In this event, another Israelite man made himself unclean by being with a foreign woman. Both Moabite and Midianite women were involved in this scandal (25:1–3, 16–18; 31:1–2).
His sin was especially bold. He acted without shame, even though people around him were mourning because of God’s judgment.
Some interpreters suggest that his tent may have been more than his personal dwelling. They think it may have been an unauthorized shrine connected with the worship of Yahweh. If so, this would have made his sin even more serious.