Números 25
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Números 25
Morris comments that "What Balak and Balaam had failed to accomplish through sorcery, they almost accomplished through the seduction of Canaanite fertility worship (Nu 31:16). Many men of Israel accepted a Moabite invitation to the festivities at Peor (perhaps the center of Baal worship in Moab -- cf. Nu 23:28), and became involved with Moabite and Midianite (see the later in Nu 25:17) women and with the abominable worship of Baal (cf. Ps. 106:28-31-note). The event ranks in seriousness with the gold calf incident in Ex. 32:1-10 and called for similar drastic measures. It also was a foretaste (a bad taste for sure!) of future apostasies in Israel (cf. Jdg. 2:11-13, 19; 3:7; 1 Kin. 11:1-8; 16:29-34; 18:40; 2 Ki 10:25-29; 11:18; 23:4-20). None can prevail against God's people if they are not overcome by their inbred lusts; nor can any enchantment hurt them -- Matthew Henry Matthew
Números 25
Morris comments "Even though the physical images worshiped by idolaters are nothing but vanity, they do represent a dangerous reality, for demons actually lurk in and around such idols. These demonic spirits are able in certain limited ways to cause temporal blessings or troubles to visit their adherents, thereby impressing them with the validity of their false religion, and binding them ever more securely in the spirit's grasp.) The Septuagint uses a surprising verb to translate tsamad in Nu 25:3, 5, Ps 106:28, the verb teleo, which means to bring to an end or to consummation. Brenton translates it as "consecrated to" to Baal of Peor! The use of the perfect tense (Nu 25:3,5) speaks of an abiding consecration. In short, the joining of the Israelites to the pagan deity was not a momentary lapse of ethical standards! The NET Note on tsamad says this "word is unusual, and may suggest the physical, ritual participation described below. It certainly shows that they acknowledge the reality of the local god. The evidence indicates that Moab was part of the very corrupt Canaanite world, a world that was given over to the fertility ritual of the times." Tsamad - 5v in OT - fastened(1), frames(1), joined(3). Numbers 25:3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel. 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor." 2 Samuel 20:8 When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was dressed in his military attire, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; and as he went forward, it fell out. Psalm 50:19 "You let your mouth loose in evil And your tongue frames deceit. Psalm 106:28 They joined themselves also to Baal-peor, And ate sacrifices offered to the dead. They returned to the very thing God had done in delivering Israel from the YOKE of EGYPTIAN bondage, (Lev 26:13). Don't be too quick to condemn Israel for we must always remember that Israel is a picture of our old flesh nature that flees from God & His righteousness & seeks to be pampered w/ passing pleasures of sin. This action resulted in immediate capital punishment for all who became involved in this way. Balaam himself was later slain because of this counsel (Nu 31:7, 8,16). Baal of Peor: BAAL = lord, owner, possessor, husband (Baal is derived from a primitive root meaning to marry or to rule over!). It is a proper noun referring to the supreme "god" of the Canaanites. Balaam prophesied from the high places of Baal (Nu 22:41 - see discussion of High places - bamah which were an "Achilles heel to Israel), possibly from the same place Israel sinned (Baal of Peor). Tragically Israel played the harlot yoking themselves with the wrong master or lord and committing spiritual adultery. In short, they forgot and forsook God their Husband (Jer 31:32, Isa 54:5). Jeremiah 31:32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:5 “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. This refers to the local pagan god Baal worshiped at Peor. Ryrie says that Baal of Peor was "The local, heathen god Baal that was worshiped at Peor. Prostitution (cf. Nu 25:1) was part of that worship." In short, Israel's spiritual harlotry led to physical harlotry (cf. Nu 25:1) as part of their perverted worship of Baal at Peor! Beloved, what we BELIEVE will determine/influence how we BEHAVE. They did not believe God. They had clearly lost a healthy (reverential) fear of God when they camped at Peor. Peter gives us all an excellent commandment (especially in view of the rising tide of overt wickedness and godlessness that is flooding American culture!)... 