Commentary on Numbers, Book · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV.
Chapter XXV Ver. 1. AND Iſrael abode in Schittim.] A place Verſe 1 in the Plains of Moab (where they lay, while all the forementioned things were tranſacted, XXII. 1.) called Abel-Shittim, XXXIII. 49. but it is uſual to cut off the former part of a places name, for ſhortneſs ſake. As in this very Book, XXXII. 38. Baal-meon for Beth-Baal-meon, as it is called XIII Joſh. 17. And Hermon commonly for Baal-Hermon; and Nimrim for Beth-Nimrim. To which may be added Salem for Jeruſalem, LXVI Pſal. 3. This Station was the laſt which the Iſraelites made, while they remained in the Wilderneſs: in which the reſt of the things that follow, to the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, were done.
And the People begun to commit Whoredom.] Both bodily and ſpiritual; into which they fell not long after Balaam was gone from Balak. Though not all the People fell into this Guilt, but a great many of them; as appears from what follows, v. 4, 5, 6.
With the Daughters of Moab.] And of Midian alſo, as we learn from v. 6, 17, 18. But thoſe of Moab are here alone mentioned; becauſe, it is likely, they began this wicked practice. I ſee no ground for what Greg. Nyſſen ſaith, That the Iſraelites having vanquiſhed the Moabites in a Battle, fell in love with the Captives which they had taken, being overcome by Luſt, when they had been victorious in War, as he ſpeaks, Lib. de vita Moſis, p. 186. It is ſomething more probable, that the Prophecy of Balaam being ſpread abroad among the Moabites, concerning the great Bleſſings God deſigned to beſtow upon the Iſraelites, particularly that of the MESSIAH, it might excite in the Women of Moab a deſire to have Children by the Men of Iſrael, that they might partake in their Bleſſings. Unto which they might think they had ſome title, being deſcended from the eldeſt Daughter of Lot, the Son of Abraham's Brother. This might paſs for truth, if it were not very evident from the following ſtory, that the Daughters of Moab expoſed themſelves, by Balaam's counſel, to the Luſt of the Iſraelites, that by this means they might ſeduce them to Idolatry, and ſo make them loſe the Bleſſing intended for them. For that this was done by Balaam's advice, there is no doubt. See XXXI. 16. And the Jews have alſo a conceit that he ever had been an Enemy unto Iſrael, being one of Pharaoh's Privy Council, who adviſed him to drown their Children; as the Tale is told in the Talmud in the Title Sanhedrim, cap. ult. But this is to make him to have been now of a greater Age, than we have reaſon to believe (viz. Two hundred and ten years old, according to their own Computation) and quite contrary to what others of them ſay, that he lived but half his time, according to the Pſalmist, LV Pſal. 23.
Ver. 2. And they.] That is, the Daughters of Verſe 2 Moab.
Called the People.] Invited them to a Feaſt: For the ordinary Charms unto Idolatry, were good Victuals, and bad Women.
Ʋnto the Sacrifices of their Gods.] To eat of the Sacrifices which had been offered to their Gods, particularly to Baal-Peor. Theſe Feaſts upon their Sacrifices were very magnificent among the Heathen, being accompanied with Muſick and Dancing, and ſometimes pompous Proceſſions, which inticed youthful Minds to partake of them. Here the Iſraelites, caſting their Eyes upon the Daughters of Moab (which doubtleſs on this occaſion appeared in the beſt Dreſs and richeſt Ornaments) were ſmitten with their Beauty, and courted their Enjoyment. Who would not yield to this Motion, but upon condition that they would firſt worſhip their Gods: whereupon, pulling a little Image of Peor out of their Boſom, they preſented it to the Iſraelites to kiſs it, and deſired them to eat of the Sacrifices that had been offered to him. Thus the Jewiſh Doctors tell the ſtory. And indeed it hath been obſerved by the Writers of the Church, that Women have been the moſt dangerous Seducers of Men from the true Religion; being from the beginning the Spreaders of the old Hereſies. For Simon Magus advanced his Hereſie, Helenae meretricis adjutus auxilio, being aſſiſted by the help of the Harlot Helena. Nicolaus of Antioch alſo, choros duxit foemineos. The famous Marcion ſent before him ſome Roman Ladies, to prepare his way. Apelles, Montanus, Arius, Donatus, did all take the ſame courſe, as St. Hierom ſhows in his Book adverſus Pelagianos.
