Numbers 25

Moab Seduces Israel

1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,

2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.

3 So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.

4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

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.

16 The LORD said to Moses,

17 “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.

18 They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident.”

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Numbers 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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 38

1. S Numbers 21:16; Joshua 2:1; Isaiah 66:11; Joel 3:18; Micah 6:5
2. Jeremiah 5:7; Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 9:2; 1 Corinthians 10:8; Revelation 2:14
3. S Genesis 19:37
4. Numbers 31:16
5. S Exodus 32:6; Exodus 34:15
6. Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 32:38; 1 Corinthians 10:20
7. Deuteronomy 4:19; Judges 2:19; 1 Kings 9:9; Jeremiah 1:16; Jeremiah 44:3
8. S Numbers 23:28; Psalms 106:28; Hosea 9:10
9. Numbers 7:2; Numbers 13:3
10. 2 Samuel 21:6
11. Deuteronomy 4:3
12. Exodus 32:12; Deuteronomy 13:17; Joshua 7:26; 2 Kings 23:26; 2 Chronicles 28:11; 2 Chronicles 29:10; 2 Chronicles 30:8; Ezra 10:14; Jeremiah 44:3
13. S Exodus 32:27
14. Hosea 9:10
15. S Genesis 25:2
16. 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
17. S Exodus 6:25; Joshua 22:13; Judges 20:28
18. Judges 5:8; 1 Samuel 13:19,22; 1 Kings 18:28; Psalms 35:3; Psalms 46:9; Joel 3:10; Micah 4:3
19. Numbers 16:46-48; Psalms 106:30
20. S Numbers 14:37; 1 Corinthians 10:8
21. Numbers 31:16
22. Psalms 106:30
23. Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 32:16,21; Psalms 78:58
24. Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 54:10; Ezekiel 34:25; Ezekiel 37:26; Malachi 2:4,5
25. S Exodus 29:9
26. 1 Kings 19:10; 2 Kings 10:16
27. ver 11
28. S Exodus 29:36; S Romans 3:25; Numbers 16:46
29. Psalms 106:31; Jeremiah 33:18
30. ver 6
31. S Numbers 1:6
32. ver 18
33. Numbers 31:8; Joshua 13:21; Habakkuk 3:7
34. Numbers 31:7
35. Numbers 31:1-3
36. Exodus 23:22; Judges 2:16-18; Nehemiah 9:27; Psalms 8:2; Psalms 21:8; Psalms 74:23
37. Deuteronomy 21:1; 1 Samuel 17:9,35; 2 Kings 9:27; 2 Kings 10:25
38. S Numbers 23:28; Numbers 31:16

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.