1 Peter 1:17-note And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct (aorist imperative - Do this now! Do it with a sense of urgency! But beloved, do not try to obey this command in your natural strength or you will fail and be frustrated, not to mention that you are subtly placing yourself under the law ["do this", "don't do this"]. We need to jettison self dependence and depend wholly on the Holy Spirit Who Alone can give us the desire and the power to conduct ourselves in fear! cp Php 2:13NLT-note) yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; NO one knows the exact nature of the idolatry involving Baal of Peor (Nu 25:3). However, it may have been a fertility cult (cf. Deut. 23:17–18; 1 Kings 14:22–24) as Baal was known as the male god of fertility. Canaanite religion in general involved rites intended to persuade the gods to help women reproduce and make lands fertile. Prostitution played a major role in the worship It is interesting that women were used to entice the Hebrews to attend Baal worship and engage in “harlotry” or sexual immorality (Nu 25:1,2; 31:15,16). Consequently Moses ordered the execution of all women in Midian “who had known (been intimate with) a man intimately” (Nu 31:17). Henry Morris suggests that the events in Numbers 25 mark "the introduction of Baal worship into Israel, a practice which plagued them off and on until the Babylonians carried them into exile over a thousand years later. Baal-peor was evidently the shrine to Baal on the mountain of Peor (Numbers 23:28). When Balaam was not allowed by God to curse Israel directly, he counseled Balak to infiltrate the armies of Israel through seduction by the Moabite women to join with them in the immoral worship of Baal. This action resulted in immediate capital punishment for all who became involved in this way. Balaam himself was later slain because of this counsel (Numbers 31:8,16). The LORD was angry against Israel - Young's Literal reads "the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel" but it can be rendered even more literally as "the nostrils of Yahweh blazed up against Israel!" Now if that doesn't get our attention, I don't know what will! The Greek is also quite vivid ("kai orgisthe thumo kurios to Israel") it uses not one but two words to convey the Lord's "serious displeasure." The verb orgizo means to become angry, enraged or in some contexts, furious, while the associated noun thumos (from verb thuo = move violently or rush along) which BDAG says is "a state of intense displeasure!" (cp Rev 14:10 "the wine of the wrath of God"). Do we get the picture? Ronald Allen has a cogent comment on God's wrath - "The wrath of the Lord is a “reddening of his nose” (lit. Heb.), a flashing of his rage. These anthropomorphisms (better, anthropopathisms) are vivid ways to describe what is unimaginable: to be on the receiving end of the wrath of Deity. The point of the Torah is not to show how often God rages or how violent are his judgments. The texts regularly assert how slow he is in coming to rage. But God has his flash point; his rage has a trigger. The rage of the Lord should have been expended against Moab and Balaam because of their effrontery; but here it is directed against Israel. They have deflected his rage from others to themselves by their obdurate folly." (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) F B
Números 25
Morris - 1 Corinthians 10:8 states 23,000 fell "in one day." Evidently another thousand died a day or so later. (Defender's Study Bible) Charles Ryrie - Twenty-three thousand was the number killed in one day. Num. 25:9 indicates that there were additional deaths afterward. (Ryrie Study Bible) Donald Campbell - 1 Corinthians 10:8 says 23,000 people died in this incident, whereas Numbers 25:9 has 24,000. This apparent discrepancy can be explained by Paul’s mention of “one day,” with the understanding that another 1,000 may have died on another day or days. Or 24,000 may have included the leaders, whereas 23,000 did not. (Bible Knowledge Commentary) This verse reminds me of a saying most of you have probably heard, but it certainly seems apropos in Numbers 25 SIN WILL ALWAYS TAKE YOU FARTHER THAN YOU WANTED TO GO SIN WILL ALWAYS KEEP YOU LONGER THAN YOU WANTED TO STAY SIN WILL ALWAYS COST YOU MORE THAN YOU INTENDED TO PAY Walter Kaiser addresses the apparent "discrepancy" of accounting in Numbers and First Corinthians... In the warning of 1 Corinthians 10:8 ("23,000 fell in one day") we notice that the main point is that Christians should not commit immorality. Yet the number surprises us when we look at Numbers 25:9: “But those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.” Which text is correct? Why did Paul use one number if the book of Numbers has another? In some situations of this type the solution is easy: the New Testament is citing the Greek version of the Old Testament, while the Hebrew version, the basis of English Bibles, reads differently. In this case that is not the solution. All of the various versions of the Old Testament and all known Jewish traditions agree that 24,000 is the correct number. How could Paul have gotten a different number? Some apologists have resorted to speculation. One theory says that while the total number who died was 24,000, the number that died “in one day” was only 23,000. Another theory argues that the true number was 23,500, and while Numbers rounded it up, Paul rounded it down. The truth is that both of these ideas are pure speculation. No Jewish tradition contains either of these ideas, nor does Paul give any explanation in this