Numbers 25:9

9 but not before 24,000 people had died.

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

8 and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped,

9 but not before 24,000 people had died.

10 Then the LORD said to Moses,

11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.