Bamidbar 25:15

15 And the shem of the isha from Midyan that was slain was Kozbi bat Tzur; he [Tzur] was rosh over the people in one of the clans of Midyan.

Bamidbar 25:15 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 25:15

And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was
Cozbi, the daughter of Zur
One of the five kings of Midian, ( Numbers 31:8 ) and so the Samaritan Chronicle says ^F11, it was the daughter of a king that came to a prince of the tribe of Simeon, and enticed him to eat of her food, and worship her idols. The Targum of Jonathan says she was called Selonae, the daughter of Balak, chief of the nation of Moab, whose habitation was in Midian:

he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian;
that is, Zur, the father of Cozbi, was; there were five sons of Midian, whose names are given, ( Genesis 25:4 ) from whence Jarchi concludes, that there were five principal families in Midian, and that this man was the head or chief of one of them, which is not improbable; and that also makes for the honour of Phinehas, that he spared not any for their rank and quality, of whatsoever nation they were.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Apud Hottinger, ut supra. (Smergma Oriental, l. 1. c. 8. p. 448.)

Bamidbar 25:15 In-Context

13 And he shall have it, and his zera after him, even the Brit Kehunat Olam; because he had kanous for Elohav, and made kapporah for the Bnei Yisroel.

14 Now the shem of the ish Yisroel that was slain, even that was slain with the woman from Midyan, was Zimri ben Salu, a leader of one of the clans from the tribe of Shimon.

15 And the shem of the isha from Midyan that was slain was Kozbi bat Tzur; he [Tzur] was rosh over the people in one of the clans of Midyan.

16 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

17 Be hostile toward the Midyanim, and strike them;