And the People did eat.] Which was an act of Idolatry (as to eat of the LORD's Sacrifices, was an Act of Divine Worſhip) whereby they owned themſelves the Servants of the Gods of Moab. See XXXIV Exod. 15.
And bowed down to their Gods.] This was ſtill a more plain act of idolatrous Worſhip; expreſly forbidden by God in the ſecond Commandment.
Verſe 3 Ver. 3. And Iſrael was joyned unto Baal-Peor.] This ſeems to ſignifie, that they were devoted to the Service of this Idol in great affection; with which they performed the forenamed actions. The Jews commonly take this Baal-Peor to have been no better than a Priapus; and the worſhip of him to have conſiſted in ſuch obſcene Practices, or Poſtures at leaſt, as are not fit to be named. Particularly their great Commentary upon Numbers, ſaith, That the Iſraelites being unwilling to enjoy their Women upon thoſe terms, they told them they needed only uncover their Nakedneſs before Baal-Peor, which was all the Worſhip required of them: unto which they eaſily ſubmitted. This Maimonides himſelf relates for a truth, that his Worſhip conſiſted in revealing their Secret Parts before him, More Nevochim, P. III. cap. 45. But Solomon Jarchi goes further, making this Worſhip to conſiſt in Actions as ridiculous, as they were beaſtly. All which ſeems to me very unlikely; and ſo it doth to ſeveral Men of great Judgment, particularly Mr. Selden; who thinks, with great probability, that Peor (as I obſerved before, XXIII. 28.) being the name of a Mountain in the Country of Moab, the Temple of Baal ſtood upon it, (by whom ſome underſtand Saturn, others the Sun, which is moſt likely) and thence he was called Baal-Beor, becauſe there he was eſpecially worſhipped; as Jupiter was called Olympius, becauſe he was worſhipped in a famous Temple, which ſtood on the Mountain Olympus. And every one knows, that anciently they choſe the higheſt Mountains, before all other places, for the Divine Service; inſomuch that at Jeruſalem the Temple was ſet upon the Hill of Sion, which the Pſalmist ſaith God preferred before all other places, LXXVIII Pſal. 68. Or Peor perhaps was the name of ſome great Prince (as the ſame Mr. Selden conjectures) tranſlated into the number of the Gods: for the Pſalmiſt ſaith, CVI Pſal. 28. that when they worſhipped Baal-Peor, they are the Sacrifices of the dead. Which ſeems to ſignifie, that in him they worſhipped ſome dead Man, who perhaps was the firſt Inſtitutor of this Worſhip, whatſoever it was. Another great Man of our own Nation hath ſaid much to ſtrengthen this Opinion; having ſhown at large, that the ancient Heathens were wont to Deify the Souls of Men, and Canonize them after Death; and theſe we called Baalim. Being accounted an inferiour ſort of Deities, who they fancied were Miniſters for them, to their Caeleſtial Gods. See Mr. Mede, Book III. p. 724, &c. Yet it muſt be acknowledged that there are others of great note, who take all for truth which the Jewiſh Writers report, concerning the filthy Worſhip of Baal-Peor, and imagine that Fornication was a part of it: as in future times it was both among the Greeks and Romans, in the Worſhip of ſome of their Gods. For what the Jews found then practiſed, they fancied was done in theſe early days. But it is obſervable, that the more ancient the Books of the Jews are, which ſpeak of this matter, the leſs they ſay of the impurities in the Service of Baal-Peor. For Example, the Hieruſalem Talmud hath none of that leud ſtuff in it, which Solomon Jarchi upon this place took out of the Babylonian; which was compoſed long after the former.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Iſrael.] As appeared immediately, by the ſevere puniſhment he inflicted on them, both for their Idolatry and for their Fornication.
