Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Corinthians 10:8

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand .

The story to which this verse relates is, that, Num. 25.1, 9. when Balaam could not curse the Israelites, he advised the debauching of them by the Moabitish women, first inticing them to Fornication and Adultery, then to Idolatry: and they were inticed, which caused a plague amongst them, which destroyed amongst them in one day three and twenty thousand (saith our Apostle,) Moses saith, that there dyed four and twenty thousand; there are many guesses for the clearing of that seeming contradiction: Some say, that Moses mentioneth not one day, there might in all dye 24000, but not all the same day, nor possibly by the same death. But nothing is in Scripture more ordinary, than to speak of things or persons in round numbers, though something over or under; and also to speak according to the common reckoning of people, who also may tal[illegible: 2 letters] variously. Some might report 23, some 24000: or possibly Paul chose to mention the lesser, rather than the greater round number. The sense of Moses might be about 24000, or near up to that number, all of which probably had not been guilty of Adultery or Fornication. Paul saith, there dyed 23000. If there did dye 24000, there must needs dye 23000.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 span] 29.