verse that would lead us to believe that he is doing one of these things. While either of these theories could be true, only special divine revelation could have revealed them as truth to Paul, and Paul does not claim such special revelation in this passage. It is difficult to explain exactly what happened. The one place where 23,000 appears in the Old Testament is Numbers 26:62 (the number of the male Levites a month old or more). It is possible that Paul, citing the Old Testament from memory as he wrote to the Corinthians, referred to the incident in Numbers 25:9, but his mind slipped a chapter later in picking up the number. Paul dictated his letters, and if he had written copies of the Old Testament to check, which he often did not, they would have been scrolls and thus awkward to use. It is unlikely that he would unroll one to check a number in a passage. It is certainly not because 23,000 was meaningful that Paul chose it, for it is 24,000 that is a multiple of 12 and which appears in other places in the Old Testament (for example, multiple times in 1 Chron 27). Of course we cannot rule out the possibility that there was some reference to 23 or 23,000 in his local environment as he was writing and that caused a slip in his mind, although given that he was thinking about the Old Testament the explanation from Numbers 26:62 is the more likely. What does this mean? In this passage in Corinthians Paul was not attempting to instruct people on Old Testament history and certainly not on the details of Old Testament history. What Paul is doing is using a known Old Testament text as an illustration. He assumes that his readers know the Old Testament text and will recognize the incident. Their knowledge that the Old Testament incident happened should then warn them that God might do something like it again, if they behave like Israel did. In regard to the point that Paul is making, there is no difference whether 10 individuals or 1,000 or 20,000 or 24,000 died. The point is that they committed immorality and they died, as the Corinthians may also die if they commit immorality. (Ed comment: The following sentence is a bit speculative and must be taken with a "grain of salt" as the saying goes!) Thus here we have a case in which Paul apparently makes a slip of the mind for some reason (unless he has special revelation he does not inform us about), but the mental error does not affect the teaching. How often have we heard preachers with written Bibles before them make similar errors of detail that in no way affected their message? If we notice it (and few usually do), we (hopefully) simply smile and focus on the real point being made. As noted above, Paul probably did not have a written Bible to check (although at times he apparently had access to scrolls of the Old Testament), but in the full swing of dictation he cited an example from memory and got a detail wrong. Since he is not writing an Old Testament commentary, the issue is not that he slipped, but whether or not we will take warning from his teaching and not presume on our baptism and participation in the Lord’s Supper to save us from judgment should we fall into immorality like the ancient Israelites did. The issue is not the missing 1,000 from the Old Testament, but whether we will be counted among those judged by God in the New. (Hard Sayings of the Bible) Norman Geisler - NUMBERS 25:9—Why does this verse say that 24,000 died when 1 Corinthians 10:8 offers a different number? PROBLEM: The incident at Baal-Peor resulted in God’s judgment upon Israel, and, according to Numbers 25:9, 24,000 died in the plague of judgment. However, according to 1 Corinthians 10:8, only 23,000 died. Which is the correct number? SOLUTION: There are two possible explanations here. First, some have suggested that the difference is due to the fact that 1 Corinthians 10:8 is speaking only about those who died “in one day” (23,000), whereas Numbers 25:9 is referring to the complete number (24,000) that died in the plague. Others believe two different events are in view here. They note that 1 Corinthians 10:7 is a quote of Exodus 32:6 and indicates that the 1 Corinthians passage is actually referring to the judgment of God after the idolatrous worship of the golden calf (Ex. 32). The Exodus passage does not state the number of people that died as a result of the judgment of God, and the actual number is not revealed until 1 Corinthians 10:8. According to 1 Corinthians 10:8, 23,000 died as a result of the judgment of God for their worship of the golden calf. According to Numbers 25:9, 24,000 died as a result of the judgment of God for Israel’s worship of Baal at Baal-Peor. (When Critics Ask) Numbers 25:10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, BGT Numbers 25:10 καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων NET Numbers 25:10 The LORD spoke to Moses: NLT Numbers 25:10 Then the LORD said to Moses, ESV Numbers 25:10 And the LORD said to Moses, NIV Numbers 25:10 The LORD said to Moses, KJV Numbers 25:10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, YLT Numbers 25:10 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, LXE Numbers 25:10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ASV Numbers 25:10 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, CSB Numbers 25:10 The LORD spoke to Moses, NKJ Numbers 25:10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: NRS Numbers 25:10 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: NAB Numbers 25:10 Then the LORD said to Moses, NJB Numbers 25:10 Yahweh then spoke and said, GWN Numbers 25:10 Then the LORD said to Moses, Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries The LORD spoke to Moses - This exact phrase occurs 93x in the NAS - Exod. 6:10, 13, 28f; 7:8; 13:1; 14:1; 16:11; 19:21; 25:1; 30:17, 22; 31:1, 12; 32:7; 33:1; 40:1; Lev. 4:1; 5:14; 6:1, 8, 19, 24; 7:22, 28; 8:1; 12:1; 13:1; 14:1; 16:1; 17:1; 18:1; 19:1; 20:1; 21:16; 22:1, 17, 26; 23:9, 23, 26, 33; 24:1, 13; 27:1; Num. 1:1; 2:1; 3:5, 11, 14, 44; 4:1, 17, 21; 5:1, 5, 11; 6:1, 22; 7:4; 8:1, 5, 23; 9:1, 9; 13:1; 14:26; 15:1, 17; 16:20, 23, 36, 44; 17:1; 18:25; 19:1; 20:7, 23; 25:10, 16; 26:1, 52; 27:6; 28:1; 31:1, 25; 33:50; 34:1, 16; 35:1, 9; Deut. 32:48; Jos. 14:6 Allen - Verse 10 introduces an oracle of the Lord, attached directly to the preceding dramatic narrative. The focus of the oracle is on Phinehas who has acted with the zeal of the Lord. Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Amplified Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites, in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My jealousy. BGT Numbers 25:11 Φινεες υἱὸς Ελεαζαρ υἱοῦ Ααρων τοῦ ἱερέως κατέπαυσεν τὸν θυμόν μου ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἐν τῷ ζηλῶσαί μου τὸν ζῆλον ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐκ ἐξανήλωσα τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ ἐν τῷ ζήλῳ μου NET Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites, when he manifested such zeal for my sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in my zeal. NLT Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger. ESV Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. NIV Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. KJV Numbers 25:11 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. YLT Numbers 25:11 'Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, hath turned back My fury from the sons of Israel, by his being zealous with My zeal in their midst, and I have not consumed the sons of Israel in My zeal. LXE Numbers 25:11 Phinees the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest has caused my wrath to cease from the children of Israel, when I was exceedingly jealous among them, and I did not consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. ASV Numbers 25:11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. CSB Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with My zeal, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My zeal. NKJ Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. NRS Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites by manifesting such zeal among them on my behalf that in my jealousy I did not consume the Israelites. NAB Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger from the Israelites by his zeal for my honor among them; that is why I did not put an end to the Israelites for the offense to my honor. NJB Numbers 25:11 'The priest Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron has deflected my wrath from the Israelites, he being the only one of them to have the same zeal as I have; for which reason, I did not make an end of the Israelites in my zeal. GWN Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of the priest Aaron, turned my fury away from the Israelites. Since he stood up for me, I didn't have to stand up for myself and destroy them. turned my: Jos 7:25,26 2Sa 21:14 Ps 106:23 Joh 3:36 for my sake: Heb. with my zeal, 2Co 11:2 that I: Ex 22:5 Ex 34:14 De 4:24 Dt 29:20 Dt 32:16,21 Jos 24:19 1Ki 14:22 Ps 78:58 Eze 16:38 Na 1:2 Zep 1:18 3:8 1Co 10:22 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PHINEHAS' ZEAL TURNS AWAY GOD'S WRATH Turned away My wrath - The priest Phinehas in turning away the temporal wrath of God is in a sense a shadow of our Great High Priest Who turns away eternal wrath for all who believe in Him. We see other examples of turning away the wrath of God The most poignant of course is the radical redemption wrought by our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. John writes “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36) Comment - This is the only time wrath (orge) is used in John's Gospel. Merrill Tenney comments on God's wrath - It is the settled displeasure of God against sin. It is the divine allergy to moral evil, the reaction of righteousness to unrighteousness. God is neither easily angered nor vindictive. But by his very nature he is unalterably committed to opposing and judging all disobedience. The moral laws of the universe are as unvarying and unchangeable as its physical laws, and God cannot set aside either without violating his own nature. The rejection of his Son can be followed only by retribution. Acceptance of Christ is the personal appropriation of God’s truth—an appropriation that might be compared to the practice of endorsing a check to cash it. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) In Joshua the stoning of Achan resulted in the turning away of the Lord's wrath... And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day. (Joshua 7:25,26) Comment - All Israel refers to representatives from the whole nation. They were acting in accord with their promise to Joshua in 1:18. In Ex 32:11–14 Moses made atonement for the people (cp Dt 9:25) when they committed the sin of the Golden Calf: Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why doth Thine anger burn against Thy people whom Thou hast brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Thy burning anger and change Thy mind about doing harm to Thy people. 13 “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants to whom Thou didst swear by Thyself, and didst say to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. Walter Kaiser - In his role as divinely raised-up mediator, Moses appealed to the Lord (Ex 32:11). First, he reminded the Lord of his special covenantal relationship with his people, which he manifested in the Exodus. Then, he appealed to God’s need to keep his name holy and trustworthy (Ex 32:12). Finally, he referred to the great patriarchal promises (Ex 32:13)(Ed: The Abrahamic Covenant, an everlasting, unconditional covenant).As Moses championed the Lord’s cause, “the LORD relented” (Ex 32:14). In only two of the thirty-eight instances in the OT is this word used of men repenting. God’s repentance or “relenting” is an anthropomorphism (a description of God in human forms) that aims at showing us that he can and does change in his actions and emotions to men when given proper grounds for doing so, and thereby he does not change in his basic integrity or character (cf. Ps 99:6; 106:45; Jer 18:8; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:10; James 5:16). The grounds for the Lord’s repenting are three: (1) intercession (cf. Amos 7:1–6); (2) repentance of the people (Jer 18:3–11; Jonah 3:9–10); and (3) compassion (Deut 32:36; Judg 2:18; 2 Sam 24:16). (Expositor's Bible Commentary) The psalmist records the turning away God's wrath in the life of Moses. The psalmist records Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them. (Ps 106:23) Willem A. VanGemeren - The metaphor “stood in the breach” derives from military language, signifying the bravery of a soldier who stands in the breach of the wall, willing to give his life in warding off the enemy (cf. Ezek 22:30). So Moses stood bravely in the presence of Almighty God on behalf of Israel. Moses’ position was unique, being God’s “chosen one” (a synonym of “servant”; cf. Ps 89:3). The Lord responded to Moses’ intercession by not destroying the people. (Expositor's Bible Commentary) In that he was jealous with My jealousy ("he was zealous with My zeal." ) - While Phinehas' actions do not do not justify believers being viglantes, clearly his actions were "synchronizes" with the will of God for he was motivated jealousy for God's great Name. NET NOTE on jealousy (zeal) - The repetition of forms for "zeal" in the line stresses the passion of Phinehas. The word "zeal" means a passionate intensity to protect or preserve divine or social institutions. The word for "zeal" now occurs a third time. While some English versions translate this word here as "jealousy" (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV), it carries the force of God's passionate determination to defend his rights and what is right about the covenant and the community and parallels the "zeal" that Phinehas had just demonstrated. Bush - The meaning is, that in thus vindicating the divine honor he showed that he could no more tolerate this forbidden connection of the chosen people with an idolatrous race than a man would suffer his wife to prostitute herself to strangers. In this sense the Lord himself is said to be “jealous,” Ex. 20:5. The term conveys an allusion to the conjugal relation which the Lord sustained to his people. Moses records "you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:14) In Dt 4:24 he writes "the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." Other passages on jealousy Deuteronomy 29:20 “The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. Deuteronomy 32:16; 21 ) “They made Him jealous with strange gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger.....