Numbers 25:1 ¶ And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
Numbers 25:2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
Numbers 25:3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
Shittim was the last place the Israelites camped before crossing the Jordan River. It was across from Jericho in the plains of Moab—evidently close enough for the men to be tempted into sexual sin by the daughters of Moab (and their Midianite allies as we will see). We learn from a later chapter and from the letter to the church at Pergamos in Revelation that Balaam had evidently reconnected with Balak and suggested that this was how he could get the Israelites to fall out of favor with God and curse themselves.
Numbers 31:7–16 “And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain…Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. ….And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.”
Revelation 2:14 “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
As the Israelites continued to form relationships with the people of Moab, they were encouraged to honor their false god—Baal, also known as Chemosh—and join in the feasts at which they ate the meat that had been sacrificed to these gods. These actions incited the anger of the LORD against Israel (just as Balaam had advised).
I am reminded of the scripture that warns of associating with people of bad character. The CJB words it well:
1 Corinthians 15:33 “Don’t be fooled. ‘Bad company ruins good character.’”
Numbers 25:4 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.
Numbers 25:5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
The LORD told Moses to identify and kill all those who had led the rebellion of their fellow Israelites. They were to be executed in broad daylight to appease the LORD’s anger. Moses immediately went to the 70 elders that had been chosen to assist him and told them to execute any of their men that were responsible in accordance with the LORD’s command.
This judgment is in complete accordance with the wisdom of God as recorded in Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
Numbers 25:6 ¶ 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.
Numbers 25:7 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;
Numbers 25:8 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.
Numbers 25:9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
Moses makes record of an Israelite man that brazenly brought a Midianite woman to his tent in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel. The people were already weeping before the door of the tabernacle because many were dying from a plague that was spreading among the people. When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron saw what was happening, he grabbed a javelin and went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust it through the man and the woman through her belly. They were obviously killed in the act of a very intimate embrace if not actual intercourse. The action of this priest stopped the plague that was spreading among the people of Israel. Twenty-four thousand people died in the plague.
The NIV commentary posits that they were openly performing a sexual worship ritual to the false god in defiance of the LORD.
Numbers 25:10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 25:11 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.
Numbers 25:12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
Numbers 25:13 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.
The LORD told Moses that Phinehas was responsible for keeping Him from destroying the people because he was so zealous to protect God’s honor among the people. Because of his actions, the LORD had determined to bless him and his seed after him with an everlasting priesthood. The LORD had already chosen the family of Aaron as His priests, so this covenant was a confirmation of that fact specifically directed to the descendants of Phinehas. It is reiterated that it was because he was zealous for God’s honor and for atoning for the sin of Israel.
Numbers 25:14 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.
Numbers 25:15 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.
These verses identify the two people that Phinehas killed—Zimri, son of Salu, a prince of one of the leading families of the tribe of Simeon and the Midianite woman Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a leader of one of the leading families in Midian.
Numbers 25:16 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 25:17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them:
Numbers 25:18 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.
The LORD then told Moses to consider the Midianites as their enemies and to destroy them. They had proven themselves to be their enemy by enticing them into the worship of Baal and idolatry by using their women to entice the men, as shown by the actions of Cozbi, the daughter of one of the leaders of Midian that was killed by Phinehas.
Numbers 26:1 ¶ And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
Numbers 26:2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers’ house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.
Numbers 26:3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
Numbers 26:4 Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.
This chapter begins with the LORD once again instructing Moses and Eleazar to take a census of all the men of Israel that were twenty years and older that were fit for war. As we read through to the end of the chapter, we learn that one of the purposes was to reveal that no one remained of those that the LORD had declared would not be allowed to enter the land of promise. Moses and Eleazar proceeded to supervise the taking of the census. The founding patriarch of each tribe is noted, his sons’ names and the cumulative told of the census of that tribe.
Note: The names listed identity the descendants that founded the primary clans or family groups of that tribe. In biblical genealogies a son could be a reference to a grandson, etc.
Numbers 26:5 ¶ Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:
Numbers 26:6 Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
Numbers 26:7 These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.
Reuben, the oldest son of Jacob
His sons – Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi
From these families were numbered 43,730
Numbers 26:8 And the sons of Pallu; Eliab.
Numbers 26:9 And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:
Numbers 26:10 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.
Numbers 26:11 Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.
A further note is made concerning Pallu. He had a son named Eliab who fathered Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. Point is made that it was this Dathan and Abiram who took a stand against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah because they did not like that the LORD had singled them out for chief leadership of the nation. They were swallowed up in the earth along with Korah. Their deaths along with the deaths of the 250 men that had allied themselves with them became a sign before the people of God’s supreme power and authority.
Then an interesting note—not all of Korah’s children died. It seems that there were some old enough to make their own choices independent of their father and chose to follow the LORD’s leadership through Moses and Aaron and were spared the judgment of their father.
Numbers 26:12 The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites: of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites:
Numbers 26:13 Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites: of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
Numbers 26:14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, Jamin, Jachin, Zerah, and Shaul.
The census of these families totaled 22,200.
Numbers 26:15 The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites:
Numbers 26:16 Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites:
Numbers 26:17 Of Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
Numbers 26:18 These are the families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
The sons of Gad were Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ozni, Eri, Arod and Areli.
