Numbers, Chapter 25

Numbers Chapter 25

Verses 1-18: The Israelites Turn to Baal Worship and the Zeal of Phinehas

1. While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.
2. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
3. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
4. The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”
5. And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6. And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
7. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand
8. and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.
9. Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
10. The LORD said to Moses,
11. “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.
12. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace,
13. and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.'”
14. The name of the slain man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites.
15. And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.
16. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
17. “Harass the Midianites and strike them down,
18. for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”

Interpretation: This chapter addresses the grave sin of idolatry among the Israelites and its severe consequences. The people of Israel are led astray into worshipping Baal of Peor, provoking God’s wrath. Phinehas’ zealous act of killing an Israelite man and a Midianite woman engaged in an act that symbolized the merging of Israelite worship with pagan practices stopped a devastating plague and exemplified fierce loyalty to God. For his zeal, Phinehas is granted a covenant of peace and a perpetual priesthood. This narrative underscores the dangers of idolatry and the importance of unwavering fidelity to God’s commandments, highlighting the lengths to which the community must go to preserve its covenantal relationship with God.