‘They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation, Numbers 25:12 "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; BGT Numbers 25:12 οὕτως εἰπόν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι αὐτῷ διαθήκην εἰρήνης NET Numbers 25:12 Therefore, announce: 'I am going to give to him my covenant of peace. NLT Numbers 25:12 Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him. ESV Numbers 25:12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, NIV Numbers 25:12 Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. KJV Numbers 25:12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: YLT Numbers 25:12 'Therefore say, Lo, I am giving to him My covenant of peace, LXE Numbers 25:12 Thus do thou say to him, Behold, I give him a covenant of peace: ASV Numbers 25:12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: CSB Numbers 25:12 Therefore declare: I grant him My covenant of peace. NKJ Numbers 25:12 "Therefore say,`Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; NRS Numbers 25:12 Therefore say, 'I hereby grant him my covenant of peace. NAB Numbers 25:12 Announce, therefore, that I hereby give him my pledge of friendship, NJB Numbers 25:12 For this reason I say: To him I grant my covenant of peace. GWN Numbers 25:12 So tell Phinehas that I'm making a promise of peace to him. Nu 13:29 Mal 2:4,5 3:1 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PHINEHAS' REWARD OF GOD'S COVENANT OF PEACE Therefore say "Behold" - Behold (also in Nu 25:6) (02009) (hinneh) is an interjection meaning behold, look, now; if. "It is used often and expresses strong feelings, surprise, hope, expectation, certainty, thus giving vividness depending on its surrounding context." (Baker) Hinneh generally directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. In short, the Spirit is trying to arrest our attention! I give him My covenant of peace;: To what does this "reward" refer? To be sure in context it refers to the Lord making a binding agreement that that the priesthood would be channeled through his line (Nu 25:13).
Números 25
Morris - The "covenant of peace" was given to assure the everlasting priesthood of Phinehas and his descendants (cf. Ps. 106:30, 31; Mal. 2:4-7). Disciple's Study Bible - People-Obedience results in more intimate fellowship with God. God established His covenant of peace with Phinehas because he desired to serve the Lord. God works through those who allow themselves to be used in His service. The phrase Covenant of peace is found 4 times in Scripture: Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you. Comment: This covenant will not be shaken because it is everlasting (Ezekiel 37:26-note). Indeed, this is in essence the everlasting New Covenant God promised to Israel in Jeremiah 31:31-34-note, the same covenant Jesus referred to when He declared "this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins." (Mt 26:28) Ezekiel 34:25 "And I will make a covenant of peace (karath beriyth shalom) with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. Comment: With whom will Jehovah cut this covenant of peace? In context "them" refers to the remnant of Israel who will all be saved (Ro 11:25-27-note) when the Lord Jesus returns as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:11-15, 16-note) to defeat the Antichrist and all His foes and to establish His 1000 year earthly kingdom in which He rules from Jerusalem (Rev 20:4-6-note, Zech 14:9, 16+). Notice that God says "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS” (Ro 11:27) and this also refers to the God's covenant of peace. Ezekiel 37:26-note "And I will make a covenant of peace (karath beriyth shalom) with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. Comment: This covenant is everlasting even as was His covenant with Abraham (Ge 17:7) and the New Covenant is in essence an "extension" of the Abrahamic Covenant, with the addition that in the New Covenant the Spirit will indwell us forever. As an aside the phrase everlasting covenant is found 16x in the NAS all in the OT (but cp "eternal covenant" in Hebrews 13:20) - Gen. 9:16; 17:7, 13, 19; Lev. 24:8; Num. 18:19; 2 Sam. 23:5; 1 Chr. 16:17; Ps. 105:10; Isa. 24:5; 55:3; 61:8; Jer. 32:40; 50:5; Ezek. 16:60; 37:26. Malachi 2:5-note records a parallel passage “My covenant with him (Levi - Mal 2:4) was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me, and stood in awe of My name. Comment - Some interpret this as an allusion to Numbers 25 and the covenant of peace with Phinehas but others (John MacArthur) see it as God's covenant with Levi. Peace (07965)(shalom from salam/salem/shalam = to be safe, sound, healthy, perfect, complete [1Ki 7:51, Neh 6:18]) signifies a sense of well-being and harmony both within and without. It includes the ideas of completeness, wholeness, peace, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, rest, harmony; the absence of agitation or discord, a state of calm without anxiety or stress. G Campbell Morgan on Numbers 25:12 - In the letter to the church at Pergamum we learn that "Balaam...taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication" (Rev. 2.14). This chapter opens with the declaration that: "The people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab; for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods." This, then, was the work of Balaam. When he could not utter a curse against Israel, he taught Balak how to seduce them from their loyalty. The action appeared to be one of pure neighborliness, but it was a corrupting