Numbers 25:6-15

6 Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand

8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;

9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

10 The LORD said to Moses,

11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal.

12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him.

13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”

14 The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.

15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was put to death was Kozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

Numbers 25:6-15 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Genesis 25:2
• 2. S Numbers 14:1; Judges 2:4; Ruth 1:9; 1 Samuel 11:4; 2 Samuel 15:30; Ezra 10:1; Psalms 126:6; Jeremiah 41:6
• 3. S Exodus 6:25; Joshua 22:13; Judges 20:28
• 4. Judges 5:8; 1 Samuel 13:19,22; 1 Kings 18:28; Psalms 35:3; Psalms 46:9; Joel 3:10; Micah 4:3
• 5. Numbers 16:46-48; Psalms 106:30
• 6. S Numbers 14:37; 1 Corinthians 10:8
• 7. Numbers 31:16
• 8. Psalms 106:30
• 9. Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 32:16,21; Psalms 78:58
• 10. Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 34:25; Ezekiel 37:26; Malachi 2:4,5
• 11. S Exodus 29:9
• 12. 1 Kings 19:10; 2 Kings 10:16
• 13. ver 11
• 14. S Exodus 29:36; S Romans 3:25; Numbers 16:46
• 15. Psalms 106:31; Jeremiah 33:18
• 16. ver 6
• 17. S Numbers 1:6
• 18. ver 18
• 19. Numbers 31:8; Joshua 13:21; Habakkuk 3:7