ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Numbers 25

Book: Numbers · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"1. And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab: 2. for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel. 4. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel. 5. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor. 6. 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. 7. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand; 8. 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. 9. And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand. 10. And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 11. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13. and it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel. 14. Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers' house among the Simeonites. 15. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a fathers' house in Midian. 16. And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 17. Vex the Midianites, and smite them; 18. for they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor." (Numbers 25:1-18, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab; 2. for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3. Israel joined himself to Baal Peor. Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel. 4. Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.” 5. Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.” 6. Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite 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. 7. When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand. 8. 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. 9. Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. 10. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11. “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace. 13. It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’” 14. Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites. 15. The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian. 16. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 17. “Harass the Midianites, and strike them, 18. for they harassed you with their wiles, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.”" (Numbers 25:1-18, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 3. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. 5. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. 6. 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. 7. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8. 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. 9. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 10. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 11. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. for: Heb. with my zeal 12. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. 14. Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. chief: Heb. house of a father 15. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian. 16. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 17. Vex the Midianites, and smite them: 18. For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake." (Numbers 25:1-18, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. And Israel dwelleth in Shittim, and the people begin to go a-whoring unto daughters of Moab, 2. and they call for the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people eat, and bow themselves to their gods, 3. and Israel is joined to Baal-Peor, and the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel. 4. And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them before Jehovah, over-against the sun; and the fierceness of the anger of Jehovah doth turn back from Israel.' 5. And Moses saith unto the judges of Israel, 'Slay ye each his men who are joined to Baal-Peor.' 6. And lo, a man of the sons of Israel hath come, and bringeth in unto his brethren the Midianitess, before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of all the company of the sons of Israel, who are weeping at the opening of the tent of meeting; 7. and Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, seeth, and riseth from the midst of the company, and taketh a javelin in his hand, 8. and goeth in after the man of Israel unto the hollow place, and pierceth them both, the man of Israel and the woman, unto her belly, and the plague is restrained from the sons of Israel; 9. and the dead by the plague are four and twenty thousand. 10. And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 11. 'Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, hath turned back My fury from the sons of Israel, by his being zealous with My zeal in their midst, and I have not consumed the sons of Israel in My zeal. 12. 'Therefore say, Lo, I am giving to him My covenant of peace, 13. and it hath been to him and to his seed after him a covenant of a priesthood age-during, because that he hath been zealous for his God, and doth make atonement for the sons of Israel.' 14. And the name of the man of Israel who is smitten, who hath been smitten with the Midianitess, [is] Zimri son of Salu, prince of the house of a father of the Simeonite; 15. and the name of the woman who is smitten, the Midianitess, [is] Cozbi daughter of Zur, head of a people, of the house of a father in Midian [is] he. 16. And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 17. 'Distress the Midianites, and ye have smitten them, 18. for they are adversaries to you with their frauds, [with] which they have acted fraudulently to you, concerning the matter of Peor, and concerning the matter of Cozbi, daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who is smitten in the day of the plague for the matter of Peor.'" (Numbers 25:1-18, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Moses (traditional)
  • Audience: Israelite congregation post-Sinai
  • Location: Sinai → wilderness wanderings → plains of Moab
  • Time period: events c. 1445-1406 BC; composed c. 1446-1406 BC

Theological reading

Key words

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.