The census of these families totaled 40,500.
Numbers 26:19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Numbers 26:20 And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
Numbers 26:21 And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
Numbers 26:22 These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Pharez and Zerah; the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul. The census of these families totaled 76,500.
It is noted that Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan, as noted in the following quote from Genesis.
Genesis 38:6–10 “And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.”
Numbers 26:23 Of the sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the Punites:
Numbers 26:24 Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites: of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
Numbers 26:25 These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.
The sons of Issachar were Tola, Pua, Jashub and Shimron.
The census of these families totaled 64,300.
Numbers 26:26 Of the sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
Numbers 26:27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred.
The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon and Jahleel.
The census of these families totaled 60,500.
Numbers 26:28 The sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim.
The sons of Joseph were Manasseh and Ephraim.
Reminder – Jacob had adopted Joseph’s sons as his own and declared that they would each receive an inheritance in the land.
Genesis 48:3–6 “And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.”
Numbers 26:29 Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.
Numbers 26:30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:
Numbers 26:31 And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites:
Numbers 26:32 And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
Numbers 26:33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
Numbers 26:34 These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.
The son of Manasseh was Machir, and his son was Gilead. The sons of Gilead were Jeezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Shemida and Hepher. Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, had no son but had five daughters—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. Special provision will be made for them in determining land inheritance as recorded in the next chapter.
The census of these families totaled 52,700.
Numbers 26:35 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
Numbers 26:36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
Numbers 26:37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Becher and Tahan; and Shuthelah had a son named Eran.
The census of these families totaled 32,500.
Numbers 26:38 The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites: of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites:
Numbers 26:39 Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
Numbers 26:40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites: and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
Numbers 26:41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred.
The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Ashbel, Ahiram, Shupham and Hupham. Bela had two sons—Ard and Naaman.
The census of these families totaled 45,600.
Numbers 26:42 These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
Numbers 26:43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred.
The son of Dan was Shuham, and total number from their census was 64,400.
Numbers 26:44 Of the children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.
Numbers 26:45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
Numbers 26:46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.
Numbers 26:47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
The sons of Asher were Jimna, Jesui and Beriah. Beriah had two sons—Heber and Malchiel. Asher also had a daughter named Sarah.
The census of these families totaled 53,400.
Numbers 26:48 Of the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites:
Numbers 26:49 Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
Numbers 26:50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.
The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem.
The census of these families totaled 45,400.
Numbers 26:51 These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.
The total number from the census of all twelve tribes was 601,730.
As I looked at some of the commentaries after finishing this chapter, I found some interesting facts.
The tribe of Reuben had decreased by 2,770.
Simeon suffered the greatest decrease—37,100. It is reasoned that such a significant drop reflected this tribe’s leadership in turning to Baal. (Zimri was a leader in this tribe.)
Gad decreased by 5,150.
Judah increased by 1,900.
Issachar increased by 9,900.
Zebulun increased by 3,100.
Ephraim began with greater numbers than Manasseh, but was now significantly smaller; Manasseh increased by 20,500 and Ephraim decreased by 8,000.
The tribe of Benjamin increased by 10,200.
The tribe of Dan increased by 1,700 and was the second largest tribe; Judah was the largest.
The tribe of Asher increased by 11,900.
The tribe of Naphtali decreased by 8,000.
The total number from the census decreased by 1,820.
It was noted that though there were many foreigners included in the camp of Israel, only the descendants of Jacob received inheritances in the land.
Numbers 26:52 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 26:53 Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
Numbers 26:54 To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
Numbers 26:55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
Numbers 26:56 According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.
The LORD told Moses that the land was to be divided as an inheritance among the people according to the population of each tribe as shown by the census. The tribes that had more people were to be given more land; those with less were to be given less. Specific inheritances were to be determined by lot.
It should be noted that the casting of lots was a recognized way of determining the LORD’s will.
Proverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.”
Numbers 26:57 ¶ And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites: of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites: of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
Numbers 26:58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram.
Numbers 26:59 And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
Numbers 26:60 And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
Numbers 26:61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.
Numbers 26:62 And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
The census of Levi included all males from one month and older. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The families of the Levites included the Libnites, Hebronites, Mahlites, Mushitesand Korathites.
It is noted that Kohath was the father of Amram who married Jochebed, a daughter of Levi. The children of Amram and Jochebed were Aaron, Moses and Miriam. Aaron had four sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. It is again noted that Nadab and Abihu died when they chose to disobey the LORD regarding the offering of incense.
Leviticus 10:1–2 “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”
The census of the house of Levi totaled 23,000, making an increase of 22,000 from the first census. This number was not included in the previous total because the house of Levi was to receive no land inheritance.
Numbers 26:63 ¶ These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
Numbers 26:64 But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
Numbers 26:65 For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
This census was taken in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River near Jericho. It is noted that not a man remained of them whom Moses and Aaron had first numbered in the wilderness of Sinai. The LORD had declared that from that census only Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun would be allowed to enter the land of promise.
I had not thought about this before, but JFB notes that the tribe of Levi must not have been held accountable for the unbelief exhibited by the rest of the congregation since they had no part as spies or of their subsequent disobedience. Eleazar and Ithamar provide the most prominent testimony to this likelihood.