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Numbers 25:7

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Numbers 25:7 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “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;” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

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;
Numbers 25:7 — American Standard Version

Context — Numbers 25

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
4And 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.
5And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor.
6And, 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.
7And 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;
8and 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.
9And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand.
10And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
← Numbers 25:6Numbers 25:8 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, etc.] Saw the man pass by in this impudent manner, and his whore with him; his spirit was stirred up, he was filled and fired with zeal for the glory of God, and with an holy indignation against the sin and sinner, and with a just concern for the honour of the righteous law of God; and, to prevent others from falling into the same sin, led by the public example of so great a personage, as it appears afterwards this man was: he rose up from among the congregation; who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle, or from the midst of the court of judicature, set for trying and judging such persons who were charged with…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“25:7-9 Phinehas, acting as a representative of the priestly family, killed Zimri and Cozbi with one thrust of a spear (25:7-8), which probably indicates that they were engaged in sexual intercourse. Phinehas’s zeal stopped the plague (25:1-3).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Phinehas: Exo 6:25; Jos 22:30, Jos 22:31; Jdg 20:28 a javelin: Sa1 18:10, Sa1 18:11, Sa1 19:9 Numbers 25:8”
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Related study paths

Read Numbers 25 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification