Numbers 25

The Sin of Peor

1 While Israel remained at ¹Shittim, the people began ²to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.

2 For ³they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

3 So ⁴Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry * against Israel.

4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, ⁵so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel."

5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you ⁶slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor."

6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a ⁷Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ⁸while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

7 ⁹When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,

8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. ¹⁰So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

9 ¹¹Those who died by the plague were 24,000 * *.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

11 "¹²Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel ¹³in My jealousy.

12 "Therefore say, '¹⁴Behold, I give him My ¹⁵covenant of peace;

13 and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a ¹⁶perpetual priesthood, because * he was jealous for his God and ¹⁷made atonement for the sons of Israel.' "

14 Now the name of the slain man of Israel who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's household among the Simeonites.

15 The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was ¹⁸Cozbi the daughter of ¹⁹Zur, who was head of the people of a father's household in Midian.

16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

17 "²⁰Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them;

18 for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because * of Peor."

Numbers 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

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)

Verses 1-5 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.

Verses 6-15 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.

Verses 16-18 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, ( matthew 5:29 matthew 5:30 ) . 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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 33:49; Joshua 2:1
• 2. Numbers 31:16; 1 Corinthians 10:8; Revelation 2:14
• 3. Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 32:38
• 4. Psalms 106:28, 29; Hosea 9:10
• 5. Deuteronomy 13:17
• 6. Exodus 32:27
• 7. Numbers 22:4
• 8. Joel 2:17
• 9. Psalms 106:30
• 10. Numbers 16:46-48
• 11. Numbers 14:37; Numbers 16:48-50; Numbers 31:16
• 12. Psalms 106:30
• 13. Exodus 20:5
• 14. Psalms 106:30, 31
• 15. Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 34:25; Ezekiel 37:26
• 16. Exodus 29:9
• 17. Numbers 16:46
• 18. Numbers 25:18
• 19. Numbers 31:8
• 20. Numbers 25:1; Numbers 22:4; Numbers 31:1-3

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Baal-peor"
• [b]. Lit "in front of the sun"
• [c]. Or "Baal-peor"
• [d]. Lit "brothers"
• [e]. Or "inner rooms"
• [f]. Or "belly"
• [g]. Lit "seed"
• [h]. Lit "smitten"
• [i]. Lit "smitten"
• [j]. Lit "smitten"
• [k]. Lit "he"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 25

The contents of this chapter are, the sin of the people of Israel, their whoredom and idolatry, Nu 25:1-3, their punishment for it, multitudes being slain, Nu 25:4,5, whose number is given, Nu 25:9, the zeal of Phinehas in slaying two notorious offenders, Nu 25:6-8, whose names are observed, Nu 25:14,15 for which he is commended, and the covenant of priesthood was given and confirmed unto him, Nu 25:10-13, and the chapter is concluded with an order to vex the Midianites, for vexing Israel with their wiles, Nu 25:16-18.