Numbers 25 commentary

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 them, but the enticements of worldly interests and pleasures. Here is the sin of Israel, to which they are enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian. Those are our worst enemies who draw us to sin, for that is the greatest mischief any man can do us. Israel's sin did that which all Balaam's enchantments could not do; it set God against them. Diseases are the fruits of God's anger, and the just punishments of prevailing sins; one infection follows the other. Ringleaders in sin ought to be made examples of justice.

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.

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, and with his subtlety, tempt others to sin.

1 And Israel abode in Shittim. From this narrative we learn assuredly that the people were no more able to bear prosperity than adversity. Heretofore, either worn out by fatigue, or rendered impatient by abstinence and famine, they had often rebelled against God; now, when they have entered a habitable land, and are resting in the midst of fruitful fields, they are incited by their more comfortable dwelling-places, and more pleasant mode of life, to lasciviousness, and the indulgence of filthy lusts. Moses relates how, when they had given way to their lust, they fell at the same time into whoredom and idolatry. We shall presently see that this arose from the counsel of Balaam, that the Moabites should prostitute their women to the Israelites, in order to entice them by their blandishments to unholy worship. Balaam had learnt by experience that God’s favor was an invincible safeguard to protect the people from all injury. He, therefore, invents a plan whereby they may destroy themselves, by not only depriving themselves of God’s protection, but also by provoking His wrath against them. By this fan, then, Balaam stirred up the fire, which impelled these poor wretches, inflamed by blind lechery, to another crime, by which they might arouse against themselves the enmity of God. Consequently Paul, referring to this history, informs us that the punishment, which will be mentioned immediately, was inflicted upon them for fornication. (1 Corinthians 10:8.) For, although it was God’s design to avenge the violation of His worship, still it is fitting to examine into the origin and source of the evil. Just as, if a drunken man has killed a person, the murder will be imputed to his drunkenness, so Paul, seeing the Israelites impelled by fornication to idolatry, sets before us the punishment as a warning to deter us from fornication, which was the primary cause of their chastisement, and the means of their corruption. Since, then, the fall from one sin to another is so easy, let us hence learn to be more watchful, lest Satan should entangle us in his snares. Let us also observe that he creeps upon us by degrees in order to entrap us. The Moabitish damsels did not straightway solicit the Israelites to worship their idols, but first invite them to their banquets, and thus tempt them to idolatry; for, if mention had been made at first of idol-worship, perhaps they might have shuddered at the atrocity of the crime, to which they allowed themselves to be beguiled by degrees. Now, to be present at a feast which was celebrated in honor of false gods, was a kind of indirect renunciation of the true God; and when they had been attracted thus far, they threw aside all shame, and abandoned themselves to that extreme act whereby they transfer the honor due only to the one true God, to false and imaginary deities.

3. AndIsrael joined himself to Baal-peor. Moses amplifies their crime by this expression, that they bound themselves to the idol in an impious alliance; and thus he alludes to that holy union whereby God had connected Himself with the people, and accuses them of broken faith and wicked rebellion. Nevertheless, it is probable that the people were not impelled by superstition, but enticed by the wiles of the women to offer worship to idols which they despised. Yet we are told how God declared that they were “joined” to the idol, which they merely pretended to worship, in order to comply with the ungodly wishes of the women. Hence, therefore, this general instruction may be gathered, that when we turn aside from pure religion, we in a manner connect ourselves with idols, so as to coalesce in one body with them, and conspire to renounce the true God.

Baal was then the general name of almost all idols; but all epithet is added to the idol of the Moabites, taken from Mount Peor; nor does it appear that we need go in quest of any other etymology, since the name of this mountain has recently been mentioned. It was on the same principle as in Popery, when they name their Marys after particular places, “Comme qui diroit nostre Dame de Laurette, ou de Boulogne, ou de Cleri;” as one might say, our Lady of Loretto, or Bologna, or Cleri. — Fr. where the most famous statues are worshipped.

4. And the Lord said unto Moses. We have often seen before how God executed His judgments by His own hand, as if He put it forth from heaven; He now imposes this office on Moses, although it is evident from the context that he was not appointed to execute it alone, but that the other judges were associated with him; for it immediately follows that Moses intrusted the same charge to them, and thus, what was obscure, on account of the brevity with which it is recorded, is more clearly expressed. At any rate, it was a notable judgment of God Himself, though He employed men as its ministers. Nor does Paul in vain exhort “Les Corinthiens.” — Fr. us by this example to beware of fornication.

The mode of the punishment, however, was diverse, for the lower orders were slain (by pestilence,) but the leaders were hanged upon the gallows, that the sight might awaken more terror; for by “the heads of the people” he means those of the highest repute, whose ignominy must have been most notable, because the eyes of all men are generally upon the great and noble. Hence, also, they deservedly incur the heavier punishment, because obscure persons do less harm by their example, nor are their acts so generally the objects of imitation. Let, therefore, those who are held in esteem beware lest they provoke others to sin by their evil deeds, for, in proportion to each man’s pre-eminence, the less excuse he deserves. Others interpret it differently, as if Moses were commanded to fetch the princes to give their sentence against the criminals; thus by the pronoun “them” they understood whosoever should be convictcd; but it is hardly probable that so great a multitude were hanged, and therefore I do not doubt but that reference is made to their peculiar punishment:.

6. And, behold, one of the children of Israel came. Moses here relates a case which was foul and detestable beyond others. There is no doubt but that many, in the midst of such gross licentiousness as had now for some time generally prevailed, had filled the camp with various scandalous offenses; but there was something peculiarly enormous in the atrocity of this act, in that this impious despiser of God wantonly insulted both God and men amidst the tears and lamentations of all, as if he were triumphing over all shame and modesty. The multitude were weeping before the tabernacle, that is to say, all the pious who trembled at the thought of approaching calamity, since they were fully persuaded that this licentiousness, accompanied by idolatry and sacrilege, would not be unpunished; meanwhile, this abandoned man rushes forward, and, in mockery of their tears, leads his harlot in procession as it were. No wonder, therefore, that God should have exercised such severity, when things had come to this extremity. But it must be observed that the order of the history is inverted, since it is not credible that, after the Judges had begun to perform their office, such an iniquity should be committed. But this narrative is thus inserted, in order that it may be more apparent how necessary it was to proceed speedily to severe chastisement, since otherwise it would have been impossible to apply a remedy in time to so desperate an evil.

7. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar. The courage of Phinehas is celebrated, who, whilst the rest were hesitating, inflamed with holy zeal, hastens forward to inflict punishment. The backwardness of others is therefore condemned by implication, though their tears were praiseworthy; but, since they were almost stupified by grief, their virtue was not dear from all defect. And certainly, whilst the yet unbridled licentiousness of the people was foaming like a tempestuous sea, we cannot wonder that the minds of the good were altogether or partially disabled. Hence was the zeal of Phinehas the more distinguished, when he did not hesitate to provoke so many worthless and wicked persons infuriated by their lechery. If any object that he transgressed the limits of his calling, when he laid hold of the sword with which God had not armed him, to inflict capital punishment, the reply is obvious, that our calling is not always confined to its ordinary office, inasmuch as God sometimes requires new and unusual acts of His servants. As a priest, it was not the office of Phinehas to punish crime, but he was called by the special inspiration of God, so that, in his private capacity, he had the Holy Spirit as his guide. These circumstances, indeed, ought not to be regarded as an example, so that a general rule may be laid down from them; though, at the same time, God preserves His free right to appoint His servants by privilege to act in His behalf as He shall see fit. God’s judgment of this case may be certainly inferred from its approval, so that we may correctly argue that Phinehas was under His own guidance, since He immediately afterwards declared that He was pleased with the act, as is also stated in Psalm 106:30, 31

Now, if any private person should in his preposterous zeal take upon himself to punish a similar crime, in vain will he boast that he is an imitator of Phinehas, unless he shall be thoroughly assured of the command of God. Let the answer of Christ, therefore, always be borne in mind by us, whereby he restrained His disciples, when they desired, like Elijah, to pray that those who had not received them should be destroyed by fire from heaven, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” (Luke 9:54, 55.) In order, therefore, that our zeal may be approved by God, it must be tempered by spiritual prudence, and directed by His authority; in a word, the Holy Spirit must go before and dictate what is right.

9. And those that died in the plague. Paul, when he says that only twenty-three thousand died, appears to differ from Moses; but we know that the exact account of numbers is not always observed, and it is probable that about twenty-four thousand were slain. Paul, therefore, subtracted one thousand, and was content with the lesser number; C. in his Commentary on 1 Corinthians 10:8, enlarges somewhat more on this point: “There perished in one day twenty-three thousand, or, as Moses says, twenty-four thousand. Though they differ as to number, it is easy to reconcile them, as it is no unusual thing, when it is not intended to number exactly and minutely each head, to put down a number that comes near it, as among the Romans there were those that received the name of ceatumviri, (the hundred,) while in reality there were two above the hundred. As there were, therefore, about twenty-four thousand that were overthrown by the Lord’s hand — that is, above twenty-three thousand, Moses has set down the number above the mark, and Paul the number below it, and in this way there is in reality no difference.” — Cal. Soc. Edit., vol. 1, p. 324. from which, however, we may perceive how severe and terrible was the punishment, teaching us to beware of provoking God by fornication. For, as it is a monstrous thing that so great a multitude should have been infected by this foul and shameful sin, so God’s fearful judgment against adulterers and fornicators is set before us. We have already seen that, although they were guilty of a wicked rebellion, still the punishment is justly ascribed to their lust, which impelled them to idolatry.