Verſe 4 Ver. 4. And the LORD ſaid unto Moſes, take all the Heads of the People, and hang them up.] The plain meaning ſeems to be, that he ſhould take, i. e. cauſe to be apprehended, the Heads of the People, i. e. the Rulers of Thouſands and Hundreds, and other principal Perſons in their Tribes, who had been guilty of the foul Idolatry before-mentioned; and by hanging them up, put a ſtop to the Peoples lewdneſs, when they ſaw theſe great Men made Publick Examples of God's Diſpleaſure. For it is very likely, more of the Princes of the People were guilty beſides Zimri; eſpecially if it be true which the Samaritan Chronicle affirms, that the Daughters of the chief Men of Moab were ſent finely dreſſed to allure the Iſraelites; and one of the King's Daughters among the reſt. But though the LXX. and the Vulgar, and Symmachus, thus underſtand it, that he commanded the Heads of the People to be hanged up; yet a great many other ancient Tranſlators, and many famous Doctors, take the word Otham (them whom he commanded to be hanged up) not to refer to the Heads of the People, but to ſuch as had joyned themſelves to Baal-Peor: and they interpret the foregoing words, as if he had bid him take unto him (i. e. to his aſſiſtance) the Heads of the People, as they think he did, as is related in the next verſe. The Judges indeed there mentioned ſeem to me to be diſtinct from the Heads of the People; and Moſes did not take them to his Aſſiſtance, but commanded them to do their duty. Yet it muſt be acknowledged that there is a great current of Interprepreters which runs the other way; as if Moſes was commanded to order the Judges to aſſemble and call before them ſuch as were ſuſpected; and having examined the Fact, accordingly proceed againſt them, and puniſh ſuch as had offended. Thus the Samaritan Copy reads it expreſly, and ſo Onkelos, and the Paraphraſt called Ʋzielides, and the Hieruſalem Targum, and the Arabick Tranſlation of Saadia Gaon; and both the Talmudiſts and Karaites agree in this ſence; as Mr. Selden ſhows at large, Lib. II. de Synedriis, cap. 1. n. 10. And Joh. Coch upon the Gemara of the Sanhedrim, cap. 4. ſect. 4. where he obſerves that Aben-Ezra, and Solomon Jarchi thus interpret it, and takes the meaning to be certain, that the Heads of the People ſhould divide themſelves into ſeveral Courts of Judgment, and examine who had committed Idolatry; and after Conviction cauſe them to be hang'd. For there is great reaſon to think the Conſtitution of Judges, by Jethro's advice, continued all the time they were in the Wilderneſs; who might eaſily find out the Guilty in their ſeveral Diviſions.
Before the LORD.] i. e. Before the Sanctuary; as Men who had forſaken the Worſhip of their God; and by his Sentence were adjudged to die.
Against the Sun.] Openly, that all the People might ſee, and fear to Sin. So both R. Solomon and Aben-Ezra expound it. For this was a peculiar mark of the Divine Diſpleaſure againſt Idolaters and Blaſphemers, that they ſhould be hanged up, and publickly expoſed after they had ſuffered death. For none were hang'd alive among the Hebrews; but firſt ſtoned (which was the common Puniſhment of the fore-named Offenders) and then hanged up in the eyes of all; as R. Solomon expounds this Phraſe againſt the Sun.
That the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned from Iſrael.] By their Zeal to vindicate the Divine Honour.
Verſe 5 Ver. 5. And Moſes ſaid unto the Judges of Iſrael.] Some take theſe for the LXX. Elders, mentioned XI. 25.
Slay ye.] By hanging them up, as ſome underſtand it. But the Hebrew word imports killing with the Sword; which they commanded their Officers to do, with the aſſiſtance of ſuch as abhorred the wickedneſs of their Neighbours.
Every one his Man.] The LXX. Elders, being appointed to be coadjutors to Moſes in the Government, made a diviſion of the People, it is moſt likely, into ſo many diſtricts: and each of them having the charge of one, all the People therein, are called his Men; of whom he was to give an account.
That were joyned unto Baal-Peor.] Who were ſo well known, that there was no danger of ſlaying the innocent.
Verſe 6 Ver. 6. And behold.] This which follows is the more wonderful, if the Judges had already begun, to execute the foregoing command, and argues Zimri to have been very impudently wicked, who thought himſelf ſo great a Man, that no Judge durſt meddle with him.
