Numbers 25

Israel abode in Shittim and committed whoredom with Moabite women, joining themselves to Baalpeor, which kindled the LORD's anger and brought a plague. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, demonstrated zeal by slaying an Israelite man and a Midianitish woman who openly defied God, thereby staying the plague. For his action, the LORD granted Phinehas and his descendants a covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood.

While encamped in Shittim, the children of Israel engaged in widespread whoredom with Moabite women and participated in the worship and sacrifices to their gods, specifically joining themselves to Baalpeor. This provoked the fierce anger of the LORD, who commanded Moses to execute the leaders involved to turn away His wrath, and Moses instructed the judges to slay those joined to Baalpeor. Amidst the weeping congregation, an Israelite prince named Zimri brought a Midianitish woman, Cozbi, into his tent. Witnessing this blatant transgression, Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, rose up in divine zeal and impaled both the man and the woman with a javelin. This decisive act of judgment immediately stayed the plague that had already claimed twenty-four thousand lives among Israel. Consequently, the LORD commended Phinehas, granting him and his descendants a perpetual covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood for his zealous atonement. Furthermore, the LORD commanded Israel to vex and smite the Midianites for their deceitful actions in seducing Israel into idolatry.

The chapter begins with the children of Israel dwelling in Shittim, where they began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. These women invited the Israelites to the sacrifices of their gods, leading the people to eat and bow down to foreign deities, specifically joining themselves to Baalpeor. This widespread apostasy and immorality ignited the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel, prompting a divine command to Moses. The LORD instructed Moses to take all the heads of the people and hang them up before Him against the sun, signifying a public execution to appease His wrath. Moses, in turn, commanded the judges of Israel to slay every man who had joined himself to Baalpeor. During this period of judgment and weeping before the tabernacle, a notable incident occurred: Zimri, a prince of the Simeonites, brazenly brought a Midianitish woman named Cozbi into his tent in the sight of Moses and the entire congregation. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, witnessed this open act of defiance. Driven by a profound zeal for his God, Phinehas rose from the congregation, took a javelin, and pursued Zimri and Cozbi into the tent, thrusting both of them through. This swift and decisive act of righteous judgment immediately caused the plague that had afflicted Israel to cease. The plague had already resulted in the deaths of twenty-four thousand Israelites. Following this event, the LORD spoke to Moses, affirming Phinehas's action. The LORD declared that Phinehas had turned away His wrath from the children of Israel by being zealous for His sake, preventing their complete consumption in divine jealousy. As a reward for his zeal and for making atonement for the children of Israel, the LORD granted Phinehas a covenant of peace, which included an everlasting priesthood for him and his descendants. The chapter concludes with the LORD instructing Moses to vex and smite the Midianites. This command was given because the Midianites had vexed Israel with their wiles, specifically through the matter of Peor and the involvement of Cozbi, who was a daughter of a Midianite prince, thereby seducing Israel into sin and idolatry.