Israel’s Harlotry in Moab

25 Now Israel remained in (A)Acacia Grove,[a] and the (B)people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. (C)They invited the people to (D)the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and (E)bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and (F)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

Then the Lord said to Moses, (G)“Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, (H)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to (I)the judges of Israel, (J)“Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, (K)who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Now (L)when Phinehas (M)the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So (N)the plague was (O)stopped among the children of Israel. And (P)those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 11 (Q)“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in (R)My zeal. 12 Therefore say, (S)‘Behold, I give to him My (T)covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and (U)his descendants after him a covenant of (V)an everlasting priesthood, because he was (W)zealous for his God, and (X)made [b]atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of (Y)Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 (Z)“Harass the Midianites, and [c]attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their (AA)schemes[d] by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 25:1 Heb. Shittim
  2. Numbers 25:13 Lit. covering
  3. Numbers 25:17 be hostile toward
  4. Numbers 25:18 tricks

The Sin of Peor

25 While Israel remained at (A)Shittim, the people began (B)to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab. For (C)they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So (D)Israel [a]became followers of [b]Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and [c]execute them [d]in broad daylight before the Lord, (E)so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you (F)kill his men who have [e]become followers of [f]Baal of Peor.”

Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a (G)Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, (H)while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (I)When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the inner room of the tent and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through the abdomen. (J)So the plague on the sons of Israel was brought to a halt. (K)But those who died from the plague were twenty-four thousand in number.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 (L)Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has averted My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was [g]jealous with My [h]jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel (M)in My [i]jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘(N)Behold, I am giving him My (O)covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be for him and for his [j]descendants after him, a covenant of a (P)permanent priesthood, because he was [k]jealous for his God and (Q)made atonement for the sons of Israel.’”

14 Now the name of the [l]dead man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was (R)Cozbi the daughter of (S)Zur, [m]who was head of the people of a father’s household in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 (T)Be hostile to the Midianites and attack them; 18 for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was killed on the day of the plague because of Peor.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 25:3 Lit bound themselves to
  2. Numbers 25:3 Or Baal-peor
  3. Numbers 25:4 Lit display them (dead) with broken limbs
  4. Numbers 25:4 Lit in front of the sun
  5. Numbers 25:5 Lit bound themselves to
  6. Numbers 25:5 Or Baal-peor
  7. Numbers 25:11 Or possibly zealous; i.e., impassioned
  8. Numbers 25:11 Or possibly anger
  9. Numbers 25:11 Or possibly anger
  10. Numbers 25:13 Lit seed
  11. Numbers 25:13 Or possibly zealous; i.e., impassioned
  12. Numbers 25:14 Lit killed
  13. Numbers 25:15 Lit he

The Sin of Peor

25 Israel settled and remained in Shittim, and the people began to play the prostitute with the women of Moab [by being unfaithful to God]. For they invited the Israelites to the sacrifices of their gods, and the Israelites ate [food offered to idols] and bowed down to Moab’s gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship]. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people [who have committed sin with the Moabites], and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each one of you must kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship].”

Then one of the Israelites came and presented to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping [over God’s judgment] at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle). When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through the body, the man of Israel and the woman. Then the plague on the Israelites stopped. Nevertheless, those [Israelites] who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites because he was [a]jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to Phinehas My covenant of peace. 13 And it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous (impassioned) for [the unique honor and respect owed to] his God and made [b]atonement for the sons of Israel.’”(A)

14 Now the name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s household among the Simeonites. 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father’s household in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Provoke hostilities with the Midianites and attack them, 18 for they harass you with their tricks, the tricks with which they have deceived you in the matter [of the Baal] of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague because [of the Baal] of Peor.”

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 25:11 I.e. intolerant of unfaithfulness. God does not tolerate the transfer of the honor and worship that is due Him to any other being or object.
  2. Numbers 25:13 I.e. reconciled the Israelites to God.

25 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.

And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.

And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;

And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:

13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.

16 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them:

18 For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.