Numbers 25 - Introduction
_THE ISRAELITES COMMIT FORNICATION WITH THE WOMEN OF MOAB AND MIDIAN: THEY ARE PUNISHED BY THE LORD: THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS._ _Before Christ 1452._... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE ISRAELITES COMMIT FORNICATION WITH THE WOMEN OF MOAB AND MIDIAN: THEY ARE PUNISHED BY THE LORD: THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS._ _Before Christ 1452._... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL ABODE IN SHITTIM, &C.— A place in the plains of Moab, where they were before encamped. It is called _Abel-Shittim,_ ch. Numbers 33:49 i.e. _the mourning of Shittim;_ probably on account of the mourning for the 24,000 who died here of the plague, Numbers 25:9. This was the last station which t... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL JOINED HIMSELF UNTO BAAL-PEOR— See the note on ch. Numbers 21:29. St. Jerome informs us, that _Baal-peor_ was the same as the Greek and Roman Priapus; that this idol was like that of Priapus. That his worship consisted of gross obscenity and impurity there can be no question. See Hosea 10:15... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE ALL THE HEADS OF THE PEOPLE, &C.— The next verse very fully explains what is meant by this expression; namely, all those who had joined themselves unto Baal-peor: others, however, would interpret it, _take unto thee,_ that is, unto thy assistance, _all the heads of the people;_ that is, all the... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME AND BROUGHT, &C.— One cannot conceive a higher degree of insolence and wickedness than this of Zimri; who thought, perhaps, that the eminence of his rank would secure him from punishment, even though he should carry his crime to the greatest height. Nothing could s... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN PHINEHAS, THE SON OF ELEAZAR—SAW IT, &C.— Phinehas was a man of great authority, being next to the high priest, whom he succeeded in office. Warmed with a religious zeal at this insolent and unfeeling crime, _he rose from amongst the congregation; i.e._ from among the _judges,_ and with his own... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WENT, &C.— _And he went after the man of Israel into the bed-room,_—[_apartment,—alcove_] _and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel. and the woman, in her bed-room._ Vid. Nold. 62. 821.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOSE THAT DIED IN THE PLAGUE WERE TWENTY AND FOUR THOUSAND— St. Paul mentions only _twenty and three thousand,_ who, he says, _fell in one day._ 1 Corinthians 10:8. See Whitby on the place. But we observed before, that _one thousand_ probably were put to death by the judges; and the words, _in the... [ Continue Reading ]
PHINEHAS, THE SON OF ELEAZAR, &C.— God, in reward of the undissembled zeal of Phinehas, confirmed to him the right he had of succeeding to Eleazar, as his son, in the office of the priesthood; and promised him that the same august privilege should be perpetuated in his family. It seems, from the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
VEX THE MIDIANITES— The Moabites are not named. See Deuteronomy 2:9. It is not unlikely, that the Midianites had the principal hand in this seduction of the Israelites; ready as we find they were to prostitute a daughter of one of their most honourable families, in order to procure the disgrace and... [ Continue Reading ]