Numbers 25

Nu 25:1-18.

THE

ISRAELITES'

WHOREDOM AND

IDOLATRY WITH

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

Nu 33:49).

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. 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

(De 21:23).

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

1Sa 15:33).

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.

8. the plague--some sudden and widespread mortality.

9. those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand--Only

twenty-three thousand perished

(1Co 10:8)

from pestilence. Moses includes those who died by the execution of the

judges

[Nu 25:5].

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.

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.

17. Vex the Midianites, and smite them--They seem to have been the

most guilty parties. (Compare

Nu 22:4; 31:8).

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.