Bamidbar 25

1 5 And Yisroel was staying in Sheetim, and HaAm began to commit whoredom with the Banot Moav.

2 And they invited the people unto the zevakhim of their g-ds; and the people did eat and bowed down to their g-ds.

3 And Yisroel joined himself unto Baal-Peor [see Num.23:28]; and the Af Hashem was kindled against Yisroel.

4 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Take Kol Rashei HaAm, and kill them, hanging them [on a tree, stake], before Hashem against the shemesh, that the fierce Af Hashem (Anger of Hashem) may be turned away from Yisroel.

5 And Moshe said unto the shofetim of Yisroel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-Peor.

6 And, hinei, one of the Bnei Yisroel came and brought unto his brethren a woman from Midyan before the eyes of Moshe, and before the eyes of Kol Adat Bnei Yisroel, who were weeping before the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed.

7 And when Pinchas ben Eleazar ben Aharon HaKohen saw it, he rose up from among HaEdah, and took a romach (spear) in his yad;

8 And he went after the ish Yisroel into the inner tent, and thrust through both of them, the ish Yisroel, and the isha through her belly. So the maggefah (plague) was stopped from the Bnei Yisroel.

9 And those that were the mesim (dead ones) in the maggefah (plague) were twenty and four thousand.

10 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, saying,

11 Pinchas ben Eleazar ben Aharon HaKohen, hath turned My wrath away from the Bnei Yisroel, when he had kanous (zealousness) with My kanous among them, that I consumed not the Bnei Yisroel in My kina (jealousy, zeal, vengeance).

12 Therefore say, Hineni, I am making unto him My Brit (Covenant) of Shalom;

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;

18 For they are hostile toward you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Kozbi bat Nasi Midyan, their achot, which was slain in the yom of the maggefah that resulted from Peor.

Bamidbar 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.

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.