INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 25 The contents of this chapter are, the sin of the people of Israel, their whoredom and idolatry, Numbers 25:1, their punishment for it, multitudes being slain, Numbers 25:4, whose number is given, Numbers 25:9, the zeal of Phinehas in slaying two notorious offenders, Num... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISRAEL ABODE IN SHITTIM,.... A place in the plains of Moab, so called from the shittim wood, which grew here in great abundance, so often mentioned in the building of the tabernacle; which was a sort of white thorn, or rather the acacia tree, since there was scarcely any thing else grew in the d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY CALLED THE PEOPLE UNTO THE SACRIFICES OF THEIR GODS,.... That is, the daughters of Moab and Midian, with whom the children of Israel carried on an unlawful correspondence, invited them, their gallants, to come and partake of the feasts which attended the sacrifices of their idols; for part... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISRAEL JOINED HIMSELF UNTO BAALPEOR,.... The name of an idol; one of the Baals, Baal being a general name for an idol; and, to distinguish this from other Baals or idols, it was called Peor, either from its opening its mouth in prophecy, as Ainsworth; or from some obscene posture and action used... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES,.... Being provoked with the sins of the people, he called to him out of the tabernacle, or out of the cloud: TAKE ALL THE HEADS OF THE PEOPLE, the princes of the tribes, not to hang them, but to judge those that worshipped Peor, as Jarchi interprets it; though some thi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOSES SAID UNTO THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL,.... Either the same with the heads of the people, or the rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, according to the distribution by the advice of Jethro: SLAY YE EVERYONE HIS MEN, THAT WERE JOINED UNTO BAALPEOR; all that were under their several dis... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME,.... From one of the cities of Moab or Midian, the latter rather, by what follows; where he had been, very probably, to an idolatrous feast, and had eaten of the sacrifices, and worshipped idols, and committed fornication with the daughters of the land... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN PHINEHAS, THE SON OF ELEAZAR, THE SON OF AARON THE PRIEST, SAW IT,.... Saw the man pass by in this impudent manner, and his whore with him; his spirit was stirred up, he was filled and fired with zeal for the glory of God, and with an holy indignation against the sin and sinner, and with a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WENT AFTER THE MAN OF ISRAEL INTO THE TENT,.... Into which he went with his harlot; the word here used is different from what is commonly used for a tent: Aben Ezra observes that in the Kedarene or Arabic language there is a word near to it, which Bochart, putting the article "al" to it, says... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOSE THAT DIED IN THE PLAGUE WERE TWENTY AND FOUR THOUSAND. The apostle says 23,000 1 Corinthians 10:8. Moses includes those that were hanged against the sun, in the time of the plague, as well as those that were taken off by it, even all that died on this account; the apostle only those that ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES,.... Out of the cloud, or out of the tabernacle, at the door of which Moses now was, Numbers 25:6, this was after so many had died of the plague, and after the fact of Phinehas, by which it was stopped: saying; as follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
PHINEHAS, THE SON OF ELEAZAR, THE SON OF AARON THE PRIEST,.... His descent and genealogy is observed as before, partly to show that he was not a private person, but a man of public authority that did the above fact; perhaps one of the judges that Moses ordered to slay every man his man, and therefor... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE SAY,.... Moses is bid to tell what follows to Phinehas himself, for his comfort and encouragement, and to the people of Israel, that they might take notice of it, and give him honour and respect, as one highly esteemed by the Lord: BEHOLD, I GIVE UNTO HIM MY COVENANT OF PEACE; not only he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL HAVE IT, AND HIS SEED AFTER HIM,.... The covenant, and all the blessings of it; so the covenant stands fast with Christ, and all his spiritual seed, Psalms 89:28: EVEN THE COVENANT OF AN EVERLASTING PRIESTHOOD; or this may be read in connection with the preceding words, and the sense b... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE NAME OF THE ISRAELITE THAT WAS SLAIN,.... By Phinehas, as before related: [EVEN] THAT WAS SLAIN WITH THE MIDIANITISH WOMAN; who was slain also, both together with one thrust: WAS ZIMRI, THE SON OF SELA, A PRINCE OF A CHIEF HOUSE AMONG THE SIMEONITES; or a prince of his father's house, or f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE NAME OF THE MIDIANITISH WOMAN THAT WAS SLAIN WAS COZBI, THE DAUGHTER OF ZUR,.... One of the five kings of Midian, Numbers 31:8 and so the Samaritan Chronicle says k, it was the daughter of a king that came to a prince of the tribe of Simeon, and enticed him to eat of her food, and worship h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES,.... This was some time after the above affair happened; how long it was is not certain; and a little time before the death of Moses, see Numbers 31:1: SAYING; as follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
VEX THE MIDIANITES, AND SMITE THEM. Go to war with them, and smite them with the sword; not the Moabites, but the Midianites, though they were both confederates against Israel; but God had given a charge not to contend in battle with Moab, Deuteronomy 2:9, they were spared for the sake of Lot, from... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY VEX YOU WITH THEIR WILES,.... Not with wars, but with wiles, with cunning stratagems, and artful methods to draw them into sin, that thereby they might be exposed to the wrath of God: WHEREWITH THEY HAVE BEGUILED YOU IN THE MATTER OF PEOR; the idol Peor, that is, Baalpeor; which seems to c... [ Continue Reading ]