One of the Children of Iſrael came and brought unto his Brethren.] In the Camp of Iſrael, or into the Tent where his own Family dwelt.
A Midianitiſh Woman.] By which it appears that both Nations, Moab and Midian, were in this Plot againſt Iſrael.
In the ſight of Moſes.] A high contempt of his Authority; and of God's alſo, whoſe Servant Moſes was.
And in the ſight of all the Congregation of the Children of Iſrael.] This ſeems to be a further aggravation of his Sin, that he was not content to go to the Women, who invited them, (v. 2.) but brought one of them along with him into the Camp of Iſrael; and this he did before the face of all the People, as well as of Moſes; and that when they were mourning for this Sin, as it here follows.
Who were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.] This ſhows, that though there were great numbers ingaged in this Defection, yet the generality of the People clave unto the LORD, and bewailed the Wickedneſs of their Brethren, moſt earneſtly imploring God's Mercy towards them.
Ver. 7. And when Phineas, the Son of Eleazar, the Son Verſe 7 of Aaron the Priest, &c.] A Man of great Authority, being next to the High-Prieſt, whom he ſucceeded in his Office, as he did Joſhua (if we may believe ſome Writers) in the Government of all Iſrael.
He roſe up.] His Spirit (as St. Luke ſpeaks of St. Paul) was ſtirred in him; and being inſpired with an holy Zeal, was moved to do what follows.
From among the Congregation.] Who were weeping at the Door of the Tabernacle; or rather, from among the Judges with whom he was aſſembled, being one of them: So Jonathan; he roſe up from the midſt of the Sanhedrin. For as Bonav. Cornel. Bertramus thinks, Eleazar after the death of Aaron, appointed his Son Phineas to be Prince of the Levites. Which he thinks appears not only from his riſing up here, from the midſt of the Judges of Iſrael, but from the Embaſſy wherein he was employed by Joſhua, unto the Reubenites, &c. beyond Jordan, XXII Joſh. 14. and from 1 Chron. IX. 20. where he is ſaid to be Ruler over the Korahites. Which ſignifies, he thinks, ſuch a preheminence as Eleazar himſelf had over the Levites, while his Father Aaron lived, De Repub. Jud. c. 15. And indeed the Pſalmist ſaith, that Phineas ſtood up and executed Judgment, CVI. 39. Which ſeems to import that he acted as a Judge, but by an extraordinary motion; which made him kill the Offenders with his own Hands, without a Judicial Proceſs againſt them.
And took a Javelin in his hand.] Or a Sword, as Joſephus calls it; which he ſnatcht out of the hand of Moſes, as the tradition is in Pirke Elieſer, cap. 47.
Verſe 8 Ver. 8. And he went after the Man of Iſrael into the Tent.] It is an unuſual word in the Hebrew, which we tranſlate Tent; importing a private, ſecret place like a Cave, as Kubba or Kobba is thought to ſignifie, which the Arabians call Alcobba. From whence comes the word Alcove; which ſignifies, as Bochart obſerves, conclave camerati operis, quo lectus circumdatur: A Room of arched Work, which incloſes a Bed in it. See his Hierozoicon, Pars I. p. ult.
And thrust both of them through, the Man of Iſrael, and the Woman.] This he did, ſaith Philo, foreign, by the command of Moſes. But ſhould rather have ſaid, by a Divine Inſtigation; which he followed, when the reſt of the Judges were afraid (as ſome conceive) to meddle with ſo great a Man as Zimri was. And upon this Fact, the Jews ground that which they call, the Judgment of Zeal, which authorized them, who were full of Zeal, to puniſh ſuch as blaſphemed God, or prophaned the Temple, &c. in the preſence of ten Men of Iſrael, without a formal Proceſs againſt them. Thus Matthias killed a Jew, who ſacrificed after the manner of the Greeks, 1 Maccab. II. 24. and three hundred others were killed by their Country-men, as is related in the Book commonly called the Third Book of Maccabees. And upon the pretence of ſuch Zeal, St. Stephen was ſtoned, and St. Paul intended to be killed, &c. as Grotius obſerves, Lib. II. de Jure Belli & Pacis, cap. 20. ſect. 9. and ſee Selden de Jure Nat. & Gent. Lib. IV. cap. 4. But this Judgment (as they call it) ſeems not to be well grounded upon the Fact of Phineas, who was a publick Perſon, and had an extraordinary motion, not to be imitated by private Men; nor was it followed till the latter times of the ſtate of that Nation.
Through her belly.] The Vulgar hath it, through her Secret Parts. And ſo the Jews in Pirke Eliezer, c. 47. and in other Books, ſuch as Peſikta and Siphri: where they make many Miracles to have concurred in this Fact; particularly, they ſay, that the Relations of Zimri going to fall upon Phineas for killing their Prince, the Angel of the LORD ſmote them, and cut them off.
So the Plague was ſtayed from the Children of Iſrael.] It ſeems a Peſtilential Diſeaſe (as Joſephus calls it) ſwept away many of the Offenders, who could not ſo ſpeedily be puniſhed by the Judges: But it ſtopt immediately upon this pious Act of Phineas.
Verſe 9 Ver. 9. And thoſe that died of the Plague were Twenty and four thouſand.] There were but Twenty and three thouſand, who died of the Plague it ſelf, as the Apoſtle tells us, 1 Cor. X. 8. but there were a thouſand more taken off in the Plague time, or during the Plague, as the Hebrew words may be read. For in the Twenty and four thouſand, Moſes comprehends all thoſe who were killed by the Sword, in the day of the Plague, (as the Phraſe is v. 18.) whereas St. Paul reckons thoſe only who died of the Peſtilence, as many have obſerved, particularly Bochartus, Lib. II. Hieroz. cap. 34. P. I. It is probable that from hence it was, that the Author of the Samaritan Chronicle took up a Conceit, that the King of Moab ſent Twenty four thouſand Damſels to Seduce the Iſraelites, as Hottinger reports his words, in his Smegma Orientale, cap. 8. p. 448.
Verſe 10 Ver. 10. And the LORD ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying.] After the Plague was ſtayed, it is likely Moſes went into the Tabernacle to give God thanks for his Mercy to his People; and then he ſpake to him what here follows.
Verſe 11 Ver. 11. Phineas the Son of Eleazar, the Son of Aaron the Priest, hath turned my Wrath away from the Children of Iſrael.] Though they wept and mourned before the Door of the Tabernacle, yet that did not prevail ſo much for Mercy, as this Heroick Act of Juſtice.
While he was zealous for my ſake among them.] With a fervent and courageous Affection vindicated the Divine Honour, by a ſpeedy puniſhment of thoſe notorious Offenders.
That I conſumed not the Children of Iſrael in my Jealouſie.] Did not proceed to deſtroy them by the Peſtilence, when I was ſo highly incenſed againſt them. For it is obſerved by Herodotus himſelf in his Euterpe, that foreign, for great Crimes there are as great Puniſhments ſent from God; which is neceſſary for the Publick Good. For unleſs, by ſuch means, a ſtop be put to open Impurities, to Murders, and ſuch like Crimes, not only all Civil Society will be overturned, but Nations become ſo wicked, that they will be fit for nothing but to be rooted out, by the Divine Vengeance, as the Canaanites were. Thus Cicero diſcourſes Philip. VIII. In Corpore, ſi quid ejuſmodi est, quod reliquo corpori noceat, &c. In the Body, if there be any thing which hurts the reſt of the Body, it is neceſſary to cut it off, or to burn it, that ſome one Member, rather than the whole Body, periſh. And ſo it is in the Body of the Commonwealth; Ʋt totum ſalvum ſit, quicquid est peſtiferum amputetur; that the whole may be preſerved, let that which is infectious be lopped off.
Ver. 12. Wherefore ſay.] Unto Phineas, or unto Verſe 12 all the People.
