King James Version
Numbers 25
18 verses with commentary
Israel's Sin with Moabite Women
And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Israel 'began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab' at Shittim, just before entering Canaan. This sexual immorality was simultaneously spiritual adultery—the Moabite women drew Israelite men into idolatrous worship (verse 2). Sexual sin and idolatry intertwine throughout Scripture; physical unfaithfulness expresses and enables spiritual unfaithfulness.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXV.
(1) **Abode in Shittim—**i.e., *Abel-Shittim *(Numbers 33:49). (See Note on Numbers 22:1.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
The Israelites enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian.(1-5)
Phinehas puts Zimri and Cozbi to death.(6-15)
The Midianites to be punished.(16-18)
**Verses 1-5**
The friendship of the wicked is more dangerous than their enmity; for none can prevail against God's people if they are not overcome by their inbred lusts; nor can any enchantment hurt th...
Read full commentary →And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Moabite women 'called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.' Social connection led to religious compromise led to full idolatry. This progression illustrates how seemingly innocent association can draw believers into serious sin. Sexual attraction combined with cultural participation lowered defenses against idolatrous worship.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **And they called the people . . . —**The Moabitish women invited the Israelites to their sacrificial feasts, which were celebrated in honour of Baal-peor, who was worshipped in the city of Beth-peor (Deuteronomy 3:29). He is supposed to be identical with *Chemosh, *the Moabitish god of war.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it--**From the scarcity of water in the warm climates of the East, the practice of levying a tax for the use of the wells is universal; and the jealousy of the natives, in guarding the collected treasures of rain, is often so great that water cannot be procured for money.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
The Israelites enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian.(1-5)
Phinehas puts Zimri and Cozbi to death.(6-15)
The Midianites to be punished.(16-18)
**Verses 1-5**
The friendship of the wicked is more dangerous than their enmity; for none can prevail against God's people if they are not overcome by their inbred lusts; nor can any enchantment hurt th...
Read full commentary →And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
The statement 'Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor' describes covenant unfaithfulness through idolatry and immorality. The phrase 'joined himself' uses covenant language, indicating Israel's spiritual adultery by attaching to false gods. God's anger burning against Israel demonstrates that covenant privilege brings greater accountability—those who know God and reject Him face severe judgment. Thi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
The Israelites enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian.(1-5)
Phinehas puts Zimri and Cozbi to death.(6-15)
The Midianites to be punished.(16-18)
**Verses 1-5**
The friendship of the wicked is more dangerous than their enmity; for none can prevail against God's people if they are not overcome by their inbred lusts; nor can any enchantment hurt th...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God commanded Moses, 'Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun'—public execution of ringleaders to turn away divine wrath. The severity reflects the seriousness of covenant violation. Public judgment of leaders who lead others astray demonstrates that influence increases accountability. Such dramatic action was necessary to preserve the entire community.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Take all the heads of the people.—**The “heads” or “chiefs” of the people seem to be identical with the “judges” of the following verse. Some understand by “all the heads” those only who had been the chief offenders, whilst others understand the word “take” as equivalent to “assemble,” or “bring before thee,” and refer the word “them” to the offenders.
**Hang them up . . . —**It is obvious f...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, &c.--**A churlish refusal obliged them to take another route. (See on Nu 21:4; De 2:4; and Jud 11:18; see also 1Sa 14:47; 2Sa 8:14, which describe the retribution that was taken.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
The Israelites enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian.(1-5)
Phinehas puts Zimri and Cozbi to death.(6-15)
The Midianites to be punished.(16-18)
**Verses 1-5**
The friendship of the wicked is more dangerous than their enmity; for none can prevail against God's people if they are not overcome by their inbred lusts; nor can any enchantment hurt th...
