Numbers 25 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Numbers 25

Baal Worship at Peor

25:1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang¹ them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

The Zeal of Phinehas

10 And the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”

14 The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father’s house in Midian.

16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Harass the Midianites and strike them down, 18 for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”

Footnotes

[1] 25:4 Or impale

Commentary

v1-3: It appears that, through Balaam's influence, Israel and Moab joined together, leading to prostitution and idolatry; see Rev 2.14. Balaam had tried a series of curses, which were apparently ineffective; but Israel succumbed easily to sexual sin. Sexual sin is powerful. Avoid!

Moab had originally been afraid of Israel (22.3), which was why Balaam was hired in the first place. His words encouraged Moab to join with Israel, which was the stumbling block, referred to in Rev 2.14. Although Balaam's influence was significant, Israel remained responsible for their own sins.

v4-5: The leaders, having set a poor example, which the people had followed, had to bear the judgment of God. Moses delegated this task to the judges amongst the people.

v6: The sins had become blatant and bold, the man was unrepentant, for this incident followed Moses' announcement to the judges, in v5. There was already sorrow as the judgment began. It seems there was the plague from the Lord, and the capital punishment by Israel's judges.

v7-9: Phinehas' action was decisive against sin, and reflected God's heart (see v11). As a result, the plague which had already begun, was stopped.

v10-11: The Lord commended Phinehas for his zeal. Zeal must be from God, otherwise it is ineffective. Zeal is decision with passion. The Lord Jesus acted with zeal, see John 2.17.

v12-13: The reward for Phinehas, the covenant of peace, and of the lasting priesthood. Phinehas was the grandson of Aaron, and therefore in line for the priesthood in any case.

v14-15: Following from v4, the people killed by Phinehas were leaders, both in Israel and Midian (or Moab).

v16-18: The Lord's instructions, that the Midianite people were to be killed, because they had joined with Moab (22.7) to attack Israel. The attacks were blatant and frontal, but also using subtlety and deception.