Numbers 25:1
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּשִּׁטִּ֑ים וַיָּ֣חֶל הָעָ֔ם לִזְנ֖וֹת אֶל־בְּנ֥וֹת מוֹאָֽב׃
Numbers 25:2
וַתִּקְרֶ֣אןָ לָעָ֔ם לְזִבְחֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אכַל הָעָ֔ם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֖וּ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶֽן׃
Numbers 25:3
וַיִּצָּ֥מֶד יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְבַ֣עַל פְּע֑וֹר וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Numbers 25:4
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה קַ֚ח אֶת־כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הָעָ֔ם וְהוֹקַ֥ע אוֹתָ֛ם לַיהוָ֖ה נֶ֣גֶד הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְיָשֹׁ֛ב חֲר֥וֹן אַף־יְהוָ֖ה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Numbers 25:5
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִרְגוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֲנָשָׁ֔יו הַנִּצְמָדִ֖ים לְבַ֥עַל פְּעֽוֹר׃
Numbers 25:6
וְהִנֵּ֡ה אִישׁ֩ מִבְּנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בָּ֗א וַיַּקְרֵ֤ב אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית לְעֵינֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וּלְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהֵ֣מָּה בֹכִ֔ים פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
and behold, a man from the sons of Israel went and brought to his brother a Midianite woman before the eyes of Moses and before the of all the congregation of the sons of Israel. And behold, they were weeping in the door of the tent of meeting.
Paraphrase: Now just when the situation could not possibly get any worse, the unthinkable happened. In broad daylight, an Israelite man walked directly into the camp arm and arm with a Midianite woman. He didn’t even make the least attempt to hide what he was doing; Moses and many of the Israelites saw it with their own eyes. So appalling was the sight that many of the people, who had been praying and worshipping near the entrance to the tent of meeting, began to cry out in terror and to weep bitterly when they saw this abomination.
Comments:
Numbers 25:7
וַיַּ֗רְא פִּֽינְחָס֙ בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיָּ֙קָם֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֥ח רֹ֖מַח בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
and Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw, and he got up from the middle of the assembly and took a spear in his hand.
Paraphrase: After some time, one of the young men standing near the tent of meeting and having seen the man with the Midianite woman, could endure it no longer. He was Phineas, son of the priest Eleazar who was the son of Aaron. He was now full of righteous anger and grabbing a spear which was nearby, he set out after the man.
Comments:
Numbers 25:8
וַ֠יָּבֹא אַחַ֨ר אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־הַקֻּבָּ֗ה וַיִּדְקֹר֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֚ת אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־קֳבָתָ֑הּ וַתֵּֽעָצַר֙ הַמַּגֵּפָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
and he went after the man of Israel to a tent and thrust the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman to her belly, and the blow was restrained from on the sons of Israel.
Paraphrase: By this time, the Israelite and his Midianite girlfriend had disappeared into a tent, but Phineas did not hesitate and followed them right into their bedroom. There, he discovered both of them in the very act of adultery. Without any delay, he thrust them through with the spear killing them both. Only then, did YHWH hold back the dreadful blow He was about to bring on His people.
Comments:
Numbers 25:9
וַיִּהְי֕וּ הַמֵּתִ֖ים בַּמַּגֵּפָ֑ה אַרְבָּעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים אָֽלֶף׃פ
and the dying was in the blow four and twenty thousand.
Paraphrase: In this punishment, God struck Israel and killed 24,000 of them.
Comments:
Numbers 25:10
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
and YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
Paraphrase: Then YHWH spoke to Moses.
Comments:
Numbers 25:11
פִּֽינְחָ֨ס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֜ר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הֵשִׁ֤יב אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ מֵעַ֣ל בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּקַנְא֥וֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִ֖י בְּתוֹכָ֑ם וְלֹא־כִלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקִנְאָתִֽי׃
Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, caused My anger to turn from on the sons of Israel in his jealousy with my jealousy in the middle of them, and I was not finished with the sons of Israel in My jealousy.
Paraphrase: “Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, is a man after My Own Heart. That is because in his heart, there burns a fierce zeal for My Glory which is so honoring to Me. By killing this couple in their adultery, he removed the abomination from out of the midst of My people and turned My anger away. He surely saved Israel from a dreadful, punishing blow of My anger. This kind of wickedness can never be tolerated in the least, and the zeal and anger in the soul of Phineas is really just My zeal and anger flowing through him. Remember what I taught you, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.’ (Leviticus 10:3) Phineas understands this; and because of what he has done, I am ready to look again at My people and not to drive them from My presence completely.
Comments:
Numbers 25:12
לָכֵ֖ן אֱמֹ֑ר הִנְנִ֨י נֹתֵ֥ן ל֛וֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י שָׁלֽוֹם׃
Therefore, say, “Behold Me, giving to him My covenant of peace.”
Paraphrase: Now therefore, give to Phineas this word from Me. Tell him that I am making a covenant with him. By this covenant, there will be peace between Me and him. I will be His God, and he will be to Me as a son. (Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1)
Comments:
Numbers 25:13
וְהָ֤יְתָה לּוֹ֙ וּלְזַרְע֣וֹ אַחֲרָ֔יו בְּרִ֖ית כְּהֻנַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר קִנֵּא֙ לֵֽאלֹהָ֔יו וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And it will be for him and for his seed after him a covenant of an eternal priesthood because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.
Paraphrase: This covenant means that Phinehas and his children will serve as priests throughout the entire history of My people. He was the one whose heart burned for My glory; he was the one who stepped up and did justice in the midst of My people. Now I will make it manifest to all that those who honor Me, I will honor. (1 Samuel 2:30)
Comments:
For תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר see bottom of p198.
See Owen on this being a perpetual priesthood; p512.
Atonement was made here by the death of the offenders. The gospel teaches us that atonement can be made by substitution.
Clearly the object of the atonement here is God Himself, not any person. Strong writes (p719) that in Phinehas’ killing of this adulterous man, he is said to have “made atonement for the children of Israel.” Surely, the “atonement” here cannot be a reconciliation of Israel. It was a propitiation of God.
Numbers 25:14
וְשֵׁם֩ אִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל הַמֻּכֶּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֻכָּה֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית זִמְרִ֖י בֶּן־סָל֑וּא נְשִׂ֥יא בֵֽית־אָ֖ב לַשִּׁמְעֹנִֽי׃
Numbers 25:15
וְשֵׁ֨ם הָֽאִשָּׁ֧ה הַמֻּכָּ֛ה הַמִּדְיָנִ֖ית כָּזְבִּ֣י בַת־צ֑וּר רֹ֣אשׁ אֻמּ֥וֹת בֵּֽית־אָ֛ב בְּמִדְיָ֖ן הֽוּא׃פ
Numbers 25:16
וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
Numbers 25:17
צָר֖וֹר אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים וְהִכִּיתֶ֖ם אוֹתָֽם׃
Numbers 25:18
כִּ֣י צֹרְרִ֥ים הֵם֙ לָכֶ֔ם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶ֛ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר־נִכְּל֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם עַל־דְּבַר־פְּע֑וֹר וְעַל־דְּבַ֞ר כָּזְבִּ֨י בַת־נְשִׂ֤יא מִדְיָן֙ אֲחֹתָ֔ם הַמֻּכָּ֥ה בְיוֹם־הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעֽוֹר׃