of the covenant. The story of Phinehas is that of one man, loyal to God, and jealous for his honor, daring to violate these false conventionalities, and visiting with swift and terrible punishment one daring wrongdoer. That action stayed the plague, and saved Israel. Action like that of Phinehas is not easy. It brings the man who dare take it into the place of grave peril, especially when it is directed against some popular movement. Yet to that man is given God's covenant of peace. That is the only peace which is worthwhile for man or nation. The price of it may be to stern conflict, and a hazarding of all ease and quietness: but it is peace indeed, for it is right relationship with the principles of righteousness, and so with God. (Life Applications from Every Chapter) Joseph Parker - "My covenant of peace"—Num. 25:12 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, was a type of Christ.—The covenant of grace is described in Isaiah 54:10, and in Malachi 2:5, as the covenant of peace.—Peace must be the result of harmony with God.—God is the God of peace.—He blesses his people with peace.—Speaking to his servant, he said, "My covenant was with him of life and peace."—The converse of this is true; "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."—Peace does not represent a grace so much as a virtue.—Great misunderstanding prevails as to the true meaning of peace.—True peace represents the highest energy, controlled and sanctified.—Never represent spiritual peace by death or the grave, or by anything that is inert, or passionless.—He only is at peace who in full possession of every faculty feels that there is no power in his soul that does not aspire towards God in loving obedience.—Peace of this kind does not exempt from daily trial and daily sorrow.—The presence of peace in the soul takes the right view of such discipline, and is sure to find stars in the darkness.—The peace that is spoken of is not a temporary arrangement; it is a matter of covenant signed and sealed.—The blessing of God is a covenant ordered in all things and sure.—Judge spiritual progress by the depth of spiritual peace.—"Perfect love casteth out fear."—The great gift of Christ to the Church is a gift of peace.—The apostle describes the peace of God as passing understanding,—an enjoyment beyond analysis, and beyond criticism: passing understanding as flying passes walking, as the light of the sun passes all the sparks man can kindle upon earth, as the ocean passes the little rills that trickle over the surface of the earth. Numbers 25:13 and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'" BGT Numbers 25:13 καὶ ἔσται αὐτῷ καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτὸν διαθήκη ἱερατείας αἰωνία ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἐζήλωσεν τῷ θεῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξιλάσατο περὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ NET Numbers 25:13 So it will be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of a permanent priesthood, because he has been zealous for his God, and has made atonement for the Israelites.'" NLT Numbers 25:13 In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me. " ESV Numbers 25:13 and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.'" NIV Numbers 25:13 He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites." KJV Numbers 25:13 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. YLT Numbers 25:13 and it hath been to him and to his seed after him a covenant of a priesthood age-during, because that he hath been zealous for his God, and doth make atonement for the sons of Israel.' LXE Numbers 25:13 and he and his seed after him shall have a perpetual covenant of priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel. ASV Numbers 25:13 and it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel. CSB Numbers 25:13 It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites." NKJ Numbers 25:13 `and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'" NRS Numbers 25:13 It shall be for him and for his descendants after him a covenant of perpetual priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the Israelites.'" NAB Numbers 25:13 which shall be for him and for his descendants after him the pledge of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous on behalf of his God and thus made amends for the Israelites." NJB Numbers 25:13 To him and his descendants after him, this covenant will assure the priesthood for ever. In reward for his zeal for his God, he will have the right to perform the ritual of expiation for the Israelites.' GWN Numbers 25:13 My promise is that he and his descendants will be priests permanently because he stood up for his God and he made peace with the LORD for the Israelites." his seed: 1Sa 2:30 1Ki 2:27 1Ch 6:4-15,50-53 an everlasting: Ex 40:15 Isa 61:6 Jer 33:18,22 Heb 7:11,17,18 1Pe 2:5,9 Rev 1:6 zealous: 1Ki 19:10,14 Ps 69:9 106:31 119:139 Joh 2:17 Ac 22:3-5 Ro 10:2-4 atonement: Ex 32:30 Jos 7:12 2Sa 21:3 Heb 2:17 1Jn 2:2 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A COVENANT OF A PERPETUAL PRIESTHOOD And it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood (Ps 106:31): Because of his hatred of sin (v7-8), Phinehas's family was promised the high priesthood in Israel, thus bypassing the other grandsons of Aaron. Steven
