Numbers 25:4

“And the Lord said unto Moses, etc.] Being provoked with the sins of the people, he called to him out of the tabernacle, or out of the cloud: take all the heads of the people, the princes of the tribes, not to hang them, but to judge those that worshipped Peor, as Jarchi interprets it; though some think that these having sinned, were ordered to be taken and hanged, and made public examples of; but it can hardly be thought, though there were some that might be guilty of the above sins, as Zimri, yet not all of them: hang them up before the Lord against the sun; that is, those that were guilty of idolatry: the meaning is, and which all the Targums give into, that these heads of the people were…”

“The Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up--Israelite criminals, who were capitally punished, were first stoned or slain, and then gibbeted. The persons ordered here for execution were the principal delinquents in the Baal-peor outrage--the subordinate officers, rulers of tens or hundreds. before the Lord--for vindicating the honor of the true God. against the sun--that is, as a mark of public ignominy; but they were to be removed towards sunset (Deu 21:23).”

“Take - i. e., assemble the chiefs of the people to thee (compare the phrase “took men,” in Numbers 16:1). The offenders were to be first; slain by the hands of “the judges of Israel” Numbers 25:5, and afterward hung up “against the sun” (i. e., publicly, openly; compare 2 Samuel 12:12) as an aggravation of their punishment. This would be done by impaling the body or fastening it to a cross. Compare Deuteronomy 21:23 note, and 2 Samuel 21:9. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Take all the heads - Take, that is, apprehend, all the heads, that is, the chief, of the people, such as were chief in this transgression, and in place and power, who are singled out to this exemplary punishment for their concurrence with others in this wickedness, which was more odious and mischievous in them. Hang them up before the Lord - To the vindication of God's honour and justice. Against the sun - Publickly, as their sin was publick and scandalous, and speedily, before the sun go down. Numbers 25:5”

“25:4 As he had at Sinai (Exod 32:27-28), the Lord required swift justice. • execute . . . in broad daylight: The guilty parties were perhaps impaled and left out in the sun (see 2 Sam 21:6, 9) so that everyone could see them and learn from their mistakes (cp. 2 Sam 12:12).”

“all the heads: Num 25:14, Num 25:15, Num 25:18; Exo 18:25; Deu 4:3; Jos 22:17, Jos 23:2 and hang: Dr. Kennicott remarks, that the Samaritan and Hebrew Texts must be united to make the sense of this verse complete: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto all the heads of the people; and let them slay the men that were joined to Baal-peor; and hang them up before the Lord, against the sun," etc. Deu 13:6-9, Deu 13:13, Deu 13:15, Deu 21:23; Sa2 21:6, Sa2 21:9; Est 7:9, Est 7:10 that the fierce: Num 25:11; Deu 13:17; Jos 7:25, Jos 7:26; Psa 85:3, Psa 85:4; Jon 3:9 Numbers 25:5”