Numbers 25:6
in Numbers 25Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
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This verse in Numbers 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseOne of the children of Israel - Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief family in the tribe of Simeon, Num 25:14, brought a Midianitish woman, Cozbi, daughter of Zur, head over a people of one of the chief families in Midian, Num 25:15. The condition of these two persons plainly proves it to have been a matrimonial alliance, the one was a prince, the other a princess; therefore I must conclude that fornication or whoredom, in the common sense of the word, was not practiced on this occasion.
This site's exposition
brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman
The woman is a Midianite where verse 1 named the daughters of Moab, and that difference is what verses 17 and 18 take up when the war is ordered against Midian. The act is done in the sight of Moses and of a congregation weeping at the door of the tabernacle, so a public grief is answered in public. Both names are held back until verses 14 and 15, and the text reports the deed before it reports the rank of the man who did it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
To his brethren -- into the camp of the Israelites. In the sight of Moses - An argument of intolerable impudence and contempt of God and of Moses. Weeping - Bewailing the wickedness of the people, and the dreadful judgments of God, and imploring God's mercy and favour.
And, behold, one of the children of Israel came,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A Midianite woman - literally, “the Midianite woman,” the particular one by whom he had been enticed (compare Num 25:15 and Num 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 Num 25:9 had already broken out among the people: and the more God-fearing had assembled at the door of the tabernacle of God (compare the marginal reference.) to intercede for mercy, when Zimri committed the fresh and public outrage just described.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִנֵּ֡ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אִישׁ֩ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| מִבְּנֵ֨י | mibenei | from [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| בָּ֗א | ba' | [was] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַיַּקְרֵ֤ב | vaiyakrev | and he brought near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֶחָיו֙ | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית | hamidyanit | the Midianite [woman] | H4084 → | 7 times |
| לְעֵינֵ֣י | leeinei | to [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וּלְעֵינֵ֖י | uleeinei | and to [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֲדַ֣ת | ʾadat | [the] congregation of | H5712 → | 149 times |
| בְּנֵי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְהֵ֣מָּה | vehemah | and they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| בֹכִ֔ים | vokhim | [were] weeping | H1058 → | 114 times |
| פֶּ֖תַח | petach | [the] entrance of | H6607 → | 164 times |
| אֹ֥הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵֽד׃ | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
וְהִנֵּ֡הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
אִישׁ֩a man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
מִבְּנֵ֨יfrom [the] people of
mibeneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
בָּ֗א[was] coming
ba'H935 →2568 times
וַיַּקְרֵ֤בand he brought near
vaiyakrevH7126 →280 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֶחָיו֙brothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּדְיָנִ֔יתthe Midianite [woman]
hamidyanitH4084 →7 times
לְעֵינֵ֣יto [the] eyes of
leeineiH5869 →887 times
מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וּלְעֵינֵ֖יand to [the] eyes of
uleeineiH5869 →887 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עֲדַ֣ת[the] congregation of
ʾadatH5712 →149 times
בְּנֵי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְהֵ֣מָּהand they
vehemahH1992 →553 times
בֹכִ֔ים[were] weeping
vokhimH1058 →114 times
פֶּ֖תַח[the] entrance of
petachH6607 →164 times
אֹ֥הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵֽד׃meeting
moedH4150 →223 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joel 2:17Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among…
it leads to
- Psalms 115:2
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
- Ezekiel 8:16
So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five…
- Psalms 79:10
Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.
- Exodus 34:9
“O Lord,” he said, “if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, my Lord, please go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our iniquity and sin, and take us as…
- Joel 1:9
Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD.
- Psalms 115:2
Through
Numbers 31:2“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
it leads to
- Numbers 27:13
After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was;
- Numbers 25:14–18
The name of the Israelite who was slain with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family.
- Numbers 27:13
Through
Numbers 22:4So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of…
it leads to
- Numbers 31:8
Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
- Numbers 31:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.