Números 25
Morris - The Midianites had perhaps been Balak's advisors from the beginning (Nu 22:4). The Midianite woman Cozbi (whose name, probably a deliberate corruption, means "my deception") was the daughter of a Midianite king (Nu 25:16; 31:8) and may have been a priestess of Baal. Some of the other women who lured the Israelites into debauchery were also Midianite (Nu 31:15, 16). For their involvement, Yahweh commanded war against the Midianites, which did not commence until Numbers 31. Numbers 25:18 for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor." Amplified For they harass you with their wiles with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor. BGT Numbers 25:18 ὅτι ἐχθραίνουσιν αὐτοὶ ὑμῖν ἐν δολιότητι ὅσα δολιοῦσιν ὑμᾶς διὰ Φογωρ καὶ διὰ Χασβι θυγατέρα ἄρχοντος Μαδιαν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῶν τὴν πεπληγυῖαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς πληγῆς διὰ Φογωρ NET Numbers 25:18 because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor." NLT Numbers 25:18 because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor." ESV Numbers 25:18 for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor." NIV Numbers 25:18 because they treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the affair of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of Peor." KJV Numbers 25:18 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. YLT Numbers 25:18 for they are adversaries to you with their frauds, with which they have acted fraudulently to you, concerning the matter of Peor, and concerning the matter of Cozbi, daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who is smitten in the day of the plague for the matter of Peor.' LXE Numbers 25:18 for they are enemies to you by the treachery wherein they ensnare you through Phogor, and through Chasbi their sister, daughter of a prince of Madiam, who was smitten in the day of the plague because of Phogor. ASV Numbers 25:18 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 the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor. CSB Numbers 25:18 For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor." NKJ Numbers 25:18 "for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor." NRS Numbers 25:18 for they have harassed you by the trickery with which they deceived you in the affair of Peor, and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister; she was killed on the day of the plague that resulted from Peor." NAB Numbers 25:18 for they have been your enemies by their wily dealings with you as regards Peor and as regards their kinswoman Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, who was killed at the time of the slaughter because of Peor." NJB Numbers 25:18 for harassing you with their guile in the Peor affair and in the affair of their sister Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, the woman who was killed the day the plague came on account of the business of Peor.' GWN Numbers 25:18 because they treated you as enemies. They plotted to trick you in the incident that took place at Peor. They used their sister Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed on the day of the plague caused by the incident at Peor." vex you (KJV): Nu 31:15,16 Ge 26:10 Ex 32:21,35 Rev 2:14 beguiled: Ge 3:13 2Co 11:3 2Pe 2:14,15,18 which (KJV): Nu 25:8 Numbers 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAELITE MEN SEDUCED BY TRICKERY AND DECEPTION For is a term of explanation. When you encounter it you should always pause and ponder what is the writer explaining? In this context it is simple (some of Paul's uses are not quite so easy!). The writer is explaining why Israel is to show hostility toward the Midianites. Tricks (treachery, wiles) (05231)(nekel from nakal = to be crafty, deceitful - used in this verse) is only used in this verse in the OT. The Septuagint translates it with the noun doliotes which means deceit or treachery (see root noun dolos and verb dolioo). Deceived (05230)(nakal) (4x in OT - Ge 37:18; Nu 25:18; Ps 105:25; Mal 1:14) means to be crafty or deceitful. Sin by itself is deceitful (Heb 3:13-note) but in this context it is amplified by the seductive wiles of these treacherous pagan women! The only hope to fight off this sin is to flee immorality (1 Cor 6:18-note). The Israelite men tarried when they should have fled. The moment they gazed at the women the lust of their flesh kicked in carrying them away and enticing them and giving birth to immorality and death (James 1:14, 15-note). NET NOTE on Cozbi - Cozbi's father, Zur, was one of five Midianite kings who eventually succumbed to Israel (Nu 31:8). When the text gives the name and family of a woman, it is asserting that she is important, at least for social reasons, among her people. Warren