Read full commentary →And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses commanded judges, 'Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.' Individual judges bore responsibility for executing judgment on those under their jurisdiction. Distributed authority prevented any single person bearing impossible burden while ensuring comprehensive response. Leadership requires willingness to exercise discipline, however painful.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**22. the children of Israel ... came unto mount Hor--**now Gebel Haroun, the most striking and lofty elevation in the Seir range, called emphatically "the mount" [Nu 20:28]. It is conspicuous by its double top.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 25
Chapter Outline
The Israelites enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian.(1-5)
Phinehas puts Zimri and Cozbi to death.(6-15)
The Midianites to be punished.(16-18)
**Verses 1-5**
The friendship of the wicked is more dangerous than their enmity; for none can prevail against God's people if they are not overcome by their inbred lusts; nor can any enchantment hurt th...
Read full commentary →The Zeal of Phinehas
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
An Israelite brazenly brought a Midianite woman to his family 'in the sight of Moses, and... all the congregation' while they mourned. This audacious sin during corporate repentance reveals hardness of heart and contempt for God's judgment. Some persist in rebellion even when warned by others' punishment. Phinehas's zealous response (verse 7-8) demonstrated that tolerating such defiance endangers ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
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;
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Phinehas 'took a javelin in his hand' and executed both the Israelite man and Midianite woman in the act of sin. This violent response to flagrant covenant violation stopped the plague (verse 8). Phinehas's decisive action demonstrated that tolerating open rebellion threatens the entire community. His zeal was commended (verses 10-13), not as license for vigilante justice but as appropriate respon...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest . . . —**In accordance with this punctuation, the designation *the priest *(which generally denotes the high priest) refers to Aaron, not to Phinehas. Eleazar was the high priest at this time (Numbers 20:26); and consequently—although as a general rule any designation which follows the words “the son of such an one” refers to...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-28. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people--**In accordance with his recent doom, he, attired in the high priest's costume, was commanded to ascend that mountain and die. But although the time of his death was hastened by the divine displeasure as a punishment for his sins, the manner of his death was arranged in tenderness of love, and to do him honor at the close of his earthly service. Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Verse 8 describes the execution in graphic detail—'and thrust both of them through.' The specificity emphasizes the seriousness and publicity of the judgment. Scripture doesn't sanitize or romanticize the cost of maintaining covenant purity. Real consequences for real sin preserve the community. This sobering account warns that God takes His holiness seriously.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Into the tent.—**The word k*ubbah *(tent, or alcove) occurs only in this place. The reference may be to the inner part of the ordinary tent which was occupied by the women; or it may denote an arched or vaulted tent (probably of skins), which the Israelites had erected whilst joining with the Moabites and Midianites in the lascivious worship of Baal-peor. The LXX. has *kaminos, *the Vulgate ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-28. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people--**In accordance with his recent doom, he, attired in the high priest's costume, was commanded to ascend that mountain and die. But although the time of his death was hastened by the divine displeasure as a punishment for his sins, the manner of his death was arranged in tenderness of love, and to do him honor at the close of his earthly service. Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
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KJV Study Commentary
The plague killed 24,000 before Phinehas's action stopped it. The death toll demonstrates the corporate consequences of individual and communal sin. One person's zeal for God ended what many people's sin had begun. This teaches both the danger of tolerating sin and the power of one righteous person's decisive action for God's honor.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **Twenty and four thousand.—**In 1Corinthians 10:8 the number of those who “fell in one day” is said to have been “three and twenty thousand.” It has been supposed that a thousand were put to death by the judges, and that these were not included in St. Paul’s enumeration. Presuming, however, that there has been no error in either place on the part of the scribes in recording the numbers, the w...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-28. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people--**In accordance with his recent doom, he, attired in the high priest's costume, was commanded to ascend that mountain and die. But although the time of his death was hastened by the divine displeasure as a punishment for his sins, the manner of his death was arranged in tenderness of love, and to do him honor at the close of his earthly service. Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The LORD commended Phinehas: 'he was zealous for my sake... and turned my wrath away.' God's approval vindicated Phinehas's action. True zeal prioritizes God's honor over human comfort or approval. This doesn't license violence but establishes principle: God's holiness must be defended even at personal cost. Phinehas risked being condemned as extremist or murderer, yet God rewarded his courage.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-28. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people--**In accordance with his recent doom, he, attired in the high priest's costume, was commanded to ascend that mountain and die. But although the time of his death was hastened by the divine displeasure as a punishment for his sins, the manner of his death was arranged in tenderness of love, and to do him honor at the close of his earthly service. Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
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. for: Heb. with my zeal
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KJV Study Commentary
God's commendation of Phinehas reveals the principle of righteous zeal for God's glory. The phrase 'hath turned my wrath away' uses the Hebrew 'heshiv chamati' (הֵשִׁיב חֲמָתִי), meaning to turn back or avert My burning anger. Phinehas' decisive action (executing an Israelite man and Midianite woman engaged in flagrant immorality and idolatry, 25:7-8) demonstrated the kind of jealousy for God's ho...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest . . . —**The description of Phinehas, as in Numbers 25:7, is repeated in full, as if to denote that he was not a private individual, but one invested with public authority.
