in verse 8, which then leads to God's commendation and the establishment of a [covenant of peace with Phinehas](/numbers/25-12 "Numbers 25:12 - God's Covenant with Phinehas") in the subsequent verses, highlighting the immediate divine response to his zealous action.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events of Numbers 25 unfold as Israel is encamped in the plains of Moab, on the precipice of entering the Promised Land. This period was characterized by significant external temptations from surrounding pagan cultures, particularly the Moabites and Midianites, who strategically employed sexual immorality and idolatry to corrupt Israel, a tactic revealed in the counsel of Balaam in [Numbers 31:16](/numbers/31-16 "Numbers 31:16 - Balaam's Counsel"). The worship of Baal-peor typically involved ritualistic prostitution and fertility rites, practices fundamentally antithetical to the Mosaic Law's stringent emphasis on purity, monotheism, and strict separation from pagan customs. God's covenant with Israel demanded exclusive loyalty and holiness, rendering the intermingling with pagan religious and sexual practices a direct violation punishable by death, as outlined in laws concerning idolatry and sexual sin (e.g., [Deuteronomy 13](/deuteronomy/13 "Deuteronomy 13 - Warnings Against Idolatry")). Phinehas's act, while shocking to modern sensibilities, must be understood within this ancient Near Eastern context of divine judgment for covenant breaking and the immediate necessity of purging defilement to avert further communal destruction.
* **Key Themes:** The narrative in [Numbers 25](/numbers/25 "Numbers 25 - The Baal-Peor Incident"), culminating in Phinehas's action, powerfully underscores several key themes. First, it highlights the **seriousness of sin**, particularly idolatry and sexual immorality, which are depicted as direct affronts to God's absolute holiness and covenant fidelity. The swift and severe divine judgment, manifested in the plague, unequivocally demonstrates God's intolerance for such rebellion. Second, it emphasizes the theme of **righteous zeal** for God's honor. Phinehas's action is not presented as personal vengeance but as an act born of fervent devotion to the Lord, demonstrating an uncompromising commitment to upholding divine standards. This zeal is explicitly commended by God in [Numbers 25:11](/numbers/25-11 "Numbers 25:11 - Phinehas's Zeal Commended"). Third, the passage illustrates the critical concept of **atonement and propitiation**. Phinehas's act, by removing the offending parties and demonstrating a decisive response to sin, immediately "stayed" the plague, serving as a form of symbolic atonement that turned away God's wrath. This foreshadows the ultimate need for a perfect sacrifice to deal with the root of sin. Finally, it reinforces the theme of **covenant consequences**, both negative (plague for disobedience) and positive (the [covenant of peace and perpetual priesthood](/numbers/25-13 "Numbers 25:13 - Covenant of Peace with Phinehas") for Phinehas's lineage due to his faithfulness).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **thrust (Hebrew, _dâqar'_):** This verb, H1856, signifies "to pierce," "to stab," or "to thrust through." Its use here emphasizes the decisive, violent, and fatal nature of Phinehas's action. It conveys the immediate and complete termination of the lives of Zimri and Cozbi, indicating that their brazen sin was met with swift and absolute judgment. The word often carries connotations of a fatal wound, underscoring the finality of the act and its role in bringing an end to the divine wrath.
* **belly (Hebrew, _qôbâh'_):** This noun, H6897, refers to "the abdomen (as a cavity)" or "belly." The specific mention of piercing "through her belly" is highly significant. It directly points to the area associated with sexual organs and procreation, thus emphasizing the nature of the sin—sexual immorality—and the defilement it brought. This graphic detail highlights the direct connection between the sin committed and the judgment meted out, signifying a complete purging of the impurity from the very source of its manifestation.
* **stayed (Hebrew, _ʻâtsâr'_):** This verb, H6113, means "to restrain," "to hold back," "to stop," or "to shut up." In this context, it powerfully conveys that the plague, a direct manifestation of God's active judgment, was not merely diminished but definitively halted. Phinehas's intervention directly and immediately caused the cessation of the divine judgment, highlighting the efficacy of his zealous act in appeasing God's wrath and restoring the divine-human relationship for the community. It underscores that his action was the specific, divinely appointed trigger for the plague's cessation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he went after the man of Israel into the tent,"**: This clause highlights Phinehas's immediate, resolute, and courageous pursuit. The "tent" here refers to the private dwelling of Zimri, where he had brazenly taken the Midianite woman. Phinehas's act of entering this private space signifies his unwavering commitment to confront and judge the sin that was being committed in defiance of God and in the full sight of the entire congregation. It emphasizes his courage and uncompromising dedication to God's holiness, even when confronting a prominent leader.
* **"and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly."**: This is the core action of the verse, depicting Phinehas's decisive and violent intervention. Phinehas's use of a javelin (implied from the broader narrative of [Numbers 25](/numbers/25 "Numbers 25 - The Baal-Peor Incident")) to pierce both individuals simultaneously underscores the severity and completeness of the judgment. The specific mention of "through her belly" emphasizes the nature of the sin—sexual immorality—and the defilement it brought, signifying a complete purging of the impurity from the community. This graphic detail underscores the direct connection between the sin and its immediate, fatal consequence.
* **"So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel."**: This concluding clause reveals the immediate and profound consequence of Phinehas's action. The cessation of the plague, which had already claimed 24,000 lives, demonstrates God's direct and favorable response to Phinehas's zeal. It confirms that his act was not an arbitrary vigilante action but a divinely ordained and approved intervention that satisfied God's righteous anger, restoring the covenant relationship and averting further destruction for the community. This clause underscores the propitiatory nature of Phinehas's deed.