Behold, I give thee my Covenant of Peace.] The word Peace, in Scripture, comprehends all manner of Bleſſings; and therefore this is a ſolemn Promiſe and Engagement to make him and his Family proſperous: the particular Bleſſing which he entails upon him, following in the next verſe. But ſome will have this to ſignifie that he ſhould be the great Reconciler of God to his People, and make Peace between them hereafter, as he had done at preſent. Philo ſeems to think this, and the Prieſthood, to be two diſtinct things; when he ſaith, God crowned his Piety foreign, with two Gifts, Peace and the Prieſthood. And the Jews make Peace to conſiſt in a long Life of Proſperity; which was fulfilled in Phineas his Perſon, who lived till the latter times of the Judges, XXI Judg. 28. Pirke Elieſer interprets it, he gave him the life of this World, and of the next.
Verſe 13 Ver. 13. And he ſhall have it, and his Seed after him.] It ſhall continue in his Family.
Even the Covenant of an everlaſting Prieſthood.] This is the particular Happineſs which God ſettled upon him and his Poſterity, as long as their State laſted. Which was with ſome limitation, it appears by this, that after ſome Succeſſions in the Line of Phineas, the Prieſthood came, for a time, into the Family of Eli, who was deſcended from Ithamar the youngeſt Son of Aaron. The reaſon of it is not mentioned in the Scripture; but ſome great Sin, it is reaſonable to ſuppoſe, provoked God to ſet aſide the Line of Eleazar for ſome years, till Eli's Sons alſo became ſo wicked, that the Prieſthood was taken from them, and reſtored in the days of Solomon to the Poſterity of Phineas, with whom it continued as long as the Prieſthood laſted. What Sin this was, and when committed, we do not know. Some of the Hebrew Doctors are ſo bold as to ſay, it was becauſe Phineas would not abſolve Jephthah from his Vow, as Mr. Selden obſerves, Lib. I. de Succeſſ. in Pontif. cap. 2. But as there is no ground for this, and ſuch like fancies, which others of them have, ſo it is more probable that ſome of Phineas's Succeſſors offended, rather than he himſelf; his Poſterity for four Generations holding the Prieſthood, before it was tranſlated to Eli, as Joſephus and others (mentioned by Selden in the place before-named) make account.
Aegidius Camartus in his Book de Rebus Eliae, cap. 3. ſect. 5. and Corn. Bertram, cap. 15. de Republ. Jud. imagine that in thoſe confuſed times, none of the Prieſts were found fit to adminiſter the Affairs of the Nation but Eli alone: and therefore he was appointed by God to it, as appears from 1 Sam. II. 30. But L'Empereur in his Annotations upon Bertram well obſerves, That it being the conſtant courſe of God's proceedings, to continue his Mercies to the Iſraelites, according to his promiſe, while they were obedient, but to take them away when they became diſobedient, it is highly reaſonable to conclude there was ſome great Offence given to God by ſome of the Race of Phineas, which was the cauſe that they loſt this Dignity. But ſo conſtant was God to his Promiſe, that he preſerved his Line in a continued Succeſſion of twelve Perſons from Phineas to Azariah, who executed the Prieſt's Office in the Temple that Solomon built in Jeruſalem, as we read 1 Chron. VI. v. 4. to the 10th. From which time to the Captivity of Babylon, there were nine more, as we read there in the following verſes. And after the end of the Captivity, unto the time of Antiochus Eupator, the Jews reckon fifteen more, the laſt of which, Onias, was killed by Lyſias. And after him there were eight of the Family of the Aſmonaei; the laſt of which, Ariſtobulus, was killed by Herod, who after that made whom he pleaſed.
Becauſe he was jealous for his God.] God, who ſearches the hearts, ſaw that this motion proceeded not from any private Paſſion; but out of pure Love and fervent Affection to him, and from Indignation to ſee his Divine Majeſty ſo affronted. For Zeal is a mixed Affection, of Love and Anger.
And made an Atonement for the Children of Iſrael.] Procured a Pardon for all his Brethren, foreign, (as Philo expreſſes it) by his uncommanded and ſpontaneous diligence to vindicate God's Honour, flowing from his ſincere Devotion to God's Service.
Verſe 14 Ver. 14. Now the name of the Iſraelite that was ſlain, even that was ſlain with the Midianitiſh Woman.] God would have his Name ſtand upon record, partly to make it infamous; and partly to do honour to Phineas, who durſt venture to ſet upon a Man, who had ſo great an intereſt in his Tribe, as is mentioned in the next words.
