1Israel at Shittim commit whoredom and idolatry. 6Phinehas killeth Zimri and Cozbi. 10God therefore giveth him an everlasting priesthood. 16God commandeth Moses to vex the Midianites.
1AND Israela abode in 1Shittim, and 2the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of 3Moab.
a Num. 31:16; 33:49.
1 A place in the wilderness, in the lower country of the Moabites, at the Jordan. Num. 33:48, 49 this place is called Abel-shittim. Here Israel made their abode till after the death of Moses, when Joshua brought them from there to Jordan which they passed over at Gilgal, Joshua 2:1; 3:1.
2 Namely, many among the people of Israel (1 Cor. 10:8), for, all those, who committed this sin, were destroyed, but those, who cleaved to the LORD, remained alive, Deut. 4:3, 4.
3 Understand likewise of the Midianites, as appears from verses 6, 17, 18.
2Andb4they called the people unto the sacrifices 5of their gods: and 6the people 7did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
b Psalm 106:28; Hosea 9:10.
4 Namely, the daughters of the Moabites.
5 Other, of their god, namely, Baal-peor.
6 Namely, a portion of the people of Israel.
7 Participating thus with their idolatry, 1 Cor. 10:18. God the LORD had warned them for this, Exod. 34:14.
3And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindledc against Israel.
c Psalm 106:29.
4And the LORD said unto Moses, Taked8all the heads of the people, and hang them up 9before the LORD against the 10sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.
d Deut. 4:3; Joshua 22:17.
8 Namely, those who are guilty of this sin. See an example in verse 14. Some understand that these heads of the people were taken to be judges to see the execution done upon the guilty.
9 Other, the LORD, that is, to the honor of God, the Righteous (One), Who hates and punishes sin.
10 That is, publicly, before everyone’s eyes, as long as the sun shall shine this day.
5And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one 11his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.
11 Those who were under his government, according to the orders given, Exod. 18:25.
6¶And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto 12his 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.
12 Namely, to the Israelites who were in the camp.
7And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, hee rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
e Psalm 106:30.
8And 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.
9And thosef that died in the plague were 13twenty and four thousand.
f 1 Cor. 10:8.
13 The apostle, 1 Cor. 10:8, states twenty-three thousand. It is to be supposed that the judges executed one thousand, according to verse 5, and that God smote twenty-three thousand with the plague, or, one thousand were hanged and the remainder were smitten by God’s own hand.
10¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
11Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealousg for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
g 2 Cor. 11:2.
12Wherefore say, Behold, 14I giveh unto him my covenant 15of peace:
14 That is, I give him the priesthood to possess it peaceably and prosperously, he and his posterity, because he has pacified My wrath by his zeal.
h Psalm 106:31.
15 Or, to wit the peace.
13And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the 16covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
16 That is, an everlasting priesthood, established by an everlasting covenant. Yet understand by everlasting: until the coming of the Messiah. See Heb. 7:11.
14Now 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.
15And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was 17head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.
17 This Zur is reckoned among the kings of the Midianites, Num. 31:8.
16¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17Vexi the Midianites, and smite them:
i Num. 31:2.
18For they vex youj 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 18sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.
j Rev. 18:6.
18 That is, being of their own nation and parentage.