Matthew Poole and continuators on Numbers 25

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.