Zimri the Son of Salu, a Prince.] Not the chief of the whole Tribe; but of a great Family in that Tribe.
Of a Houſe among the Simeonites.] In the Hebrew the words are, of a Houſe of a Father. For the Tribes were divided into Families; and theſe into Houſes: every one of which had a Head or Chief, (See the firſt Chapter of this Book, v. 2.) and Zimri was one of thoſe principal Perſons, though not Prince of all the Simeonites.
Verſe 15 Ver. 15. And the name of the Midianitiſh Woman that was ſlain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur.] This is ſet down alſo, to ſhow how little Phineas feared the great Men, either in Iſrael, or elſewhere. For Zur is reckoned afterwards, as one of the Kings of Midian, XXXI. 8. or Princes, XIII Joſh. 21.
He was Head over a People, and of a chief Houſe in Midian.] The Hebrew word Ʋmmoth (which we tranſlate People) ſignifies Nations. So that if we tranſlate theſe words exactly, they ſound thus, He was Head of Nations, of a Houſe of a Father in Midian: that is, Chief of divers Families, who all ſprung from the ſame Father or Original in that Country.
Ver. 16. And the LORD ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying.] Verſe 16 Some time after this, though not long, (as appears from XXXI. 1, 2.) but a little before Moſes his death.
Ver. 17. Vex the Midianites.] Among whom this Verſe 17 pernitious Contrivance was hatched. For Balak being ſo incenſed againſt Balaam, that he bid him be gone, in all haſte, out of his Country, (XXIV. 11.) Balaam would not ſtay to propound unto him, this miſchievous Advice which was in his Head, but went to the Midianites, and there diſcovered it. Which was the ſame thing he knew, as if he had acquainted Balak with it, there being a great Friendſhip between the two Nations, XXII. 4. It is likely alſo that the Midianites were the firſt that adviſed Balaam ſhould be ſent for, which made their Guilt the greater: but the Moabites did not eſcape, though (for Lot's ſake perhaps, II Deut. 9.) their Puniſhment was deferred till future times, as Balaam propheſied, XXIV. 17. And they were alſo excluded, by a Law made immediately after this, from the Society of the Iſraelites, for this very Fact, XXIII Deut. 3, 4.
And ſmite them.] With the Sword; as we find they did, Chapt. XXXI.
Ver. 18. For they vex you with their wiles.] Have Verſe 18 ſorely diſtreſſed you by their ſubtil Devices.
Wherewith they have beguiled you, in the matter of Peor.] Drawn you in to commit foul Idolatry. Here Peor, which was a Mountain in Moab, where Baal had a Temple, (as I obſerved XXIII. 28.) is uſed for the Idol it ſelf, which was there worſhipped, being a contraction of Baal-Peor. And ſo it is XXXI. 18. XXII Joſh. 17.
And in the matter of Cozbi.] And into lewd filthineſs with Idolatrous Women.
The Daughter of a Prince of Midian.] By whoſe conſent, no doubt, ſhe went upon this wicked deſign; that by her noble Garb and Attendance, ſhe might the more powerfully intice the great Men of Iſrael to Idolatry.
Their Siſter.] Whom the whole Family were content to proſtitute, that they might compaſs the deſtruction of the Iſraelites. But by Siſter may be meant, one of the ſame Country or Nation; the ſame kind of Language being uſed among them that was among the Jews; who called one another Brethren and Siſters, (being deſcended from the ſame ſtock) as Chriſtians did all thoſe that were of their Religion.
Which was ſlain in the day of the Plague.] When ſo many Thouſands fell by the Peſtilence.
For Peor's ſake.] For worſhipping Baal-Peor; into which they were inveigled by the Women; who invited them to a Feaſt, and there by their Charms excited another fleſhly Appetite in them: which they would not let them ſatisfie, unleſs they would both eat of their Sacrifices, and worſhip their Idol. And perhaps they told them, it was not lawful for them to conſent to their deſire, unleſs they would be of their Religion.