Numbers 25:9

9 but it had already killed twenty-four thousand people.

Numbers 25:9 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 25:9

And those that died in the plague were twenty and four
thousand.
] The apostle says 23,000 ( 1 Corinthians 10:8 ) . Moses includes those that were hanged against the sun, in the time of the plague, as well as those that were taken off by it, even all that died on this account; the apostle only those that "fell", which cannot with propriety be said of those that were hanged, who might be 1000 and so their numbers agree; but of this and other ways of removing this difficulty (See Gill on 1 Corinthians 10:8).

Numbers 25:9 In-Context

7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up and left the assembly. He took a spear,

8 followed the man and the woman into the tent, and drove the spear through both of them. In this way the epidemic that was destroying Israel was stopped,

9 but it had already killed twenty-four thousand people.

10 The Lord said to Moses,

11 "Because of what Phinehas has done, I am no longer angry with the people of Israel. He refused to tolerate the worship of any god but me, and that is why I did not destroy them in my anger.