Numbers 25

Comments

Many modern biblical scholars believe that the Torah written in Classical Hebrew) reached its present form after 520 BC, may include priestly redactions and additions concerning Midianite women and Phinehas' priesthood and the Moabites based on earlier written and oral traditions and political elements at the time. There may be more of an error concerning our interpretation of the Israelite men's fraternization with Moabite women by having sex with them which may be a reference to national adultery and worshipping their gods and idolatry including Baal (Numbers 25:1–3). This led to the questionable instruction by Moses to the judges of Israel (Numbers 25:3–5) to slay^[1] all Israelite men who had done this.
When Israel was in Shittim they commit whoredom^[2] with the daughters of Moab. Micah 6:5 mentions this event associating it with the error of Balaam to make a distinction between the wages of unrighteousness and the righteousness of the LORD.


Questions




[1]

1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom^[2] with the daughters of Moab.

2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat^[3], and bowed down to their gods.

3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: 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 Baalpeor.

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.

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.

Footnotes

↑
02026 הָרַג‎ harag [haw-rag’] a primitive root HeyReishGimel; v; [BDB-246b] [{See TWOT on 514 }] AV-slay 100, kill 24, kill … 3, murderer 2, destroyed 1, murder 1, out of hand 1, made 1, put 1, slain 31, slayer 1, surely 1; 167
1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to kill, slay

1a2) to destroy, ruin

1b) (Niphal) to be killed

1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain
- ה Hey Expression--Thought, Speech, Action. Manifest seeds of thought and life. [Emphasize, jubilation, window, fence] (Numeric value: 5)
- ר Reish Process of Clarification The "head" or "beginning". Life's revelation. [Head... Person head highest] (Numeric value: 200)
- ג Gimel Reward and Punish, Cause and effect, 'justified repayment'. Do to others as they should do. Written like a Vav with a Yod as a "foot". Camel, [throwstick, pride, to lift up] (Numeric value: 3)
- Root words often include other letters which can alter their meaning. The letter Vav appears in the beginning of numerous times which may suggest that someone is separated as if dead rather than slay as in massacre (See stoning).
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1
02181 זָנָה‎ ZayinNunHey zanah [zaw-naw’] a primitive root [highly-fed and therefore wanton]; v; [BDB-275b] [{See TWOT on 563 }] AV- … harlot 36, go a whoring 19, … whoredom 15, whore 11, commit fornication 3, whorish 3, harlot + 0802 2, commit 1, continually 1, great 1, whore’s + 0802 1; 93
1) to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be a harlot, act as a harlot, commit fornication

1a2) to commit adultery

1a3) to be a cult prostitute

1a4) to be unfaithful (to God) (fig.)

1b) (Pual) to play the harlot

1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to commit adultery

1c2) to force into prostitution

1c3) to commit fornication
- We can see the idea of national adultery or the use of force when the Tav related to faith or Lamed (hand) or Vav (separation or union) is included with or adjacent to the ZayinNunHey
- In Isaiah 23:17 we see wə·zā·nə·ṯāh וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה VavZayinNunTavHey which references Tyre and "her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms".
In Isaiah 23:17 we see the Hebrew: וְשָׁבָ֖ה לְאֶתְנַנָּ֑ה וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה אֶת־ כָּל־

where the word ethnan (0868) containing the root אֶתְנַ AlefTavNun is seen as לְאֶתְנַנָּ֑ה translated to her hire
- In Hosea 9:1 we see zā·nî·ṯā ZayinNunYodTav זָנִ֖יתָ Translated in
NAS: "like the nations! For you have played the harlot, forsaking"

KJV: "as [other] people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God,"
- We see לִזְנ֖וֹת LamedZayinNunVavTav liz·nō·wṯ in Leviticus 20:5-6 and Leviticus 21:9 along with Numbers 25:1 and Deuteronomy 22:21. We see lə·haz·nō·w·ṯāh לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ LamedHeyZayinNunVavTavHey in Leviticus 19:29
↑ Make no covenant
Exodus 23:32 "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods ‭33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee..."

Exodus 34:12 "Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13 But ye shall destroy(TavTavTzadikVavNun tittōṣūn, תִּתֹּצ֔וּן) their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God: 15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and [one] call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;"

Deuteronomy 7:2 "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:"

Deuteronomy 7:16 "And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that [will be] a snare unto thee."

Deuteronomy 7:24 "And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them."

Numbers 25:2 "And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods."

Judges 2:2 "And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?"

1 Kings 9:22 "But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they [were] men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen." see 1 Samuel 8

Proverbs 1:10 "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

Obadiah 1:7 "All the men of thy confederacy<01285> have brought thee [even] to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, [and] prevailed against thee; [they that eat] thy bread have laid a wound under thee: [there is] none understanding in him."

