Albert Barnes Commentary Numbers 25
Albert Barnes Commentary
Numbers 25
Albert Barnes Commentary
Numbers 25
"And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab:" — Numbers 25:1 (ASV)
The records of the neighboring cities of the plain, and the circumstances of the origin of Moab (Genesis 19:30 and following) suggest that the people among whom Israel was now thrown were more than ordinarily licentious.
"for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods." — Numbers 25:2 (ASV)
And they called - that is, “the daughters of Moab called.”
"And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel." — Numbers 25:3 (ASV)
Joined himself - that is, by taking part in the sacrificial meals as described in the last verse. Compare Exodus 34:15; 1 Corinthians 10:18. The worship of Baal was attended with the grossest impurity, and indeed partly consisted in it (Hosea 4:14; Hosea 9:10).
Baal-peor - that is, the Baal worshipped at Peer, the place mentioned in Numbers 23:28 (compare Baal-meon, Numbers 32:38). (The identification of this god with Chemosh in Numbers 21:29 is now given up.)
"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel." — Numbers 25:4 (ASV)
Take - that is, assemble the chiefs of the people to you (compare the phrase “took men,” in Numbers 16:1). The offenders were to be first slain by the hands of “the judges of Israel” (Numbers 25:5), and afterward hung up “against the sun” (that is, publicly, openly; compare 2 Samuel 12:12) as an aggravation of their punishment. This would be done by impaling the body or fastening it to a cross. Compare Deuteronomy 21:23 note, and 2 Samuel 21:9.
"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, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting." — Numbers 25:6 (ASV)
A Midianite woman - literally, “the Midianite woman,” the particular one by whom he had been enticed (compare Numbers 25:15 and Numbers 31:18). Her high rank proves that Zimri had not fallen in with her by mere chance, but had been deliberately singled out by the Midianites as one whom they must at any price lead astray.
Weeping before the door of the tabernacle - The plague (Numbers 25:9) had already broken out among the people, and the more God-fearing had assembled at the door of the tabernacle of God to intercede for mercy, when Zimri committed the new and public outrage just described.
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