Numbers 25 summary

Israel, having escaped the curse of Balaam, here sustains a great deal of damage and reproach by the counsel of Balaam, who, it seems, before he left Balak, put him into a more effectual way than that which Balak thought of to separate between the Israelites and their God. "The Lord will not be prevailed with by Balaam's charms to ruin them; try if they will not be prevailed with by the charms of the daughters of Moab to ruin themselves." None are more fatally bewitched than those that are bewitched by their own lusts. Here is, I. The sin of Israel; they were enticed by the daughters of Moab both to whoredom and to idolatry (Num 25:1-3). II. The punishment of this sin by the hand of the magistrate (Num 25:4, Num 25:5) and by the immediate hand of God (Num 25:9). III. The pious zeal of Phinehas in slaying Zimri and Cozbi, two impudent sinners (Num 25:6, Num 25:8, Num 25:14, Num 25:15). IV. God's commendation of the zeal of Phinehas (Num 25:10-13). V. Enmity put between the Israelites and the Midianites, their tempters, as at first between the woman and the serpent (Num 25:16, etc.).

Source: Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).

1 Nowe whiles Israel abode in Shittim, the people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab:

2 Which called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods, and the people ate, and bowed downe to their gods.

3 And Israel coupled himselfe vnto Baal Peor: wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel:

4 And the Lord sayde vnto Moses, Take all the heades of the people, and hang them vp before the Lord against ye sunne, that the indignation of the Lords wrath may be turned from Israel.

5 Then Moses sayd vnto the Iudges of Israel, Euery one slay his men that were ioyned vnto Baal Peor.

6 And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought vnto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the Congregation of the children of Israel, who wept before the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

7 And when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest sawe it, hee rose vp from the middes of the Congregation, and tooke a speare in his hand,

8 And followed ye man of Israel into the tent, and thrust them both through: to wit, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly: so the plague ceased from the children of Israel.

9 And there died in that plague, foure and twentie thousand.

10 Then the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

11 Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest, hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel, while hee was zealous for my sake among them: therefore I haue not consumed the children of Israel in my ielousie.

12 Wherefore say to him, Beholde, I giue vnto him my couenant of peace,

13 And he shall haue it, and his seede after him, euen the couenant of the priestes office for euer, because he was zealous for his God, and hath made an atonement for the children of Israel.

14 And the name of the Israelite thus slayne, which was killed with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri the sonne of Salu, prince of the familie of the Simeonites.

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman, that was slayne, was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head ouer the people of his fathers house in Midian.

16 Againe ye Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

17 Vexe the Midianites, and smite them:

18 For they trouble you with their wiles, wherewith they haue beguiled you as concerning Peor, and as concerning their sister Cozbi ye daughter of a prince of Midian, which was slayne in the day of the plague because of Peor.