2 Corinthians 6:15 "And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

[1] 02026 הָרַג‎ harag [haw-rag’] a primitive root HeyReishGimel; v; [BDB-246b] [{See TWOT on 514 }] AV-slay 100, kill 24, kill … 3, murderer 2, destroyed 1, murder 1, out of hand 1, made 1, put 1, slain 31, slayer 1, surely 1; 167
1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to kill, slay

1a2) to destroy, ruin

1b) (Niphal) to be killed

1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain

ה Hey Expression--Thought, Speech, Action. Manifest seeds of thought and life. [Emphasize, jubilation, window, fence] (Numeric value: 5)

ר Reish Process of Clarification The "head" or "beginning". Life's revelation. [Head... Person head highest] (Numeric value: 200)

ג Gimel Reward and Punish, Cause and effect, 'justified repayment'. Do to others as they should do. Written like a Vav with a Yod as a "foot". Camel, [throwstick, pride, to lift up] (Numeric value: 3)

Root words often include other letters which can alter their meaning. The letter Vav appears in the beginning of numerous times which may suggest that someone is separated as if dead rather than slay as in massacre (See stoning).

[2] ה Hey Expression--Thought, Speech, Action. Manifest seeds of thought and life. [Emphasize, jubilation, window, fence] (Numeric value: 5)

[3] ר Reish Process of Clarification The "head" or "beginning". Life's revelation. [Head... Person head highest] (Numeric value: 200)

[4] ג Gimel Reward and Punish, Cause and effect, 'justified repayment'. Do to others as they should do. Written like a Vav with a Yod as a "foot". Camel, [throwstick, pride, to lift up] (Numeric value: 3)

[5] Root words often include other letters which can alter their meaning. The letter Vav appears in the beginning of numerous times which may suggest that someone is separated as if dead rather than slay as in massacre (See stoning).

[harlot-2] 2.0 ^2.1 02181 זָנָה‎ ZayinNunHey zanah [zaw-naw’] a primitive root [highly-fed and therefore wanton]; v; [BDB-275b] [{See TWOT on 563 }] AV- … harlot 36, go a whoring 19, … whoredom 15, whore 11, commit fornication 3, whorish 3, harlot + 0802 2, commit 1, continually 1, great 1, whore’s + 0802 1; 93
1) to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be a harlot, act as a harlot, commit fornication

1a2) to commit adultery

1a3) to be a cult prostitute

1a4) to be unfaithful (to God) (fig.)

1b) (Pual) to play the harlot

1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to commit adultery

1c2) to force into prostitution

1c3) to commit fornication

We can see the idea of national adultery or the use of force when the Tav related to faith or Lamed (hand) or Vav (separation or union) is included with or adjacent to the ZayinNunHey

In Isaiah 23:17 we see wə·zā·nə·ṯāh וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה VavZayinNunTavHey which references Tyre and "her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms".

In Isaiah 23:17 we see the Hebrew: וְשָׁבָ֖ה לְאֶתְנַנָּ֑ה וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה אֶת־ כָּל־

where the word ethnan (0868) containing the root אֶתְנַ AlefTavNun is seen as לְאֶתְנַנָּ֑ה translated to her hire

In Hosea 9:1 we see zā·nî·ṯā ZayinNunYodTav זָנִ֖יתָ Translated in

NAS: "like the nations! For you have played the harlot, forsaking"

KJV: "as [other] people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God,"

We see לִזְנ֖וֹת LamedZayinNunVavTav liz·nō·wṯ in Leviticus 20:5-6 and Leviticus 21:9 along with Numbers 25:1 and Deuteronomy 22:21. We see lə·haz·nō·w·ṯāh לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ LamedHeyZayinNunVavTavHey in Leviticus 19:29

[7] We can see the idea of national adultery or the use of force when the Tav related to faith or Lamed (hand) or Vav (separation or union) is included with or adjacent to the ZayinNunHey

[8] In Isaiah 23:17 we see wə·zā·nə·ṯāh וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה VavZayinNunTavHey which references Tyre and "her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms".

[9] In Hosea 9:1 we see zā·nî·ṯā ZayinNunYodTav זָנִ֖יתָ Translated in

[10] We see לִזְנ֖וֹת LamedZayinNunVavTav liz·nō·wṯ in Leviticus 20:5-6 and Leviticus 21:9 along with Numbers 25:1 and Deuteronomy 22:21. We see lə·haz·nō·w·ṯāh לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ LamedHeyZayinNunVavTavHey in Leviticus 19:29

[makeno-3] Make no covenant
Exodus 23:32 "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods ‭33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee..."

Exodus 34:12 "Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13 But ye shall destroy(TavTavTzadikVavNun tittōṣūn, תִּתֹּצ֔וּן) their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God: 15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and [one] call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;"

Deuteronomy 7:2 "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:"

Deuteronomy 7:16 "And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that [will be] a snare unto thee."

Deuteronomy 7:24 "And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them."

Numbers 25:2 "And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods."

Judges 2:2 "And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?"

1 Kings 9:22 "But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they [were] men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen." see 1 Samuel 8

Proverbs 1:10 "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

Obadiah 1:7 "All the men of thy confederacy<01285> have brought thee [even] to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, [and] prevailed against thee; [they that eat] thy bread have laid a wound under thee: [there is] none understanding in him."

2 Corinthians 6:15 "And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

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Numbers 25

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