Numbers 25 11

Numbers 25:11 kjv

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 25:11 nkjv

"Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.

Numbers 25:11 niv

"Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal.

Numbers 25:11 esv

"Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.

Numbers 25:11 nlt

"Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.

Numbers 25 verses

Numbers 25 11 Meaning

Numbers 25:11 declares that Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, turned away God’s fierce wrath from the Israelites. He did this by demonstrating a zeal mirroring God's own passionate jealousy for His honor and exclusive worship among His people. As a result of Phinehas’s decisive action against rampant idolatry and sexual immorality, the devastating plague that afflicted Israel was halted, preventing their complete destruction by divine judgment.

Numbers 25 11 Context

Numbers 25 describes a catastrophic period in Israel's wilderness journey shortly before entering the promised land. While encamped at Shittim, the Israelite men began to engage in sexual immorality with Moabite women. This liaison quickly escalated into idolatry as they participated in pagan fertility rituals and worshipped Baal of Peor, making sacrifices to the gods of Moab. This act of faithlessness and defilement provoked the Lord's furious anger, resulting in a severe plague that began to spread rapidly among the people. The gravity of their sin was highlighted when an Israelite man, Zimri, defiantly brought a Midianite woman, Cozbi, into the camp, in plain sight of Moses and the entire assembly who were mourning before the Tabernacle. It was at this critical juncture that Phinehas, acting with decisive and immediate zeal, took a spear and executed both the man and the woman, effectively stopping the plague that had already claimed 24,000 Israelite lives. Verse 11 directly follows this intervention, affirming God's commendation of Phinehas and explaining why the plague ceased.

Numbers 25 11 Word analysis

• Phinehas (פִּינְחָס, Piynchâs): A name likely of Egyptian origin, possibly meaning "the Nubian." His lineage is significant: son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, marking him as a high priestly successor. His specific act demonstrated a character worthy of his priestly role.
• son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest (בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן, ben-Elʽazar ben-Aharon hakkôhēn): This detailed lineage emphasizes his legitimate authority within the priestly family and reinforces the sacredness of his act, not merely as an individual but as one upholding God's covenant on behalf of the priesthood. His high priestly standing would be confirmed and perpetuated through his lineage.
• has turned my wrath away from the Israelites (הֵשִׁיב אֶת־חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, heshiv et-chamati me'al Benei Yisrael):
  • has turned away (הֵשִׁיב, heshiv): From the root שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "to turn, return." In the Hiphil stem here, it means "to cause to return, bring back, or turn away." Phinehas's action literally caused God's wrath to recede, demonstrating the power of zealous intercession or, more directly, righteous judgment to satisfy divine demands for justice. This mirrors Moses often "turning back" God's wrath (Exod 32:12).
  • my wrath (חֲמָתִי, chamati): Refers to God's "fierce heat" or "burning anger." This is a holy wrath, a righteous indignation against flagrant sin that violated the very core of His covenant and character.
• because he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them (בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִי בְּתוֹכָם, be'kann’o et-kin’ati be’tokam):
  • zealous as I am (בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִי, be'kann’o et-kin’ati): A strong emphasis on mirroring God’s character. "In his zeal my zeal." Qana (קִנְאָה) means "zeal," "jealousy," "ardent emotion." God's qina is a holy jealousy that tolerates no rivals in worship, a passionate possessiveness over His covenant people and His unique status. Phinehas displayed this same fervent commitment to God's exclusivity and holiness, willing to act decisively to defend it. His action was a divine-human mirroring, a visible representation of God's immediate judgment against gross sin. This highlights that godly zeal involves a passionate commitment to God's glory and a fervent opposition to sin that defiles His name.
  • for my honor: This interpretation from the English translation (NIV) captures the essence of God's jealousy for His name and covenant being undefiled. When Israel worshipped Baal of Peor, they disgraced God's name among the nations and directly assaulted His honor.
• so that I did not put an end to them in my zeal (וְלֹא־כִלֵּיתִי אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקִנְאָתִי, velo khileiti et-b'nei Yisrael be’kin'ati):
  • did not put an end to them (וְלֹא־כִלֵּיתִי, velo khileiti): From the verb כָּלָה (kalah), "to complete, finish, consume, destroy." God's full and consuming wrath, which would have utterly destroyed the entire nation due to the pervasive nature of their sin, was averted. Phinehas's act functioned as an immediate satisfaction of divine justice, stopping the outpouring of this wrath before it reached its consuming conclusion for all Israel.

Word-Groups / Phrase Analysis:

• "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest": This repeated emphasis on Phinehas's priestly lineage underlines the significance of his act not merely as personal initiative, but as an expression of proper priestly function—upholding divine holiness and executing righteous judgment. His lineage gave his actions weight and legitimization within Israelite society.
• "has turned my wrath away from the Israelites": This highlights the redemptive nature of Phinehas's action. It was a singular act that effectively ceased a national calamity, acting as a crucial intercession or "atonement" in a moment of dire national judgment, saving the entire congregation from annihilation.
• "because he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them": This is the crux of God's commendation. Phinehas did not act out of personal anger or revenge but out of a shared indignation against spiritual betrayal, reflecting God’s own zealous defense of His glory. It suggests that human action, when aligned perfectly with divine purpose and passion, can mitigate judgment and achieve great spiritual outcomes.

Numbers 25 11 Bonus section

The reward for Phinehas's zeal was an everlasting covenant of peace (Numbers 25:12-13), signifying a continuous priesthood for his descendants. This perpetual promise to Phinehas's line (which extended down to Zadok's line, ensuring their prominence) indicates the lasting significance of an act born of divine zeal. His act was not just a historical incident but established a spiritual precedent. It teaches that faithful, zealous action, even when appearing drastic from a human perspective, is profoundly pleasing to God when motivated by a heart for His holiness and honor. Phinehas effectively "stood in the gap," interposing himself through judgment to save others from the fullness of wrath, serving as a powerful foreshadowing of Christ, who truly stood in the gap to bear the full wrath of God, providing complete salvation from destruction through His ultimate act of zeal and love.

Numbers 25 11 Commentary

Numbers 25:11 reveals profound truths about God’s nature and the nature of sin. God's commendation of Phinehas highlights the gravity of Israel's sin at Peor, which was a blatant covenant breach involving both spiritual idolatry and moral perversion. The holy character of God cannot tolerate such unfaithfulness among His chosen people without consequence, thus manifesting as severe wrath. Phinehas’s immediate, decisive, and publicly zealous action served as a symbolic and effective form of atonement, a singular act of judgment that satisfied divine justice. His act, fueled by a passion that mirrored God's own burning jealousy for His honor, literally 'turned back' the plague and spared the nation from complete destruction. This illustrates that human faithfulness, particularly through a bold and resolute stand against flagrant sin, can serve as a conduit for divine mercy and averting greater judgment. The divine response to Phinehas sets him apart as an exemplary figure of righteous zeal, showing that true godliness includes a profound abhorrence of evil and a willingness to act on behalf of God's holiness.

• Practical Usage Examples:
  • A strong stand for biblical truth in a society embracing immorality, preventing greater moral decay.
  • Exercising spiritual discipline within a community to maintain its purity and honor before God.
  • Interceding through prayer with intense zeal against prevailing evils, believing God will avert judgment.