10. And the Lord spake unto Moses. In these words God makes it appear that He was the author of the death (of Zimri and Cozbi;) Added from Fr. not only because He was thus propitiated towards the people, but because He calls the zeal of Phinehas His own. Margin, A.V., “Heb., with my zeal.” It will, however, accord equally well whether we take it actively or passively, viz., either that Phinehas was inflamed with zeal to vindicate God’s glory, or that he took upon him the zeal of God Himself. Whichever be preferred, God refers to Himself what was done by Phinehas. When He declares that He was appeased by the punishment inflicted, let us not imagine that there was a meritorious satisfaction, whereby the Papists feign that their punishments are redeemed before God. For although the just chastisements of sin are sacrifices of sweet savor, they are by no means expiations to reconcile God. Besides, there is no question here of compensation, but what is meant is, that it was a means of appeasing God, when the ungodliness of the people which had, as it were, fanned up His wrath into a flame, was repressed by this severe correction. Thus, in Psalm 106, the atonement is ascribed not to the act of Phinehas, but only to his prayer, Psalm 106:30 A.V., “Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment;” in the English Prayer-book, the Chaldee, Syriac, and other versions, “and prayed;” with this, however, C., in his Commentary, does not agree: “Some render the word פלל, pillel, to pray, (he says;) but the other rendering, to execute justice, is more in accordance with the context.” — Cal. Sec. Edit., vol. 4, p. 230 because, in right of his priesthood, he had humbly interceded for the people. At the same time, the statement of Paul is true, that those are not judged by God who voluntarily judge themselves, (1 Corinthians 11:31,) since, by their penitence, they in a manner prevent this judgment.

A perpetual priesthood is promised to Phinehas as his reward. If any object, that he thus obtained nothing new, since, in accordance with the rule of the law, he was the undoubted successor of his father, I reply, that it is not un-common that what God had already freely promised, He declares that He will give by way of reward. Thus, what had been promised to Abraham before the birth of Isaac, is again repeated after he was prepared to sacrifice him, (Genesis 22:16:) “Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son,” therefore, “in blessing I will bless thee, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Besides, the privilege of a single individual is not simply in question here, but it refers to a perpetual succession, as if God had promised that his posterity should never fail. And assuredly, the change which took place at the commencement of Solomon’s reign, is not repugnant to this promise, for it may be probably inferred that Zadoc, no less than Abiathar, was of the race of Phinehas. This covenant is called a “covenant of peace,” because it was to be surely established; consequently, it may be properly rendered, “My covenant in peace.” At any rate, it indicates prosperity, as if He had said that Phinehas, together with his posterity, should prosperously execute the sacerdotal office.

14. Now the name of the Israelite. Even as the memory of the just is blessed, so also it was equitable that the author of this foul sin should be condemned to perpetual infamy. It appears, however, from the fact of a part of the disgrace being thrown upon the whole tribe, how greatly displeasing to God was this gross enormity. For although the tribe of Simeon is not here actually involved in the charge of participating in the sin, yet are they all branded with the common mark of ignominy for their humiliation, in order that each one of them may learn severely to correct whomsoever amongst his relatives he may see offending, and by no means to encourage their vices, if he desires to do credit to the founder of his race. “Car e’est le vray moyen d’honorer sa famille et son sang;” for this is the true way to honor one’s family and blood. — Fr. It is recorded that both Zimri and the Midianitish woman were of noble and principal families, not only that we may be taught that God’s judgment is no respecter of persons (ἀπροσωπόληπτον,) in that it does not spare rank, but also that the higher a person may be in position, the greater is the disgrace he is exposed to if he conduct himself dishonorably, since their very dignity renders men’s actions more conspicuous.

Because the paternal house of the harlot is said to have been in Midian, some conjecture that she was born in the land of Moab, or, at any rate, brought up there among her maternal relatives; but, as the matter is unimportant, I leave it undecided.

17. Vex the Midianites, and smite them. Inasnmch as God constantly forbids His people to take vengeance, it is surprising that the people of Israel should now be instigated to do so; as if they were not already more than enough disposed to it. We must bear in mind, however, that since God, who is the just avenger of all wickedness, often makes use of men’s instrumentality, and constitutes them the lawful ministers for the exercise of his vengeance, it must not be altogether condemned without exception, but only such vengeance as men themselves are impelled to by carnal passions. If any one is injured, straightway he is carried away to the desire of vengeance by the stimulus of his own private injury; and this is manifestly wrong: but if a person is led to inflict punishment by a just and well-regulated zeal towards God, it is not his own cause, but that of God which he undertakes. God did not, therefore, desire to give reins to His people’s anger, so as to repay the Midianites as they had deserved in the violence of its impulse; but He armed them with His own sword for their punishment; as if He had declared that there was a just cause for their war, and that they need not fear the charge of cruelty, if they exterminated such obnoxious enemies. For, although Balaam alone had imagined this snare, still the guilt is laid upon the whole people. In the meantime, the punishment of the Moabites is delayed, although they had apparently inflicted the grosser injury. Because no good reason here appears why God should mercifully bear with the one nation, whilst He hastens speedily to the punishment of the others, let us learn to regard His judgments with reverence, and not to presume to discuss them further than is lawful. Let it be sufficient for us to know that war was justly declared against the Midianites, because it was not their fault that Israel was not ruined by their iniquitous impiety. “Par l’impiete a laquelle ils l’induisoyent;” by the impiety to which they induced them. — Fr.

The Repitition of the same History

Deuteronomy 4

Deuteronomy 4:3, 4

3. Your eyes have scen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

3. Oculi vestri viderunt qum fecit Jehova propter Baal-Peor, omnem enim hominem qui perrexerat post Baal-Peor perdidit Jehova Deus tuus e medio tui.

4. But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God ave alive every one of you this day.

4. Vos autem qui adhaesistis Jehova Deo vestro vivitis universi hodie.

CHAPTER 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.

Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor - The same as the Priapus of the Romans, and worshipped with the same obscene rites as we have frequently had occasion to remark.

The joining to Baal-peor, mentioned here, was probably what St. Paul had in view when he said, 2Cor 6:14 : Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And this joining, though done even in a matrimonial way, was nevertheless fornication, (see Rev 2:14), as no marriage between an Israelite and a Midianite could be legitimate, according to the law of God. See the propositions at the close of the preceding chapter Num 24:25 (note).

Take all the heads of the people, etc. - Meaning the chiefs of those who had transgressed; as if he had said, "Assemble the chiefs and judges, institute an inquiry concerning the transgressors, and hang them who shall be found guilty before the Lord, as a matter required by his justice." Against the sun - in the most public manner, and in daylight. Dr. Kennicott has remarked that the Samaritan and Hebrew texts must be both taken together, to make the sense here complete: And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto all the heads of the people; And Let Them Slay The Men That Were Joined To Baal-Peor; and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, etc.

Slay ye every one his men - In the different departments where you preside over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, slay all the culprits that shall be found.

One of the children of Israel - Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief family in the tribe of Simeon, Num 25:14, brought a Midianitish woman, Cozbi, daughter of Zur, head over a people of one of the chief families in Midian, Num 25:15. The condition of these two persons plainly proves it to have been a matrimonial alliance, the one was a prince, the other a princess; therefore I must conclude that fornication or whoredom, in the common sense of the word, was not practiced on this occasion. The matter was bad enough, as the marriage was in flat opposition to the law of God; and we need not make it worse by representing the woman as a common prostitute, as the Vulgate and several others have done. In such a case this is absolutely inadmissible. Josephus positively says that Zimri had married Cozbi, Antiq., 1. iv., cap. 6; and if he had not said so, still the thing is nearly self-evident. See Num 24:25 (note).

The children of Israel, who were weeping - This aggravated the crime, because the people were then in a state of great humiliation, because of the late impure and illegal transactions.

Thrust both of them through - Inspired undoubtedly by the Spirit of the God of justice to do this act, which can never be a precedent on any common occasion. An act something similar occurs in our own history. In 1381, in the minority of Richard II., a most formidable insurrection took place in Kent and Essex; about 100,000 men, chiefly under the direction of Wat Tyler, seized on London, massacred multitudes of innocent people, and were proceeding to the greatest enormities, when the king requiring a conference in Smithfield with the rebel leader, Sir William Walworth, then mayor of London, provoked at the insolence with which Tyler behaved to his sovereign, knocked him off his horse with his mace, after which he was instantly dispatched. While his partisans were bending their bows to revenge the death of their leader, Richard, then only sixteen years of age, rode up to them, and with great courage and presence of mind thus addressed them: "What, my people, will you kill your king! be not concerned for the death of your leader; follow me, and I will be your general." They were suddenly appeased, and the rebellion terminated. The action of Sir William Walworth was that of a zealot, of essential benefit at the time, and justified only by the pressing exigencies of the case.

Those that died - were twenty and four thousand - St. Paul, 1Cor 10:8, reckons only twenty-three thousand; though some MSS. and versions, particularly the latter Syriac and the Armenian, have twenty-four thousand, with the Hebrew text. Allowing the 24,000 to be the genuine reading, and none of the Hebrew MSS. exhibit any various reading here, the two places may be reconciled thus: 1,000 men were slain in consequence of the examination instituted Num 25:4, and 23,000 in consequence of the orders given Num 25:5; making 24,000 in the whole. St. Paul probably refers only to the latter number.