**While he was zealous for my sake among them.—**Better, *in that he was jealous with my jealousy *(or, *in that he displayed my jealousy*).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**24-28. Aaron shall be gathered unto his people--**In accordance with his recent doom, he, attired in the high priest's costume, was commanded to ascend that mountain and die. But although the time of his death was hastened by the divine displeasure as a punishment for his sins, the manner of his death was arranged in tenderness of love, and to do him honor at the close of his earthly service. Hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
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KJV Study Commentary
God announced He was giving Phinehas 'my covenant of peace'—seemingly paradoxical since Phinehas had just executed two people. Yet peace comes not from tolerating sin but from addressing it decisively. True peace requires justice; premature peace-making that ignores unaddressed sin enables destruction. Phinehas's action secured peace by removing the plague.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **My covenant of peace.—**Phinehas, as one who was zealous for the honour of God and of the house of the Lord, was a fitting type of Christ, in whom the prediction of the Psalmist received its accomplishment, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (Psalm 69:9; John 2:17). The covenant of grace is described in Isaiah 54:10 and in Malachi 2:5 as the covenant of peace.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29. When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead--**Moses and Eleazar were the sole witnesses of his departure (Nu 20:28). According to the established law, the new high priest could not have been present at the funeral of his father without contracting ceremonial defilement (Le 21:11). But that law was dispensed with in the extraordinary circumstances. The people learned the event not only...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The covenant gave Phinehas and his descendants 'an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.' His action secured atonement—removing wrath through judgment of sin. This anticipates Christ's atoning work that satisfies divine justice. Phinehas's priesthood foreshadows Christ's eternal priesthood that truly turns away wrath forever.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **And he shall have it, and his seed after him.**—The covenant of peace, which was made by the blood of the Cross, and all the blessings which belong to that covenant, stand fast with Christ, and are secured to His spiritual seed. (Comp. Psalm 89:28-29.)
**Even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.—**Phinehas succeeded his father Eleazar as high priest (Judges 20:28). After a temporary i...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
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. chief: Heb. house of a father
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KJV Study Commentary
The naming of the slain Israelite—'Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites'—emphasizes that this was not a low-status offender but tribal leadership publicly defying God's law. The Hebrew <em>nasi</em> (prince) indicates high rank. Leadership sin is more heinous because it influences the entire community. Zimri's public shamelessness (verse 6) and high position made ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **A prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.—**Better, *of a father’s house, *&c. It is probable that the tribe of Simeon was deeply implicated in the transgression, and that those who belonged to that tribe were the chief sufferers in the plague. (See Numbers 26:14, and Note.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 21 Nu 21:1-35. Israel Attacked by the Canaanites.
**1. King Arad the Canaanite--**rather, "the Canaanite king of Arad"--an ancient town on the southernmost borders of Palestine, not far from Kadesh. A hill called Tell Arad marks the spot.
**heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies--**in the way or manner of spies, stealthily, or from spies sent by himself to ascertain the des...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The identification of the Midianite woman—'Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian'—shows this was not random fornication but a high-level alliance between Israelite and Midianite nobility. The Hebrew construction emphasizes her royal lineage. This political-sexual alliance sought to unite Israel with Midian through intermarriage, exactly what Balaam h...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.—**Better, *head of the tribes *(or, *communities*)* of a father’s house in Midian. *Several of the Midianitish tribes, or smaller divisions of a father’s house, may have descended from one tribe-father. In Numbers 31:8, Zur is described as one of the five kings of Midian who were slain by the Israelites.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord--**Made to feel their own weakness, they implored the aid of Heaven, and, in anticipation of it, devoted the cities of this king to future destruction. The nature and consequence of such anathemas are described (Le 27:1-34; De 13:1-18). This vow of extermination against Arad [Nu 21:2] gave name to the place Hormah (slaughter and destruction) though it was no...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 6-15**
Phinehas, in the courage of zeal and faith, executed vengeance on Zimri and Cozbi. This act can never be an example for private revenge, or religious persecution, or for irregular public vengeance.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God's command 'Vex the Midianites, and smite them' inaugurates holy war against those who attempted to corrupt Israel. The Hebrew <em>tsarar</em> (vex/harass) and <em>nakah</em> (smite/strike) indicate aggressive warfare. This command shows that mercy toward corrupters of God's people is not virtue but disobedience. The command links directly to Midian's spiritual warfare strategy (verse 18): 'the...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-3. Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord--**Made to feel their own weakness, they implored the aid of Heaven, and, in anticipation of it, devoted the cities of this king to future destruction. The nature and consequence of such anathemas are described (Le 27:1-34; De 13:1-18). This vow of extermination against Arad [Nu 21:2] gave name to the place Hormah (slaughter and destruction) though it was no...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-18**
We read not that any Midianites died of the plague; God punished them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of a father. We must set ourselves against whatever is an occasion of sin to us, Mt 5:29, 30. Whatever draws us to sin, should be a vexation to us, as a thorn in the flesh. And none will be more surely and severely punished than those who, after Satan's example, a...
Read full commentary →Vex the Midianites, and smite them:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The ongoing command 'For they vex you with their wiles' (continuing from verse 16) explains the reason for warfare: Midian's strategic deception. The Hebrew <em>nekel</em> (wiles/craftiness) indicates cunning schemes. This wasn't random conflict but calculated spiritual warfare. Midian couldn't defeat Israel militarily (Balaam's failed curses proved that), so they used seduction. This reveals Sata...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Vex the Midianites, and smite them.—**The Midianites appear to have been joint actors with the Moabites throughout the whole of the opposition which was offered to Israel, and the chief actors in the wiles by which the Israelites were seduced. As the descendants of Abraham, the father of the faithful, the Midianites ought to have feared and obeyed Abraham’s God, and to have shown brotherly ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. they journeyed from mount Hor--**On being refused the passage requested, they returned through the Arabah, "the way of the Red Sea," to Elath, at the head of the eastern gulf of the Red Sea, and thence passed up through the mountains to the eastern desert, so as to make the circuit of the land of Edom (Nu 33:41, 42).
**the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way--**Disapp...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-18**
We read not that any Midianites died of the plague; God punished them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of a father. We must set ourselves against whatever is an occasion of sin to us, Mt 5:29, 30. Whatever draws us to sin, should be a vexation to us, as a thorn in the flesh. And none will be more surely and severely punished than those who, after Satan's example, a...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The specific mention 'in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi' grounds the general principle (Midianite treachery) in specific incidents. Peor refers to the location where Israel joined itself to Baal of Peor (25:3); Cozbi names the Midianite princess whose fornication with Zimri provoked plague (25:14-15). Specific naming prevents abstracting sin—real people in real places committed rea...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. our soul loatheth this light bread--**that is, bread without substance or nutritious quality. The refutation of this calumny appears in the fact, that on the strength of this food they performed for forty years so many and toilsome journeys. But they had been indulging a hope of the better and more varied fare enjoyed by a settled people; and disappointment, always the more bitter as the hope...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 16-18**
We read not that any Midianites died of the plague; God punished them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of a father. We must set ourselves against whatever is an occasion of sin to us, Mt 5:29, 30. Whatever draws us to sin, should be a vexation to us, as a thorn in the flesh. And none will be more surely and severely punished than those who, after Satan's example, a...
Read full commentary →