Numbers 25:6-16

6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a ¹Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ²while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

7 ³When 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. ⁴So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

9 ⁵Those who died by the plague were 24,000 * *.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

11 "⁶Phinehas 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 ⁷in My jealousy.

12 "Therefore say, '⁸Behold, I give him My ⁹covenant of peace;

13 and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a ¹⁰perpetual priesthood, because * he was jealous for his God and ¹¹made 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 ¹²Cozbi the daughter of ¹³Zur, who was head of the people of a father's household in Midian.

16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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Numbers 25:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 13

1. Numbers 22:4
2. Joel 2:17
3. Psalms 106:30
4. Numbers 16:46-48
5. Numbers 14:37; Numbers 16:48-50; Numbers 31:16
6. Psalms 106:30
7. Exodus 20:5
8. Psalms 106:30, 31
9. Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 34:25; Ezekiel 37:26
10. Exodus 29:9
11. Numbers 16:46
12. Numbers 25:18
13. Numbers 31:8

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "brothers"
[b]. Or "inner rooms"
[c]. Or "belly"
[d]. Lit "seed"
[e]. Lit "smitten"
[f]. Lit "smitten"
[g]. Lit "smitten"
[h]. Lit "he"