1.
And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
1. Israel abode in Shittim—a
verdant meadow, so called from a grove of acacia trees which lined
the eastern side of the Jordan. (See ).
2.
And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3.
And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
3. Israel joined himself unto
Baal-peor—Baal was a general name for "lord," and
Peor for a "mount" in Moab. The real name of the idol was
Chemosh, and his rites of worship were celebrated by the grossest
obscenity. In participating in this festival, then, the Israelites
committed the double offense of idolatry and licentiousness.
4.
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.
4. The Lord said unto Moses, Take
all the heads of the people, and hang them up—Israelite
criminals, who were capitally punished, were first stoned or slain,
and then gibbeted. The persons ordered here for execution were
the principal delinquents in the Baal-peor outrage—the subordinate
officers, rulers of tens or hundreds.
before the Lord—for
vindicating the honor of the true God.
against the sun—that
is, as a mark of public ignominy; but they were to be removed towards
sunset (Deuteronomy 21:23).
5.
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.
5. judges of Israel—the
seventy elders, who were commanded not only to superintend the
execution within their respective jurisdictions, but to inflict the
punishment with their own hands. (See on ).
6.
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.
6, 7. behold, one of the children of
Israel . . . brought . . . a Midianitish woman—This flagitious
act most probably occurred about the time when the order was given
and before its execution.
who were weeping before the
door of the tabernacle—Some of the rulers and well-disposed
persons were deploring the dreadful wickedness of the people and
supplicating the mercy of God to avert impending judgments.
7.
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;
8.
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.
8. the plague—some sudden and
widespread mortality.
9.
And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
9. those that died in the plague
were twenty and four thousand—Only twenty-three thousand
perished (1 Corinthians 10:8) from
pestilence. Moses includes those who died by the execution of the
judges [Numbers 25:5].
10.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
11.
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.
11-13. Phinehas . . . hath turned my
wrath away—This assurance was a signal mark of honor that the
stain of blood, instead of defiling, confirmed him in office and that
his posterity should continue as long as the national existence of
Israel.
12.
Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13.
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.
14.
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.
14. Zimri, . . . a prince . . .
among the Simeonites—The slaughter of a man of such high rank
is mentioned as a proof of the undaunted zeal of Phinehas, for there
might be numerous avengers of his blood.
15.
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.
16.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17.
Vex the Midianites, and smite them:
17. Vex the Midianites, and smite
them—They seem to have been the most guilty parties. (Compare
Numbers 22:4; Numbers 31:8).
18.
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.
18. they vex you with their
wiles—Instead of open war, they plot insidious ways of
accomplishing your ruin by idolatry and corruption.
their sister—their
countrywoman.