Numbers 25:8
in Numbers 25followed the Israelite into his tent, and drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and on through the belly of the woman. So the plague against the Israelites was halted,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
KJV
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
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This verse in Numbers 25
Commentary
11 notes on this verseBut when we are aware of his attacks, we ought to repeat to ourselves the apostolic words, "As many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death." Now if we have been conformed to His death, sin henceforth in us is surely a corpse, pierced through by the javelin of Baptism, as that fornicator was thrust through by the zealous Phinehas. Flee therefore from us, ill-omened one! for it is a corpse thou seekest to despoil, one long ago joined to thee, one who long since lost his senses for pleasures.
This site's exposition
he rose up from among the congregation
on Numbers 25:7-8
Phinehas is Aaron's grandson and a priest, and he leaves the weeping assembly with a javelin in his hand. The word rendered tent in verse 8 is a rare one, and Matthew Henry reads it as a place fitted up for the act itself. Verse 8 ends by saying the plague was stayed, which is the first mention of a plague anywhere in the chapter, so the narrative reports the stopping of something it never reported starting. Psalm 106:30 tells it the same way, then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
If Phinehas by his zeal in slaying the evildoer appeased the wrath of God, shall not Jesus, who slew no other but "gave himself a ransom for all," take away God's wrath against humanity?
Slaughter has brought about righteousness, and mercy has been a cause of condemnation more than slaughter, because the latter has been according to the mind of God, but the former has been forbidden. It was reckoned to Phinehas for righteousness that he pierced to death the woman who committed fornication, together with the fornicator. But Samuel, that saint of God, although he wept and mourned and entreated for whole nights, could not rescue Saul from the condemnation which God issued against him, because he saved, contrary to the design of God, the king of the alien tribes whom he ought to have slain.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The word signifies such a booth or place of retirement as was designed and fitted up for lewdness. Thus he declared his sin as Sodom, as was so far from blushing for it that he rather prided himself in it, and gloried in his shame. All the circumstances concurred to make it exceedingly sinful, exceedingly shameful.
Thrust them thro' - Phineas was himself a man in great authority, and did this after the command given by Moses to the rulers to slay these transgressors, and in the very sight, and no doubt by the consent of Moses himself, and also by the special direction of God's spirit.
And he went after the man of Israel into the tent,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The civil magistrate is the avenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil, and no private person may take his work out of his hand. Two ways God testified his acceptance of the pious zeal of Phinehas:-- 1.
Their weeping and praying prevailed not till this piece of necessary justice was done. If magistrates do not take care to punish sin, God will; but their justice will be the best prevention of his judgment, as in the case of Achan, Josh. vii.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Thrust both of them through - Inspired undoubtedly by the Spirit of the God of justice to do this act, which can never be a precedent on any common occasion. An act something similar occurs in our own history.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Into the tent - The inner recess in the tent, fashioned archwise, and appropriated as the sleeping-chamber and women’s apartment.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֠יָּבֹא | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אַחַ֨ר | ʾachar | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| אִֽישׁ־ | ʾish- | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַקֻּבָּ֗ה | hakubah | the tent | H6898 → | |
| וַיִּדְקֹר֙ | vaiyidkor | and he pierced through | H1856 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם | sheneihem | both of them | H8147 → | 768 times |
| אֵ֚ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | [the] man of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאִשָּׁ֖ה | haishah | the woman | H802 → | 781 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| קֳבָתָ֑הּ | koatah | belly her | H6897 → | |
| וַתֵּֽעָצַר֙ | vateatzar | and it was restrained | H6113 → | 47 times |
| הַמַּגֵּפָ֔ה | hamagefah | the plague | H4046 → | 25 times |
| מֵעַ֖ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַ֠יָּבֹאand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אַחַ֨רafter
ʾacharH310 →715 times
אִֽישׁ־[the] man of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַקֻּבָּ֗הthe tent
hakubahH6898 →
וַיִּדְקֹר֙and he pierced through
vaiyidkorH1856 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁנֵיהֶ֔םboth of them
sheneihemH8147 →768 times
אֵ֚ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
אִ֣ישׁ[the] man of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָאִשָּׁ֖הthe woman
haishahH802 →781 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
קֳבָתָ֑הּbelly her
koatahH6897 →
וַתֵּֽעָצַר֙and it was restrained
vateatzarH6113 →47 times
הַמַּגֵּפָ֔הthe plague
hamagefahH4046 →25 times
מֵעַ֖לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 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
2 Samuel 24:25And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the LORD answered the prayers on behalf of the land, and the plague upon Israel was halted.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 21:14
And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded,…
- Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
- 1 Samuel 7:17
Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.
- Lamentations 3:32–33
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
- 2 Samuel 24:14
David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
- 2 Samuel 21:14
Through
1 Chronicles 21:22Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 21:2
So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you…
- 2 Samuel 24:21
“Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” Araunah said. “To buy your threshing floor,” David replied, “that I may build an altar to the LORD, so that the plague upon the…
- 1 Kings 21:2
Through
Numbers 25:5So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”
it leads to
- Exodus 18:21
Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
- Exodus 18:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 13.2; Gregory of Nyssa, ON THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST; John Chrysostom, LETTER TO THE FALLEN THEODORE 2.3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.