#### Literary Devices
The narrative of Numbers 25:8 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The most striking is **Cause and Effect**, where Phinehas's decisive and zealous action directly and immediately leads to the cessation of the devastating plague, underscoring the efficacy of righteous indignation in turning away divine wrath. There is also significant **Symbolism** at play: the javelin, often a weapon of war, becomes an instrument of divine judgment, swiftly cutting off defilement and rebellion from the community. The "tent," typically a private space, is transformed into a stage for public defiance and subsequent public judgment, symbolizing the exposure and purging of hidden or brazen sin. The audaciousness of Zimri and Cozbi's act, performed "in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation" ([Numbers 25:6](/numbers/25-6 "Numbers 25:6 - Zimri's Brazen Act")), creates a powerful **Dramatic Contrast** with Phinehas's swift, uncompromising response. This contrast highlights the stark clash between human rebellion against God's holiness and the divine demand for purity, building intense dramatic tension that is released by Phinehas's pivotal intervention.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 25:8 stands as a stark testament to God's absolute holiness and His demand for purity within His covenant people. It reveals that God's justice is not passive; blatant sin, especially that which involves idolatry and sexual immorality, provokes His righteous anger and necessitates a decisive response. Phinehas's action, born of a deep zeal for God's honor, served as a temporary and symbolic act of propitiation, demonstrating that the shedding of blood was required to turn away divine wrath and restore the covenant relationship. This event underscores the principle that sin, if unaddressed, defiles the entire community and incurs communal judgment, while a zealous act of righteousness, even if severe, can avert further catastrophe and secure divine favor. It also highlights the role of human agency in responding to God's call for holiness and upholding His covenant.