My covenant of peace - of an everlasting priesthood - As the word peace implied all kinds of blessings, both spiritual and temporal, it may mean no more here than the promise of God, to grant him and his family the utmost prosperity in reference to both worlds. The everlasting priesthood refers properly to the priesthood of Christ which was shadowed out by the priesthood under the law; no matter in what family it was continued. Therefore the כהנת עולם kehunnath olam, or eternal priesthood, does not merely refer to any sacerdotal ministrations which should be continued in the family of Phinehas, during the Mosaic dispensation, but to that priesthood of Christ typified by that of Aaron and his successors. The priesthood alone is everlasting, and a covenant or grant of that was made to Phinehas, and his descendants. The Jews reckon twelve high priests of the race of Phinehas, from this time to the days of Solomon, nine more from that time to the captivity, (see 1Chr 6:4, 1Chr 6:15), and fifteen from their return to the time of Antiochus Eupator, the last of whom was Onias, slain by Lysias. Ezra, the great priest and scribe, was of this line, Ezr 7:1, Ezr 7:5. The family of Ithamar, uncle of Phinehas, had the priesthood for about 150 years; but it was restored to the family of Phinehas in the person of Zadok the priest, 1Chr 6:50, in which it continued in the whole about 950 years. Probably the Maccabees were of the same family; but though this is not certain, there is no evidence against it. See Calmet. God therefore sufficiently fulfilled his promise; he gave to him and his descendants almost the utmost temporal length that could be given of that priesthood which is, in its own nature, eternal. Here then the word עולם olam means, not a limited time, but what is eternal in its duration. See the note on Gen 21:33.

Vex the Midianites, etc. - See this order fulfilled, Numbers 31:1-20. Twelve thousand Israelites attacked the Midianites, destroyed all their cities, slew their five kings, every male, and every grown up woman, and took all their spoils.

Shittim - And this was their last station, from whence they passed immediately into Canaan. This is noted as a great aggravation of their sin, that they committed it, when God was going to put them into the possession of their long - expected land. The people - Many of them. Whoredom - Either because they prostituted themselves to them upon condition of worshipping their God: or because their filthy God was worshipped by such filthy acts, as Priapus and Venus were. The daughters of Moab - And of Midian too; for both these people being confederated in this wicked design, the one is put for the other, and the daughters of Moab may be named, either because they began the transgression, or because they were the chief persons, possibly, the relations or courtiers of Balak.

They - The Moabites being now neighbours to the Israelites, and finding themselves unable to effect their design by war and witchcraft, fell another way to work, by contracting familiarity with them, and, perceiving their evil inclinations, they, that is, their daughters, invited them. Unto the sacrifices - Unto the feasts which were made of their parts of the sacrifices, after the manner of the Jews and Gentiles too, the participation whereof, was reckoned a participation in the worship of that God to whom the sacrifices were offered. Of their gods - Of their God, Baal - peor, the plural Elohim being here used, as commonly it is, for one God.

Joined himself - The word implies a forsaking God to whom they were joined and a turning to, and strict conjunction with, this false God. Baal - peor - Called Baal, by the name common to many false Gods, and especially to those that represented any of the heavenly bodies, and Peor, either from the hill Peor, where he was worshipped, Num 23:28, rather from a verb signifying to open and uncover, because of the obscene posture in which the idol was set, as Priapus was: or because of the filthiness which was exercised in his worship.

Take all the heads - Take, that is, apprehend, all the heads, that is, the chief, of the people, such as were chief in this transgression, and in place and power, who are singled out to this exemplary punishment for their concurrence with others in this wickedness, which was more odious and mischievous in them. Hang them up before the Lord - To the vindication of God's honour and justice. Against the sun - Publickly, as their sin was publick and scandalous, and speedily, before the sun go down.

Every one his men - Those under his charge, for as these seventy were chosen to assist Moses in the government, so doubtless the care and management of the people was distributed among them by just and equal proportions.

One came - This was done, when Moses had given the charge to the Judges, and, as it may seem, before the execution of it; otherwise it is probable he would not have been so foolish to have run upon certain ruin, when the examples were frequent before his eyes. To his brethren - Into the camp of the Israelites. In the sight of Moses - An argument of intolerable impudence and contempt of God and of Moses. Weeping - Bewailing the wickedness of the people, and the dreadful judgments of God, and imploring God's mercy and favour.

Thrust them thro' - Phineas was himself a man in great authority, and did this after the command given by Moses to the rulers to slay these transgressors, and in the very sight, and no doubt by the consent of Moses himself, and also by the special direction of God's spirit.

Twenty four thousand - St. Paul says twenty three thousand, 1Cor 10:8. The odd thousand here added were slain by the Judges according to the order of Moses, the rest by the immediate hand of God, but both sorts died of the plague, the word being used, as often it is, for the sword, or hand, or stroke of God.

My covenant of peace - That is, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, as it is expounded, Nu 25:13, which is called a covenant of peace, partly with respect to the happy effect of this heroical action of his, whereby he made peace between God and his people; and partly with regard to the principal end of the priestly office, which was constantly to do that which Phinehas now did, even to meditate between God and men, to obtain and preserve his own and Israel's peace and reconciliation with God, by offering up sacrifices and incense, and prayers, to God on their behalf, as also by turning them away from iniquity, which is the only peace - breaker, and by teaching and pressing the observation of that law, which is the only bond of their peace.

At everlasting priesthood - To continue as long as the law and common - wealth of the Jews did. But this promise was conditional, and therefore might be made void, by the miscarriages of Phinehas's sons, as it seems it was, and thereupon a like promise was made to Eli of the line of Ithamar, that he and his should walk before the Lord, namely, in the office of high - priest, for ever, which also for his and their sins was made void, 1Sam 2:30. And the the priesthood returned to Phinehas's line in the time of Solomon, 1Kings 2:26,27,34.

The Midianites - And why not the Moabites. It is probable the Midianites were most guilty, as in persuading Balak to send for Balaam, Nu 22:4,7. So in the reception of Balaam after Balak had dismissed him, Nu 31:8, and in farther consultation with him, and in contriving the means for the executing of this wicked plot.

With their wiles - For under pretence of kindred and friendship and leagues, which they offered to them, instead of that war which the Israelites expected, they sought only an opportunity to insinuate themselves into their familiarity, and execute their hellish plot of bringing that curse upon the Israelites, which they had in vain attempted to bring another way.

1 AND Israel abode in Shittim , and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab .

A place called more largely, Abel-Shittim, Numb. 33. 49. it being usual with the Hebrews to abbreviate long proper names, as Hermon is put for Baal-hermon, Iudg. 3. 3. [illegible: 1 word] for [illegible: 1+ letters] lad, Ios. 19. 4. Nimrim, Isa. 15. 6. for B[illegible: 1+ letters]-nimrim, Numb. 32. 36. And this was their last station, from whence they passed immediately into Canaan. So this is here noted as a great aggravation of their sin, that they committed it, when God wa[illegible: 1+ letters] going to put them into the possession of their long-expected and much-desired land.

Not all, but many, of them, as appears from Deut. 4. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 8.

Both corporally and spiritually, either because they prostituted themselves to them upon condition of worshipping their God: or because their [illegible: 1+ letters] thy God was worshipped by such filthy acts, as Priapus and [illegible: 1+ letters] nus were.

And of Midian t[illegible: 1+ letters]o, as is evident from ver. 6, 1[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪ 18. and Numb. 31. 16. for both these people being confederated in this wicked design, the one is put for the other, and the daughters of Moab may be named, either because they began the transgression, or because they were the chief persons, possibly, the relations or courtier[illegible: 1+ letters] of Balak king of Moab.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 33. [illegible: 1 word].

2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods : and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods :

This may be noted, either 1. as the consequent of their whoredome, an invitation to further society in their sacr[illegible: 1+ letters]d feasts: or rather 2. as the cause or occasion of their whoredome, the Hebrew vau here signifying for, as it oft doth. The Moabites being now neighbours to the Israelites, and finding themselves unable to effect their design against Israel by war and witchcraft, they now fell another way to work, by contracting familiarity with them, and, perceiving their evil and lustful inclinations, they, i. e. their daughters, last mentioned, invited them to their feasts.

(i. e.) Unto the feasts which were made of their parts of their sacrifices, after the manner of the Iews and Gentiles too, the participation whereof, was reckoned a participation in the worship of that God to whom the sacrifices were offered, 1 Cor. 10. 8. and therefore was forbidden to the Israelites when such feasts and sacrifices belonged to a false God, Exod. 34. 15. Yet this was a less and more modest kind of Idolatry, and therefore is fitly used to usher in what was more gross and impious.

(i. e.) Of their God, Baal-p[illegible: 1+ letters]r, the plural Elohim being here used, as commonly it is, for one God.

Which properly notes the outward act of worship, which here consisting in or being accompanied with filthy actions, may either signifie or connote them.

Before their Gods, or, to the honour and worship of their Gods.

Marginal references: Josh. 22. [illegible: 1 word]. Psal. 106. 28. Hos. 9. 10.

3 And Israel joyned himself unto Baal-peor ▪ and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

The word implies a forsaking of God to whom they were and should have been joyned, and a turning to, embracing of strict conjunction with, and fervent affection, after this false God. Campare Hos. 9. 10. and 2 Cor. 6. 14.

Called Baal, by the name common to many false Gods, and especially to those that represented any of the heavenly bodies, and Peor, either from the hill Peor, where he was worshipped, Numb. 23. 28. or rather from a verb signifying to open and uncover, either because of the obscene posture in which possibly the Idol was s[illegible: 1+ letters]t. a[illegible: 1+ letters] Priapus was: or because of the filthiness which was exercised in his worship.

(i. e.) Discovered it self in a dreadful plague, Psal. 106. 29.

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.

The sense is, either [illegible: 1+ letters]. T[illegible: 1+ letters]ke, to wit, to thy self and thy assistance, all [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] ▪ i. [illegible: 1+ letters]. the Iudges, as they are called ver. 5 Or Rulers, of the People, and in their presence and by their help, [illegible: 1+ letters]ang [illegible: 1 word], i. e. the people, now mentioned, to wit, such of them as were guilty, as was said ver. 2. And this sense seems to be favoured by the next verse, where the execution of this command is mentioned [illegible: 1 word] said unto the Iudges of Israel, whom he had taken [illegible: 1+ letters]o himself and called together, Slay ye every one his man, i. e. Each of you execute this command of God and hang up the delinquents under your several jurisdictions. Or 2. Take i. e. apprehend, all the heads, i. e. the chief, of the people, such as were chief, either in this transgression, or rather in place and power, who are singled out to this exemplary punishment either for their neglect in not preventing, restraining or punishing the offenders according to their power and duty, or for their concurrence with others in this wickedness, which was more odious and mischievous in them than in others. And then this must be necessarily limited to such heads as were guilty, which is evident from the nature of the thing, and from the words of the verse. And so these heads of the people differ as in name and title so in place and dignity from the Iudges of the people ver. 5. which may seem to note the superiour Magistrates, even the 70 Elders, which, being persons of great worth and piety, chosen by God and endowed with his spirit, most probably kept themselves from this contagion, and therefore were fitter to punish others, and the heads of the People, seem to be the inferiour Magistrates, the rulers of tens or hundreds, or the like, who as they did many of them, partake with the people in other rebellions, so probably were involved in this guilt. Now these are to be hanged up, as other malefactours and condemned persons were, Deut. 21. 23. 2 Sam. 21. 6.

To the vindication of Gods honour and justice.

(i. e.) Publickly, as their sin was publick and scandalous, and speedily before the Sun go down. But withal this phrase may signifie, that these also must be taken down about sunsetting, as other malefactours were, Deut. 21. 23.

Marginal references: Deut. 4. 3. Jos 22. [illegible: 1 word].

5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, slay ye every one his men , that were joyned unto Baal-Peor.

(i. e.) Those under his charge: for as these 70 were chosen to assist Moses in the government so doubtless the care and management of the people was distributed among them by just and equal proportions.

Marginal references: Exod. 32. 27.

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.

This was done, either 1. Before Gods command to Moses and by him to the Judges, ver. 4, 5. such transpositions and disorders being not unusual in sacred story. Or rather 2. In the order it is related, to wit, when Moses had given the charge to the Judges, and, as it may seem, before the execution of it, otherwise it is probable he would not have been so bold and foolish to have run upon present and certain ruin, when the examples were fresh and frequent before his eyes.

(i. e.) Into the camp of the Israelites, or to his Friends and Relations in his tent, whither he carried her, ver. 8. for his or their fleshly satisfaction.

An argument of intolerable impudence and contempt of God and of Moses.

(i. e.) The rulers of the congregation with divers of the people.

Bewailing the abominable wickedness of the people and the dreadful judgments of God and imploring Gods mercy and favour.

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.

Or, Brothel-house: For since they gave way to such leud practises, no doubt they singled out convenient places for their wickedness.

Which is no warrant for private persons to take upon them the execution of justice upon any, though the greatest, malefactors, because Phinehas was himself a man in great authority and power, and did this after the command given by Moses to the rulers to slay these transgressours, and in the very sight, and no doubt, by the consent, of Moses himself and also by the special instinct and direction of Gods spirit.

Or in her brothel-house, for the word is the same before used and translated tent, and it may be called hers, because she chose or used that place for her wicked purposes, as the rest doubtless did other places of like nature.

Either the pestilence or some other sudden and grievous mortality.

Marginal references: Or, brothel.

9 And those that died in the plague, were twenty and four thousand .

Object. They were but 23000. 1 Cor. 10. 8. Answ. The odde thousand here added were slain by the Judges according to the order of Moses, the rest by the immediate hand of God, but both sorts died of the plague, the word being used, as oft it is, for the sword or hand or stroke of God.

Marginal references: 1 Cor. 10. 8.

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 jealousie.

Fervent and resolute and valiant.

For my satisfaction and vindication.

Marginal references: Psal. 106. [illegible: 1+ letters].

12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace .

(i. e.) The covenant of an everlasting priesthood, as it is expounded v. 13. which is called a covenant of peace, partly with respect to the happy effect of this heroical action of his whereby he made peace between God and his people, and partly with regard to the principal end and use of the Priestly office, which was constantly to do that which Phinehas now did, even to mediate between God and Men, to obtain and preserve his own and Israels peace and reconciliation with God by offering up sacrifices and incense and prayers to God on their behalf, Numb. 16. 47, 48. as also by turning them away from iniquity, which is the onely peace-breaker, and by teaching and pressing the observation of that Law, which is the onely bond of their peace, Mal. 2. 5, 6, 7.

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.

Quest. What advantage had he by this promise, seeing the thing here promised was due to him by birth? Answ. 1. The same blessing may be oft-times promised, as the Kingdom was to David; and the renewing of this promise might feem convenient here, to signifie that bloodshed was so far from polluting him and thereby casting him out of the Priesthood, that it was a mean to confirm him in it. 2. This promise secured him and his against divers contingences, which otherwise have been befallen him or them, as that he should live longer than his father, else he could not have been the High-priest; that he should be preserved from those blemishes which might have rendred him uncapable of the Priesthood, which were many; that he should have a seed and they such as were fit for that office.

(i. e.) To continue as long as the Law and Commonwealth of the Jews did. Quest. How was this verified, seeing the Priesthood went from Eleazars to Ithamars line in Eli and three or four of his Successours? Answ. 1. This promise, as others of the like nature, was conditional, and therefore might be made void and of none effect by the miscarriages of Phinehas his sons, as it seems it was, and thereupon a like promise was made to Eli of the line of Ithamar, that he and his should walk before the Lord, to wit, in the office of High-Priest, for ever, which also for his and their sins was made void, 1 Sam. 2. 30. Answ. 2. That was but a short interruption, and not considerable in so long a succession, for the Priesthood returned to Phinehas his line in the time of Solomon, 1 King. 2. 26, 27, 34. 1 Chron. 24. 3. and continued in that line till the captivity of Babylon, as is evident, and afterward too, 1 Chron. 6. 4. Ezra 7. 1, 5. even untill Christs time, for any thing which appears to the contrary.

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 k.

This is added as a proof of Phinehas his zeal that he durst venture upon so great a person, who was likely to have many avengers of his blood.

Heb. Of the house of his Father. Every Tribe was divided into great Housholds called the houses of their Fathers, Numb. 1. 2. and he was the Prince or chief of one of these, though not of the whole Tribe. Of the Tribe of Simeon, which seems to have been too much influenced by his and other such examples, so that for 59300. which were numbred, Numb. 1. 22, 23. there were now onely 22200. Numb. 26. 14.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] father.

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.

One of the Kings or Princes of Midian, Numb. 31. 8. Ios. 13. 21.

Or, and over her fathers house.

17 * Vex the Midianites and smite them .

And why not the Moabites, who were as guilty, ver. 1. Answ. 1. Because God will reserve to himself a liberty of punishing or sparing, according to his own good pleasure. 2. God had a kindness for the Moabites for Lots sake, Deut. 2. 9. 3. God punished the Moabites in another manner, partly by his own immediate hand, whereby it is probable he cut off those Moabitish women that were guilty of this fact, partly by a particular and dreadful kind of excommunication, Deut. 23. 3. and partly by impunity, which in its consequences is commonly worse and more pernicious than any or all temporal punishments, which none that believes the Bible can deny. 4. It is probable the Midianites were most guilty, as in perswading Balak to send for Balaam, as may be gathered from Numb. 22. 4, 7. So in the reception of Balaam after Balak had dismissed him▪ Numb. 31. 8. and in further consultation with him, and in contriving the means for the executing of this wicked plot.

(i. e.) Kill them: in which words as there is a command to war against them, so there is a promise of success.

Marginal references: chap. 31. 2.

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 Peors sake.

For under pretence of Kindred and Friendship and Leagues, yea and Marriages, which they offered to them, instead of that War which the Israelites expected from them, they sought onely an opportunity to insinuate themselves into their familiarity and execute their hellish plot of bringing that curse upon the Israelites, which they had in vain attempted to bring another way.

By drawing you both to spiritual and corporal whoredome.

In a large sense, to wit, their Countrey woman.

Num 25:1-2

The Lord had defended His people Israel from Balaam’s curse; but the Israelites themselves, instead of keeping the covenant of their God, fell into the snares of heathen seduction (Num 25:1, Num 25:2). Whilst encamped at Shittim, in the steppes of Moab, the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab: they accepted the invitations of the latter to a sacrificial festival of their gods, took part in their sacrificial meals, and even worshipped the gods of the Moabites, and indulged in the licentious worship of Baal-Peor. As the princes of Midian, who were allied to Moab, had been the advisers and assistants of the Moabitish king in the attempt to destroy the Israelites by a curse of God; so now, after the failure of that plan, they were the soul of the new undertaking to weaken Israel and render it harmless, by seducing it to idolatry, and thus leading it into apostasy from its God. But it was Balaam, as is afterwards casually observed in Num 31:16, who first of all gave this advice. This is passed over here, because the point of chief importance in relation to the object of the narrative, was not Balaam’s share in the proposal, but the carrying out of the proposal itself. The daughters of Moab, however, also took part in carrying it out, by forming friendly associations with the Israelites, and then inviting them to their sacrificial festival. They only are mentioned in Num 25:1, Num 25:2, as being the daughters of the land. The participation of the Midianites appears first of all in the shameless licentiousness of Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianitish prince, from which we not only see that the princes of Midian performed their part, but obtain an explanation of the reason why the judgment upon the crafty destroyers of Israel was to be executed upon the Midianites.Consequently there is no discrepancy between Num 25:1-5 and Num 25:6-18, to warrant the violent hypothesis of Knobel, that there are two different accounts mixed together in this chapter-An Elohistic account in Num 25:6-18, of which the commencement has been dropped, and a Jehovistic account in Num 25:1-5, of which the latter part has been cut off. The particular points adduced in proof of this fall to the ground, when the history is correctly explained; and such assertions as these, that the name Shittim and the allusion to the judges in Num 25:5, and to the wrath of Jehovah in Num 25:3 and Num 25:4, are foreign to the Elohist, are not proofs, but empty assumptions.

Shittim, an abbreviation of Abel-Shittim (see at Num 22:1), to which the camp of the Israelites in the steppes of Moab reached (Num 33:49), is mentioned here instead of Arboth-Moab, because it was at this northern point of the camp that the Israelites came into contact with the Moabites, and that the latter invited them to take part in their sacrificial meals; and in Jos 2:1 and Jos 3:1, because it was from this spot that the Israelites commenced the journey to Canaan, as being the nearest to the place where they were to pass through the Jordan. זנה, construed with אל, as in Eze 16:28, signifies to incline to a person, to attach one’s self to him, so as to commit fornication. The word applies to carnal and spiritual whoredom. The lust of the flesh induced the Israelites to approach the daughters of Moab, and form acquaintances and friendships with them, in consequence of which they were invited by them “to the slain-offerings of their gods,” i.e., to the sacrificial festivals and sacrificial meals, in connection with which they also “adored their gods,” i.e., took part in the idolatrous worship connected with the sacrificial festival. These sacrificial meals were celebrated in honour of the Moabitish god Baal-Peor, so that the Israelites joined themselves to him. צמד, in the Niphal, to bind one’s self to a person. Baal-Peor is the Baal of Peor, who was worshipped in the city of Beth-Peor (Deu 3:29; Deu 4:46; see at Num 23:28), a Moabitish Priapus, in honour of whom women and virgins prostituted themselves. As the god of war, he was called Chemosh (see at Num 21:29).

Num 25:3-4

And the anger of the Lord burned against the people, so that Jehovah commanded Moses to fetch the heads of the people, i.e., to assemble them together, and to “hang up” the men who had joined themselves to Baal-Peor “before the Lord against the sun,” that the anger of God might turn away from Israel. The burning of the wrath of God, which was to be turned away from the people by the punishment of the guilty, as enjoined upon Moses, consisted, as we may see from Num 25:8, Num 25:9, in a plague inflicted upon the nation, which carried off a great number of the people, a sudden death, as in Num 14:37; Num 17:11. הוקיע, from יקע, to be torn apart or torn away (Ges., Winer), refers to the punishment of crucifixion, a mode of capital punishment which was adopted by most of the nations of antiquity (see Winer, bibl. R. W. i. p. 680), and was carried out sometimes by driving a stake into the body, and so impaling them (ἀνασκολοπίζειν), the mode practised by the Assyrians and Persians (Herod. iii. 159, and Layard's Nineveh and its Remains, vol. ii. p. 374, and plate on p. 369), at other times by fastening them to a stake or nailing them to a cross (ἀνασταυροῦν). In the instance before us, however, the idolaters were not impaled or crucified alive, but, as we may see from the word הרגּוּ in Num 25:5, and in accordance with the custom frequently adopted by other nations (see Herzog's Encyclopaedia), they were first of all put to death, and then impaled upon a stake or fastened upon a cross, so that the impaling or crucifixion was only an aggravation of the capital punishment, like the burning in Lev 20:14, and the hanging (תּלה) in Deu 21:22. The rendering adopted by the lxx and Vulgate is παραδειγματίζειν, suspendere, in this passage, and in 2Sa 21:6, 2Sa 21:9, ἐξηλιάζειν (to expose to the sun), and crucifigere. ליהוה, for Jehovah, as satisfaction for Him, i.e., to appease His wrath. אותם (them) does not refer to the heads of the nation, but to the guilty persons, upon whom the heads of the nation were to pronounce sentence.

Num 25:5

The judges were to put to death every one his men, i.e., such of the evil-doers as belonged to his forum, according to the judicial arrangements instituted in Ex 18. This command of Moses to the judges was not carried out, however, because the matter took a different turn.

Num 25:6-7

Whilst the heads of the people were deliberating on the subject, and the whole congregation was assembled before the tabernacle, weeping on account of the divine wrath, there came an Israelite, a prince of the tribe of Simeon, who brought a Midianitish woman, the daughter of a Midianitish chief (Num 25:14), to his brethren, i.e., into the camp of the Israelites, before the eyes of Moses and all the congregation, to commit adultery with her in his tent. This shameless wickedness, in which the depth of the corruption that had penetrated into the congregation came to light, inflamed the zeal of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the high priest, to such an extent, that he seized a spear, and rushing into the tent of the adulterer, pierced both of them through in the very act. הקּבּה, lit., the arched, or arch, is applied here to the inner or hinder division of the tent, the sleeping-room and women’s room in the larger tents of the upper classes.

Num 25:8

Through this judgment, which was executed by Phinehas with holy zeal upon the daring sinners, the plague was restrained, so that it came to an end. The example which Phinehas had made of these sinners was an act of intercession, by which the high priest appeased the wrath of God, and averted the judgment of destruction from the whole congregation (“he was zealous for his God,” ויכפּר, Num 25:13). The thought upon which this expression is founded is, that the punishment which was inflicted as a purifying chastisement served as a “covering” against the exterminating judgment (see Herzog's Cyclopaedia).Upon this act of Phinehas, and the similar examples of Samuel (1Sa 15:33) and Mattathias (1 Macc. 2:24), the later Jews erected the so-called “zealot right,” jus zelotarum, according to which any one, even though not qualified by his official position, possessed the right, in cases of any daring contempt of the theocratic institutions, or any daring violation of the honour of God, to proceed with vengeance against the criminals. (See Salden, otia theol. pp. 609ff., and Buddeus, de jure zelotarum apud Hebr. 1699, and in Oelrich’s collect. T. i. Diss. 5.) The stoning of Stephen furnishes an example of this.

Num 25:9

Twenty-four thousand men were killed by this plague. The Apostle Paul deviates from this statement in 1Co 10:8, and gives the number of those that fell as twenty-three thousand, probably from a traditional interpretation of the schools of the scribes, according to which a thousand were deducted from the twenty-four thousand who perished, as being the number of those who were hanged by the judges, so that only twenty-three thousand would be killed by the plague; and it is to these alone that Paul refers.

Num 25:10-15

For this act of divine zeal the eternal possession of the priesthood was promised to Phinehas and his posterity as Jehovah’s covenant of peace. בּקנאו, by displaying my zeal in the midst of them (viz., the Israelites). קנאתי is not “zeal for me,” but “my zeal,” the zeal of Jehovah with which Phinehas was filled, and impelled to put the daring sinners to death. By doing this he had averted destruction from the Israelites, and restrained the working of Jehovah’s zeal, which had manifested itself in the plague. “I gave him my covenant of peace” (the suffix is attached to the governing noun, as in Lev 6:3). בּרית נתן, as in Gen 17:2, to give, i.e., to fulfil the covenant, to grant what was promised in the covenant. The covenant granted to Phinehas consisted in the fact, that an “eternal priesthood” (i.e., the eternal possession of the priesthood) was secured to him, not for himself alone, but for his descendants also, as a covenant, i.e., in a covenant, or irrevocable form, since God never breaks a covenant that He has made. In accordance with this promise, the high-priesthood which passed from Eleazar to Phinehas (Jdg 20:28) continued in his family, with the exception of a brief interruption in Eli’s days (see at 1 Sam 1-3 and 1Sa 14:3), until the time of the last gradual dissolution of the Jewish state through the tyranny of Herod and his successors (see my Archäologie, §38). - In Num 25:14, Num 25:15, the names of the two daring sinners are given. The father of Cozbi, the Midianitish princess, was named Zur, and is described here as “head of the tribes (אמּות, see at Gen 25:16) of a father’s house in Midian,” i.e., as the head of several of the Midianitish tribes that were descended from one tribe-father; in Num 31:8, however, he is described as a king, and classed among the five kings of Midian who were slain by the Israelites.

Num 25:16-18

The Lord now commanded Moses to show hostility (צרר to the Midianites, and smite them, on account of the stratagem which they had practised upon the Israelites by tempting them to idolatry, “in order that the practical zeal of Phinehas against sin, by which expiation had been made for the guilt, might be adopted by all the nation” (Baumgarten). The inf. abs. צרור, instead of the imperative, as in Exo 20:8, etc. על־דּברף, in consideration of Peor, and indeed, or especially, in consideration of Cozbi. The repetition is emphatic. The wickedness of the Midianites culminated in the shameless wantonness of Cozbi the Midianitish princess. “Their sister,” i.e., one of the members of their tribe. - The 19th verse belongs to the following chapter, and forms the introduction to Num 26:1.In the English version this division is adopted. - Tr.

The Sin of Israel. (b. c. 1452.)

1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 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. 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. 5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.

Here is, I. The sin of Israel, to which they were enticed by the daughters of Moab and Midian; they were guilty both of corporal and spiritual whoredoms, for Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor, v. 3. Not all, nor the most, but very many, were taken in this snare. Now concerning this observe, 1. That Balak, by the advice of Balaam, cast this stumbling-block before the children of Israel, Rev. ii. 14. Note, Those are our worst enemies that draw us to sin, for that is the greatest mischief any man can do us. If Balak had drawn out his armed men against them to fight them, Israel had bravely resisted, and no doubt had been more than conquerors; but now that he sends his beautiful women among them, and invites them to his idolatrous feasts, the Israelites basely yield, and are shamefully overcome: those are smitten with this harlots that could not be smitten with his sword. Note, We are more endangered by the charms of a smiling world than by the terrors of a frowning world. 2. That the daughters of Moab were their tempters and conquerors. Ever since Eve was first in the transgression the fairer sex, though the weaker, has been a snare to many; yea strong men have been wounded and slain by the lips of the strange woman (Prov. vii. 26), witness Solomon, whose wives were shares and nets to him Eccl. vii. 26. 3. That whoredom and idolatry went together. They first defiled and debauched their consciences, by committing lewdness with the women, and then were easily drawn, in complaisance to them, and in contempt of the God of Israel, to bow down to their idols. And they were more likely to do so if, as it is commonly supposed, and seems probable by the joining of them together, the uncleanness committed was a part of the worship and service performed to Baal-peor. Those that have broken the fences of modesty will never be held by the bonds of piety, and those that have dishonoured themselves by fleshly lusts will not scruple to dishonour God by idolatrous worships, and for this they are justly given up yet further to vile affections. 4. That by eating of the idolatrous sacrifices they joined themselves to Baal-peor to whom they were offered, which the apostle urges as a reason why Christians should not eat things offered to idols, because thereby they had fellowship with the devils to whom they were offered, 1 Cor. x. 20. It is called eating the sacrifices of the dead (Ps. cvi. 28), not only because the idol itself was a dead thing, but because the person represented by it was some great hero, who since his death was deified, as saints in the Roman church are canonized. 5. It was great aggravation of the sin that Israel abode in Shittim, where they had the land of Canaan in view, and were just ready to enter and take possession of it. It was the highest degree of treachery and ingratitude to be false to their God, whom they had found so faithful to them, and to eat of idol-sacrifices when they were ready to be feasted so richly on God's favours.

