Charles Ellicott Commentary Numbers 25:4

"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 all the heads of the people.— The “heads” or “chiefs” of the people seem to be identical with the “judges” of the following verse. Some understand by “all the heads” those only who had been the chief offenders, while others understand the word “take” as equivalent to “assemble,” or “bring before you,” and refer the word “them” to the offenders.

Hang them up ... — It is obvious from Numbers 25:5 that the punishment of impaling or crucifying was not to be inflicted until after death. The Septuagint renders the Hebrew verb which is here used (and which is found also in 2 Samuel 21:6; 2 Samuel 21:9) by the same word which occurs in Hebrews 6:6, and is there translated to put to an open shame.