* [Psalm 106:30-31](/psalms/106-30-31 "Psalm 106:30-31 - Phinehas's Righteousness Remembered")
* [1 Corinthians 10:8](/1_corinthians/10-8 "1 Corinthians 10:8 - Warning Against Immorality")
* [Hebrews 10:31](/hebrews/10-31 "Hebrews 10:31 - A Terrifying Thing to Fall into God's Hands")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While Phinehas's specific action in Numbers 25:8 is unique to a particular historical, covenantal, and judicial context and is not a blueprint for individual vigilante justice in the New Covenant era, the underlying principles of zeal for God's holiness and intolerance for sin remain profoundly relevant for believers today. This passage calls us to soberly consider the gravity with which God views sin, particularly those acts that defile His people and dishonor His name, such as idolatry and sexual immorality. It challenges us to cultivate a similar righteous indignation against sin in our own lives and within the community of faith, not in a spirit of self-righteous judgment, but out of a fervent love for God and His purity. We are called to abhor evil and cling to what is good, striving for holiness without which no one will see the Lord ([Hebrews 12:14](/hebrews/12-14 "Hebrews 12:14 - Pursuit of Holiness")). This requires discerning what truly grieves God and actively pursuing righteousness, both personally and corporately, trusting in God's mercy while also respecting His justice and understanding the profound impact of sin on God's relationship with His people.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Phinehas's zeal for God's holiness challenge my own complacency or tolerance of sin in my life or community?**
* **In what ways might I be tempted to compromise with cultural norms that contradict God's standards of purity and exclusive worship?**
* **How can I cultivate a deeper understanding of God's holiness and the seriousness of sin, leading to a more fervent pursuit of righteousness in my daily life?**
* **What is the biblical balance between righteous indignation against sin and extending grace and mercy to others, as modeled by Christ?**

### FAQ

**Was Phinehas's act an act of murder, or was it divinely sanctioned?**

Answer: Phinehas's act, while violent, was not considered murder in the biblical narrative; rather, it was divinely sanctioned and explicitly commended. The text unequivocally states that Phinehas "turned away my wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with my zeal among them" ([Numbers 25:11](/numbers/25-11 "Numbers 25:11 - Phinehas's Zeal Commended")). Furthermore, God Himself establishes a "covenant of peace" with Phinehas and his descendants, granting them a perpetual priesthood ([Numbers 25:12-13](/numbers/25-12-13 "Numbers 25:12-13 - God's Covenant with Phinehas and His Descendants")). This divine approval underscores that his action was not a personal vendetta but a judicial act of zeal for God's honor and the purity of the covenant community, which was under a direct plague of divine judgment due to widespread sin. It served as an immediate, divinely appointed means of stopping the plague and restoring the covenant relationship, demonstrating God's justice and His unwavering demand for holiness.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Phinehas's zealous act in Numbers 25:8, though a powerful and necessary intervention to temporarily stay God's wrath, ultimately points beyond itself to the perfect and final fulfillment found in Jesus Christ. Phinehas, as a priest, acted as an intercessor, his violent deed serving as a form of atonement that turned away the plague. Yet, this was a shadow, a temporary measure for a specific sin. The ultimate "thrusting through" that permanently stays God's wrath against sin is found in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus, the true [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), was "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities" ([Isaiah 53:5](/isaiah/53-5 "Isaiah 53:5 - Pierced for Our Transgressions")), bearing the full brunt of divine judgment for humanity's sin. His perfect sacrifice, motivated by an ultimate zeal for God's glory and the salvation of His people ([John 2:17](/john/2-17 "John 2:17 - Zeal for God's House") referencing Psalm 69:9), permanently propitiated God's wrath, offering eternal redemption and a true, everlasting covenant of peace ([Hebrews 9:12](/hebrews/9-12 "Hebrews 9:12 - Christ's Eternal Redemption")). Unlike Phinehas's act which stopped a physical plague, Christ's death conquered sin and death themselves ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14-15 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ's Victory Over Death")), providing a way for humanity to be reconciled to a holy God, not through the death of others, but through His own perfect, self-sacrificial love, offering forgiveness and new life to all who believe ([Romans 5:8-11](/romans/5-8-11 "Romans 5:8-11 - Reconciliation Through Christ")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Numbers 16:46

And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

Numbers 16:48

And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

2 Samuel 24:25

And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

1 Chronicles 21:22

Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of [this] threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.

Numbers 25:11

Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

Numbers 25:5

And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.

Psalms 106:29

Thus they provoked [him] to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.