II. God's just displeasure against them for this sin. Israel's whoredoms did that which all Balaam's enchantments could not do, they set God against them; now he was turned to be their enemy, and fought against them. So many of the people, nay, so many of the princes, were guilty, that the sin became national, and for it God was wroth with the whole congregation. 1. A plague immediately broke out, for we read of the staying of it (v. 8), and of the number that died of it (v. 9), but no mention of the beginning of it, which therefore must be implied in those words (v. 3), The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. It is said expressly (Ps. cvi. 29), The plague broke in. Note, Epidemical diseases are the fruits of God's anger, and the just punishments of epidemical sins; one infection follows the other. The plague, no doubt, fastened on those that were most guilty, who were soon made to pay dearly for their forbidden pleasures; and though now God does not always plague such sinners, as he did here, yet that word of God will be fulfilled, If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, 1 Cor. iii. 17. 2. The ringleaders are ordered to be put to death by the hand of public justice, which will be the only way to stay the plague (v. 4): Take the heads of the people (that is, of that part of the people that went out of the camp of Israel into the country of Moab, to join in their idolatries)—take them and hang them up before the sun, as sacrifices to God's justice, and for a terror to the rest of the people. The judges must first order them to be slain with the sword (v. 5), and their dead bodies must be hanged up, that the stupid Israelites, seeing their leaders and princes so severely punished for their whoredom and idolatry, without any regard to their quality, might be possessed with a sense of the evil of the sin and the terror of God's wrath against them. Ringleaders in sin ought to be made examples of justice.

The Zeal of Phinehas. (b. c. 1452.)

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

Here is a remarkable contest between wickedness and righteousness, which shall be most bold and resolute; and righteousness carries the day, as no doubt it will at last.

I. Never was vice more daring than it was in Zimri, a prince of a chief house in the tribe of Simeon. Such a degree of impudence in wickedness had he arrived at that he publicly appeared leading a Midianitish harlot (and a harlot of quality too like himself, a daughter of a chief house in Midian) in the sight of Moses, and all the good people of Israel. He did not think it enough to go out with his harlot to worship the gods of Moab, but, when he had done that, he brought her with him to dishonour the God of Israel. He not only owned her publicly as his friend, and higher in his favour than any of the daughters of Israel, but openly went with her into the tent, v. 8. The word signifies such a booth or place of retirement as was designed and fitted up for lewdness. Thus he declared his sin as Sodom, as was so far from blushing for it that he rather prided himself in it, and gloried in his shame. All the circumstances concurred to make it exceedingly sinful, exceedingly shameful. 1. It was an affront to the justice of the nation, and bade defiance to that. The judges were ordered to put the criminals to death, but he thought himself too great for them to meddle with, and, in effect, bade them touch him if they durst. He had certainly cast off all fear of God who stood in no awe of the powers which he had ordained to be a terror to evil-doers. 2. It was an affront to the religion of the nation, and put a contempt upon that. Moses, and the main body of the congregation, who kept their integrity, were weeping at the door of the tabernacle, lamenting the sin committed and deprecating the plague begun; they were sanctifying a fast in a solemn assembly, weeping between the porch and the altar, to turn away the wrath of God from the congregation. Then comes Zimri among them, with his harlot in his hand, to banter them, and, in effect, to tell them that he was resolved to fill the measure of sin as fast as they emptied it.

II. Never was virtue more daring than it was in Phinehas. Being aware of the insolence of Zimri, which it is probable, all the congregation took notice of, in a holy indignation at the offenders he rises up from his prayers, takes his sword or half-pike, follows those impudent sinners into their tent, and stabs them both, v. 7, 8. It is not at all difficult to justify Phinehas in what he did; for, being now heir-apparent to the high-priesthood, no doubt he was one of those judges of Israel whom Moses had ordered, by the divine appointment, to slay all those whom they knew to have joined themselves to Baal-peor, so that this gives no countenance at all to private persons, under pretence of zeal against sin, to put offenders to death, who ought to be prosecuted by due course of law. The civil magistrate is the avenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil, and no private person may take his work out of his hand. Two ways God testified his acceptance of the pious zeal of Phinehas:—1. He immediately put a stop to the plague, v. 8. Their weeping and praying prevailed not till this piece of necessary justice was done. If magistrates do not take care to punish sin, God will; but their justice will be the best prevention of his judgment, as in the case of Achan, Josh. vii. 13. 2. He put an honour upon Phinehas. Though he did no more than it was his duty to do as a judge, yet because he did it with extraordinary zeal against sin, and for the honour of God and Israel, and did it when the other judges, out of respect to Zimri's character as a prince, were afraid, and declined doing it, therefore God showed himself particularly well pleased with him, and it was counted to him for righteousness, Ps. cvi. 31. There is nothing lost by venturing for God. If Zimri's relations bore him a grudge for it, and his friends might censure him as indiscreet in this violent and hasty execution, what needed he care, while God accepted him? In a good thing we should be zealously affected. (1.) Phinehas, upon this occasion, though a young man, is pronounced his country's patriot and best friend, v. 11. He has turned away my wrath from the children of Israel. So much does God delight in showing mercy that he is well pleased with those that are instrumental in turning away his wrath. This is the best service we can do to our people; and we may contribute something towards it by our prayers, and by our endeavours in our places to bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end. (2.) The priesthood is entailed by covenant upon his family. It was designed him before, but now it was confirmed to him, and, which added much to the comfort and honour of it, it was made the recompence of his pious zeal, v. 12, 13. It is here called an everlasting priesthood, because it should continue to the period of the Old-Testament dispensation, and should then have its perfection and perpetuity in the unchangeable priesthood of Christ, who is consecrated for evermore. By the covenant of peace given him, some understand in general a promise of long life and prosperity, and all good; it seems rather to be meant particularly of the covenant of priesthood, for that is called the covenant of life and peace (Mal. ii. 5), and was made for the preservation of peace between God and his people. Observe how the reward answered the service. By executing justice he had made an atonement for the children of Israel (v. 13), and therefore he and his shall henceforward be employed in making atonement by sacrifice. He was zealous for his God, and therefore he shall have the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Note, It is requisite that ministers should be not only for God, but zealous for God. It is required of them that they do more than others for the support and advancement of the interests of God's kingdom among men.

16 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them: 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.

God had punished the Israelites for their sin with a plague; as a Father he corrected his own children with a rod. But we read not that any of the Midianites died of the plague; God took another course with them, and punished them with the sword of an enemy, not with the rod of a father. 1. Moses, though the meekest man, and far from a spirit of revenge, is ordered to vex the Midianites and smite them, v. 17. Note, We must set ourselves against that, whatever it is, which is an occasion of sin to us, though it be a right eye or a right hand that thus offends us, Matt. v. 29, 30. This is that holy indignation and revenge which godly sorrow worketh, 2 Cor. vii. 11. 2. The reason given for the meditating of this revenge is because they vex you with their wiles, v. 18. Note, Whatever draws us to sin should be a vexation to us, as a thorn in the flesh. The mischief which the Midianites did to Israel by enticing them to whoredom must be remembered and punished with as much severity as that which the Amalekites did in fighting with them when they came out of Egypt, Exod. xvii. 14. God will certainly reckon with those that do the devil's work in tempting men to sin. See further orders given in this matter, ch. xxxi. 2.

CHAP. XXV.

ANd Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whordome with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed themselves downe to their gods.

And Israel was joyned to Baal-Peor, and the anger of Iehovah was kindled against Israel.

And Iehovah said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before Iehovah, against the Sunne, that the fierce anger of Iehovah may bee turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the Iudges of Israel; Slay yee every man his men that were joyned unto Baal-Peor.

And behold, a man of the sonnes of Israel came, and brought neere unto his brethren a Midianitesse, in the eyes of Moses, and in the eyes of all the congregation of the sonnes of Israel: and they were weeping at the doore of the Tent of the congregation. And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest, saw it; and he rose up from amongst the Congregation, and tooke a javelin in his hand. And hee went in after the man of Israel, into the tent, and thrust both of them thorow, the man of Israel, and the woman, thorow her belly; and the plague was stayed from the sons of Israel.

And those that died in the plague were foure and twenty thousand. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying: Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest, hath turned my wrath away from the sonnes of Israel, whiles hee was zealous with my zeale among them, that I consumed not the sonnes of Israel in my zeale. Therefore say, Behold I give unto him my covenant of peace. And there shall be to him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting Priesthood, because hee was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the sonnes of Israel. And the name of the man of Israel that was smitten, that was smitten with the Midianitesse, was Zimri, the sonne of Salu, a Prince of a fathers house, of the Simeonites. And the name of the woman the Midianitesse that was smitten, was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was an head of nations, of a fathers house of Midian.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying: Vex thou the Midianites, and smite yee them. For they vex you with their wiles, wherwith 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 smitten in the day of the plague, for Peors sake.

