Numbers 25:9

Translations

Modern

…but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

Traditional

And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

Literal

And those who died in the plague were four and twenty thousand.

Latin

…et occisi sunt viginti quatuor millia hominum.

Original

Hebrew

English

…but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

Notes

Numbers 25:7–9

Phinehas, acting as a representative of the priestly family, killed Zimri and Cozbi with one thrust of a spear (25:7–8). The text likely suggests that they were engaged in sexual relations at that moment.

Phinehas acted with zeal, which means strong passion to defend God’s honor. His action brought the plague to an end (25:1–3).

Numbers 25:1–18

Israel was camped across the Jordan River from Jericho. They were almost ready to enter the land and begin the conquest. However, at this important moment, they fell into serious sin.

Balaam advised Israel’s enemies to lead the people into sexual immorality and idolatry at Baal-peor (31:16).

He could not harm Israel with a curse, so he chose another way. He led them into sin through lust and the worship of false gods.

The early church faced similar temptations. Believers were warned about idolatry and sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11).

Theme notes and profiles

Balaam Eleazar Holy War Purity and Identity

Related verses

1 Corinthians 10:8
We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
Deuteronomy 4:3–4
Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor.
Numbers 25:4–5
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”
Numbers 16:49–50
But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who had died on account of Korah.
Numbers 31:16
“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
Numbers 14:37
…those men who had brought out the bad report about the land—were struck down by a plague before the LORD.

Glossary

Areli, Arelite Baal-Peor Balaam Deuteronomy, Book of Idols, Idolatry Joshua, Book of Midian, Midianite Moab, Moabites Moses Numbers, Book of Peor (Place) Shittim (Place)

Topics

Decision: Phinehas Fear of God: Phinehas, in Turning Away the Anger of God at the Time of the Plague Israel: Punished by a Plague in Consequence, Twenty-Four Thousand People Die Journey of Israel Through The Desert: Return to the Plains of Moab: Israel Punished Judgments: Upon the Israelites for Complaining Phinehas: Religious Zeal of, in Killing the Israelitish Woman Who had Committed Abomination Religious Zeal: Phinehas The Anger of God: Exemplified Against: Israelites the Tribe of Simeon: Plagued for Following the Idolatry, of Midian, Which Accounts

Numbers 25:9

Translations?

Original?

Notes?

Related verses?

Glossary?

Topics?