Annotations. ABode in Shittim] a place in the wildernesse, in the plaines of Moab, neere Iordan, called Abel Shittim, in Num. 33. 48, 49. In this place Israel did sit, or abide, untill after Moses death; and from thence Iosua removed them to Iordan, where they passed over to Gilgal, Ios. 2. 1. and 3. 1. Wherefore God after willed the people to remember the things that befell unto them, from Shittim to Gilgal, that they might know the righteousnesse of the Lord, Mic. 6. 5. And the history now following sheweth, how when Balak, the Princes of Moab and Midian, and Balaam their prophet, had plotted and practised with all their art and might, to withdraw Gods favour and blessing from his people, but prevailed nothing; the prophet gave Balak and the Midianites counsell to put a stumbling-blocke before the Israelites, to see if they could withdraw the people from the love, feare, and obedience of the Lord their God, that Israel sinning, might fall and bring themselves into the curse, (which Balaam could not bring upon them) and so perish. By this wicked counsell they prevailed against many, to the death of 24. thousand Israelites: but the state and body of the Church was by Gods grace still preserved, the wicked being taken away by his judgement. the people] some of the people of Israel; for they that fell to this wickednesse, did all perish; but they that cleaved to the Lord, remained alive, Deut. 4. 3, 4. to commit whoredome] or, to commit fornication; which the Chaldee expoundeth, to erre (or goe astray) after the daughters of Moab; understanding also, the daughters of Midian, as appeareth by vers. 6. 17, 18. This evill they fell into, by the wicked counsell and doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-blocke before the sonnes of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to Idols, and to commit fornication, Revel. 2. 14. So Moses likewise saith, Behold these (women) caused the sonnes of Israel, through the word of Balaam to commit traspasse against Iehovah in the matter of Peor, Num. 31. 16. That hypocrite who had so often blessed Israel, and pronounced those accursed which cursed them, who had heard and uttered the oracles of God, had his eyes opened, had escaped the sword of the Angell, &c. to the end that he should not speake or doe any thing but what the Lord commanded: yet after all this, hee was the authour of this mischiefe; that it might appeare how evill men and seducers wax worse and worse, decei[illegible: 1 span]g, and being deceived, 2 Tim. 3. 13. and t[illegible: 1 span] me[illegible: 1 letter] might beware of false prophets, which come in sheepes cloathing, but inwardly are ravening wolves, Matth. 7. 15. Vers. 2. they called] that is, the daughters of Moab called, or invited. Thus the intended warre of Moab against Israel was turned to a pretended peace, and feigned amitie, alluring the people by fleshly baits, to defile their bodies and soules with whoredome and idolatry. By the women of Moab, and of other strange peoples, Solomon the wise was also drawne into sinne, 1 King. 11. 1, 4. sacrifices of their gods] or, of their god; in Greeke and Chaldee, of their idols: meaning of Baal-Peor: whereof David speaketh thus, They were joyned unto Baal-Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead, Ps. 106. 28. By the dead, meaning Idols, unto which the Scriptures doe oppose the living and true God, 1. Thess. 1. 9. Ier. 10. 9, 10. did eat] and so communicated with their idolatry; for they which eat of the sacrifices, are partakers of the Altar, 1. Cor. 10. 18. This sinne God in speciall manner had forewarned them of, in Exod. 34. 14, 15. bowed to their gods] in Greeke and Chaldee, to their idols. This people whom God had guided thorow the wildernesse fortie yeares, who had seene Gods workes, and felt his punishments for their owne and their fathers sinnes, were delivered from many enemies round about, and now abiding in Shittim, were ready to enter into the promised land, are here prevented and overthrowne through their owne corruption. Vers. 3. was joyned] or, was coupled, was yoked: unto which word the Apostle seemeth to have respect, when he saith, Be yee not unequally yoked together with unbeleevers, 2 Cor. 6. 14. to Baal-Peor] which the Chaldee expoundeth, to them that served Baal-Peor, that was the Idoll of the Moabites and Midianites, called in Greeke Bel-phegor. Baal is by interpretation a Lord or Patron: by which name it is probable that the heathens called the Sunne, or some starre, as is noted on Lev. 18. 21. Peor, or Phegor, was the name of a mountaine, Numb. 23. 28. and of the Idoll there worshipped, Numb. 25. 17. Ios. 22. 17. And because Baal was a common name to many Idols, and much reverenced of the peoples, through corruption the Israelites called also the LORD, Baal: but he blameth them for it, saying, Thou shalt call me no more Baali, Hos. 2. 16. and in detestation of the name, the Prophets put Bosheth, that is, Shame, in[illegible: 1 letter]stead of Baal, that is, Lord: as it is written, They went to Baal Peor, and separated themselves unto that Shame, Hos. 9. 10. and the Greeke Interpreters in 1 King. 18. 25. translate Baal, Shame: yea and the Hebrew Prophets sometime put one for another, as Ierub Baal (who was Gedeon) Iudg. 8. 35. and 9. 1. is called Ierub-Besheth, 2 Sam. 11. 21. Esh-Baal, 1 Chro. 8. 33. is called Ish-Bosheth, 2 Sam. 2. 10. and Merib Baal, 1 Chron. 8. 34. is Mephi-Bosheth, 2 Sam. 9. 10. Hereupon it is said, Ye set up Altars to that Shame, even Altars to burne incense unto Baal, Ier. [illegible: 1 letter]1. 13. Peor hath the signification of opening the m[illegible: 1 span]th, and was the name of this Idoll, as some thinke of filthinesse and fornication committed together [illegible: 1 word] idolatry, (as this history sheweth,) and to be that which in other language was called Priapus. But as Nebo the god of Babylon hath his name of Prophesying, so Peor might likewise be so called of opening the mouth in speech and prophesie; as the Scripture mentioneth the prophets of Baal, 1 King. 18. 22. and of the Prophets that prophesied by Baal, Ier. 2. 8. and 23. 13. the anger of Iehovah] They provoked him to indignation by their actions, and the plague brake in upon them, Psal. 106. 29. Thus Balaam by his counsell brought them into sin, and so under wrath and curse through their owne default; which he could not obtaine of God otherwise against them by any meanes. Vers. 4. the heads] that is, as the Greeke translateth, the captaines of the people, such as were chiefe in the transgression. hang them up] the Greeke translateth it, Make them a publike example: the Chaldee, Iudge & kill him that is worthy to be killed; but Targum Ionathan expoundeth it, crucifie them. The Law after saith, he that is hanged is the curse of God, that is, accursed of God, Deut. 21. 23. so the sinners brought the curse upon themselves. before Iehovah] or, for, or, unto Iehovah, to his honour, in doing vengeance on his enemies. Both these phrases are used as one, in 2 Sam. 21. we will hang them up unto Iehovah, v. 6. and they hanged them before [illegible: 1 letter]ehovah, vers. 9. that the fierce anger] or, as the Greeke translateth, and the fierce anger (or heat of the anger) of the Lord shall be turned away. Signifying that the rooting out of sinners turneth away Gods anger from a people: for, to doe justice and judgement, is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice, Prov. 21. 3. Vers. 5. his men] the men under his government, as they were distributed in Exod. 18. 25. Although the Midianites were the beginners of this mischiefe, yet God first punisheth and purgeth his Church, and after he giveth order to destroy the Midianites, vers. 17. Num. 31. 2. for judgement must begin at the house of God, 1 Pet. 4. 17. Ezek, 9. 6. Compare herewith the judgement inflicted for the golden Calfe, Exod. 32. 27, &c: Vers. 6. brought neere] this word signifieth a bringing to commit fornication, as in Gen. 20. 4. Abimelech had not come neare unto her: See the Notes on Levit. 18. 6. they were weeping] these circumstances shew the sinne to be done with an high hand, in contempt of Moses, of the congregation, of God himselfe and his iudgements (for which the people now wept:) and so of all religion; and with a purpose to stirre up the people unto open rebellion. Vers. 8. into the tent] The originall word used here for a tent, is not the ordinary name, but such as signifieth a cave, or hollow place; and is thought to meane such a tent as was made for fornication: and so it more sheweth the height of his impierie, that erected such a place of wickednesse. her belly] in Chaldee, her bowels; in Greeke, her wo[illegible: 1 span]e (or matrice.) the plague was stayed] or, was restrained: this plague, which the Chaldee calleth death, seemeth to be a pestilence which God sent among the people, as the like speech elsewhere sheweth, Numb. 16. 50. 1 Chron. 21. 22. as also in that David saith, the plague brake in upon them, Psal. 106. 29. Howbeit the word is sometime used for slaughter by the sword, as in 1 Sam. 4. 17. Vers. 9. 24 thousand] all the men that had followed Baal-Peor, the Lord destroyed them from among his people, Deut. 4. 3. The Apostle speaking hereof, saith, Neither let us commit fornication, [illegible: 1 word] some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand, 1 Cor. 10. 8. It seemeth that one thousand were slaine by the Iudges, vers. 5. and [illegible: 1 letter]3 thousand by the hand of God, of which latter number the Apostle speaketh: or, one thousand of the chiefe were hanged, and the rest slaine by the sword. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Here the Hebrewes begin the 41 Section or Lecture of the Law, which they call Phinehas. Vers. 11. hath turned away] in Greeke, hath caused my wrath to cease. The fact of Phinehas, who was but a Priests sonne, no ordinary Magistrate, and who proceeded not with the malefactors judicially, but carried with zeale of God, thrust them thorow suddenly, might seeme blame-worthy in the eyes of men, and might procure him much ill will, considering the persons whom he killed, the man being a Prince in Israel, and the woman a Princes daughter of Midian: therefore God here justifieth and rewardeth his work done by the motion of his Spirit. hee was zealous with my zeale] or, he was jealous with my jealousie, for Gods cause, not his owne. The Apostle hath a like speech, I am jealous over you with jealousie of God, that is, with godly jealousie. Zeale or jealousie, (both which are signified by one word in the Hebrew) meaneth both a fervent indignation against the sinners, and a fervent love unto the Lord, shewed in his former act, as Targum Ionathan addeth for explanation, and hee killed the guilty among them. in my zeale] or, in my jealousie; it is the word before used, and applied here to God, as in Exod. 20. 5. and often. Vers. 12. I give] in Chaldee, I decree. of peace] understand, my covenant, (the covenant of) peace: so God saith of Levi, my covenant was with him, (the covenant of) life and peace; and I gave them unto him, for the feare where with he feared me, &c. Mal. 2. 5. So in this place Targum Ionathan paraphraseth, Behold I decree unto him my covenant of peace, & I wil make him the messenger of my covenant, and he shall live for ever, to preach the Gospell of redemption in the end of dayes. By which words Phinehas in his covenant was a figure of Christ, who is called the messenger of the covenant, Mal. 3. 1. and hath an everlasting priesthood, after the power of an endlesse life, Heb. 7. 16, 17. and hath both wrought and preached redemption in these latter dayes, Heb. 1. 1, 2, 3. Vers. 13. of an everlasting priesthood] meaning untill Christs comming, to whom the Priesthood of Aaron was to give place, Heb. 7. 11. &c. Phinehas himselfe lived to a great old age, as appeareth by Iudg. 20. 28. his sonnes successively were high Priests till the captivitie of Babylon, 1 Chron. 6. 4. 15. and at the returne out of captivitie, Ezra the great Priest and Scribe was of his line, Ezra 7. 1. 5. And God by his Prophet promiseth, that David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel: neither shall the Priests the Levites want a man before me, to offer burnt-offerings, and to kindle meat-offerings, and to doe sacrifice continually, Ier. 33. 17, 18. 21, 22. Both which are accomplished in Christ, Luke 1. 32, 33. Heb. 3. 1. and 5. 1.—5. and 8. 1, 2, 3, &c. zealous for his God] or, jealous for his God, that is, for the dishonour done unto his God; as God himselfe is said to be jealous for Ierusalem, when hee was sore displeased with the heathens that afflicted it, Zach. 1. 14, 15. It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing, Gal. 4. 18. that God sheweth here in rewarding Phinehas zeale, who stood up and executed judgement, and the plague was stayed: and it was counted to him for justice, to generation and generation for ever, Psal. 106. 30, 31. The Hebrewes in ages following mentioned his glory; as Ben Sirach saith, because he had zeale in the feare of the Lord, and stood up with good courage of heart; when the people were turned backe, and made atonement for Israel, therefore was there a covenant of peace made with him, that he should be the chiefe of the Sanctuary, & of his people; and that he and his posteritie should have the dignitie of the Priesthood for ever, Ecclus 45. 23, 24. The Scripture noteth the contrary of Eli (who came of Ithamar the brother of Eleazar) for when his owne sonnes committed whoredome with the women of Israel, that assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the congregation, and made themselves vile, hee restrained them not, but honored his sonnes above the Lord: therefore God threatned to cut off his arme; and the arme of his fathers house, that there should not be an old man in his house for ever. And he sware unto the house of Eli, that the iniquitie of Elies house should not be purged with sacrifice, nor offering for ever, 1 Sam. 2. 22. 29, 31. and 3. 13, 14. made atonement] or, made reconciliation, pacified Gods wrath through faith: this word used for atonement by sacrifice, is here applied to the executing of judgement upon the malefactors; whereupon God stayed the plague which had begun upon the congregation. As oftentimes for the sinne of some, God is wroth with the whole congregation, Ios. 7. 1. 12. and 22. 17, 18. so here for the just fact of Phinehas his wrath was turned away, vers. 11. and atonement is made. So the proverbe was fulfilled, The kings wrath is as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacifie it, Prov. 16. 14. Thus David also made atonement by doing justice on Sauis house, 2 Sam. 21. 3. &c. Vers. 14. smitten] that is, killed, as the Chaldee explaineth it: so in vers. 15. and 17. Zimri] in Greeke, Zambri, sonne of Salo; the notation of this name agreeth with his end; for Zimri signifieth cutting off, as superfluous boughes are pruned, or cut off from the Vine: Salo signifieth treading under foot; so as a fruitlesse branch he was cut off from the vine of Israel, and trodden down of God and men; as it is written, Thou hast trodden downe all them that goe astray from thy statutes; for their d[illegible: 1 span]t is falshood; [illegible: 1 span] 19▪ 1[illegible: 1 letter]8. among the Si [illegible: 1 span]tes] in Chalde[illegible: 1 letter], of the tribe of Simeon. And being a Prince, and bringing that harlot unto [illegible: 2 words], vers. 6. it is likely that many of that tribe tooke part with him, and perished in the plague aforesaid. For whereas that tribe at the former muster, had 59 thousand and three hundred men of warre among them, Num. 1. 22, 23. they were diminished now after this plague 37. thousand and one hundred, that there remained at the next muster, but 22 thousand and two hundred men, Num. 26. 1. 14. Vers. 15. [illegible: 1 word]] in Greeke, Chasbi daughter of Sour. Cozhi signifieth lying, or falshood; Zur is a Rocke, an head of nations] that is, a governour of peoples; for he was a Prince of Midian, vers. 17. and afterward he it said to be one of the five Kings of Midian, Num. 31, 8. And as Balaam with his wicked counsell and doctrine, is named as a figure of Antichristian seducers, corrupting the Christian Church with fornication and idolatry, Rev. 2. 14. so in this Prince of Midian, and the harlot his daughter, we may behold the type of Antichrist, who by the spirit and doctrine of Balaam hath drawne the Church unto fornication and idolatry, with false gods, and heresies. His false prophets, like the daughters of Moab, allure men unto those abominations: for as the wisedome of God (in Christ▪) sendeth forth her maidens to invite the simple to come and eat of her bread, and drinke of the wine that she hath mingled, Prov. 9. 1.—5. so the foolish woman, (or whore of Babylon, Revel. 17▪ [illegible: 1 word]. 5.) hath also her toll-guests, the spirits of devils▪ working miracles, which goe forth unto the Kings of the earth, &c. Rev. 16. 13, 14. and she calleth passengers, who goe right on their wayes to partake of her stollen waters which are sweet, and bread in secret, which is pleasant: and many doe follow her pernicious wayes, yea many strong men have been slaine by her, Pro. [illegible: 1 word] 13.—18. and 7. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2. The kings also of the earth have committed fornication with her, Rev. 18. 3. & brought her by their lawes unto their brethren & subjects. And as the harlots name was Cozhi, that is, a lie, or falshood, the daughter of Zur, that is, a Rock, a Prince of Midian of Abrahams degenerate children, Gen. 25. 1, 2. so is the Church of Antichrist false & deceitfull, yet the pretended, daughter of the Rocke, which Christ hath promised to build his Church upon, Matth. 16. 18. though being departed from the true faith of Christ, as the Midianites were from the faith of their father Abraham. For those Antichristian idolatries, God sendeth forth his plagues, Rev. 16. But when with the sword of the Spirit, (wch is the word of God, Ephes. 6. 17.) those abominations are cut off, and the authors of them thrust thorow, as in Ziach. 13. 2, 3, the wrath of God which now is kindled against the sinners, shall be turned away. of a fathers house] Sol. Iarchi here noteth from Gen. 25. 4. that Midian had five fathers houses, Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah: and this man was king of one of them. Vers. 17. Vex the Midianites] or, Distresse, that is, war against the Mi[illegible: 2 letters]anites; as the Greeke translateth, Vse enmitie against them: Hebr. To vex or To distresse, of which phrase-see the notes on Ewod. 13. [illegible: 1 word]. God who had first punished his owne people for their sinnes, doth now decree vengeance against their enemies, which was done by Moses before his death, Num. 31. 2. For as God faith to the nations, Loe I begin to bring evill on the citie, upon which my name is called; and should yee be utterly unpunished? ye shall not be unpunished, [illegible: 1 word]. 25. 29. He speaketh this against; the Midianites, rather than against the Moabites (whom he had forbidden Israel to vex or distresse, Deut. 2. 9.) because they were chiefe in the mischiefe. For though Balaam gave the counsell to the king of Moab, Rev. 2. 14. and the Moabitish women were prostitute also unto whoredome, Num. 25. 1. yet Balak at first did not much regard that counsell, but turned B[illegible: 1 letter] laam away with shame, Num. 24. 11, 25. but the Midianites retained him, and amongst them hee was slaine, Num. 31. 8. And Cezbi a kings daughter of Midian was a principall instrument of evill unto Israel, as God sheweth in vers. 18. therefore the Midianites were first in the punishment. smite ye them,] that is, as the Chaldee expoundeth it, kill ye them. Vers. 18. For they vox you] or, disiresse you, not with warre, but with wiles and deceit. So God saith of Babylon, Reward her even as shee hath rewarded you, Rev. 18. 6. The reward of unrighteous workes, is righteous judgement. their wiles] or, their guiles, deceits, crafts. beguiled you] or, dealt wilily and craftily with you; as the Egyptians when they thought to deale wisely for the suppressing of Israel, Exod. 1. 10. are said to deale craftily, Psal. 105. 25. and Iosephs brethren, when they craftily conspired his death, Gen. 37. 18. By this it appeareth, that the amitie of the Midianites was but feigned, and that they plotted the destruction of Israel. matter] Hebr. word of Peor; the idolatrie with Baal-Peor, wch Israel was drawne unto, vers. 2, 3. So the matter (or word) of Cozhi, is meant the fornication with her, vers. 6. for Peors sake] Hebr. for the word of Peor, that is, which plague came on Israel for Peors sake or cause.