Numbers 25:18 kjv
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 25:18 nkjv
for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor."
Numbers 25:18 niv
They treated you as enemies when they deceived you in the Peor incident involving their sister Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed when the plague came as a result of that incident."
Numbers 25:18 esv
for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor."
Numbers 25:18 nlt
because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor."
Numbers 25 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 25:1-3 | While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices of their gods… | The incident at Peor. |
| Num 25:9 | But those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand. | Consequence of the sin. |
| Num 25:15 | and the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was head of the people of a father's house in Midian. | Identification of Cozbi and her status. |
| Num 25:16-17 | The Lord said to Moses, “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them, for they treated you as enemies..." | God's direct command for retaliation. |
| Num 31:1-2 | The Lord said to Moses, “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” | Fulfillment of the command against Midian. |
| Num 31:7-8 | They warred against Midian... they killed the kings of Midian… and Balaam the son of Beor they killed with the sword. | Execution of judgment and Balaam's death. |
| Num 31:16 | Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor… | Direct attribution to Balaam's counsel, implicating Midian. |
| Deut 23:3-6 | No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord… because they hired Balaam against you to curse you… | Reminder of enmity and Balaam's involvement. |
| Josh 22:17 | Is not the iniquity of Peor enough for us… from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, though a plague came upon the congregation… | Later remembrance of Peor's lasting impact. |
| Ps 106:28-31 | Then they yoked themselves to Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead… But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. | Poetic recount of Peor, highlighting Phinehas. |
| Hos 9:10 | I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-fruits in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor… | Prophetic condemnation for Peor. |
| Rev 2:14 | But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before… | New Testament warning against spiritual adultery/idolatry, echoing Peor. |
| 1 Cor 10:7-8 | Do not be idolaters as some of them were… We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. | Warning against idolatry and immorality, alluding to Peor's plague. |
| Judg 6:1-6 | The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years. | Midian's ongoing oppression of Israel due to sin. |
| Isa 43:28 | So I gave Jacob to the curse and Israel to reviling by the officials of the sanctuary. | Judgment on Israel due to their sin. |
| Jer 3:8-9 | She saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce… And she said, ‘I will not return’… | Analogy of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness. |
| Ez 16:26-30 | You also played the harlot with the Egyptians… and you have played the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable. | Allegorical prostitution, linking to Israel's idolatry. |
| Mal 2:14-15 | The Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless… For the Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce. | Condemnation of marital unfaithfulness, relevant to spiritual infidelity. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? | Principle against close alliance with the ungodly, relevant to avoiding sin. |
| Eph 5:11-12 | Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of what they do in secret. | Exhortation to avoid entanglement with pagan practices. |
| James 1:13-15 | But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin… | Insight into how temptation leads to sin. |
Numbers 25 verses
Numbers 25 18 Meaning
Numbers 25:18 states that the Midianites vexed and beguiled Israel through cunning deceptions concerning the Baal of Peor incident and Cozbi. This verse serves as the divine justification for Yahweh's command to Moses and subsequently Phinehas, to retaliate against the Midianites as enemies, holding them accountable for their treacherous scheme that led Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality. The command highlights Midian's active role in Israel's sin and divine judgment against pagan influences.
Numbers 25 18 Context
Numbers chapter 25 details one of Israel's gravest apostasies: the incident at Baal-Peor. While encamped in Shittim in Moab, the Israelite men engaged in sexual immorality with Moabite and Midianite women, which quickly escalated into idolatry, eating sacrifices offered to false gods (Baal of Peor). This egregious sin provoked divine wrath, resulting in a devastating plague that killed 24,000 Israelites. Numbers 25:18 directly follows God's command to Moses (Num 25:16-17) to afflict the Midianites because they were the primary instigators of Israel's fall, having successfully employed Balaam's insidious counsel (as revealed later in Num 31:16) to corrupt Israel through their women. The historical context positions this verse as the divine rationale for the upcoming holy war against Midian, driven by the need for God's holiness to be vindicated and His covenant people to be protected from pagan corruption.
Numbers 25 18 Word analysis
- "for they vexed you": Hebrew: צָרַר (tsarar). Meaning: to bind up, besiege, vex, treat as an enemy, show hostility. This implies aggressive, active opposition, treating Israel as adversaries worthy of harassment. It goes beyond passive temptation to a deliberate, calculated campaign against Israel's integrity and covenant relationship with God.
- "with their wiles": Hebrew: בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם (b'nīkhlēhem), from נֶכֶל (nekhel). Meaning: treachery, cunning, deceit, plotting. This highlights the insidious, strategic nature of Midian's actions, employing deception rather than direct confrontation. It implies a scheme designed to lead Israel astray through seduction and manipulation.
- "wherewith they have beguiled you": Hebrew: הִפִּילוּ אֶתְכֶם (hippīlū etkem), from נָשָׁא (nasa). Meaning: to lift, bear, carry; in this context, idiomatically, "to lead astray," "deceive," "cause to fall" or "cause to stumble." The use of nasa emphasizes that Israel was deliberately misled and drawn into sin.
- "in the matter of Peor": This refers specifically to the idolatrous cult of Baal of Peor, a local deity of the Moabites/Midianites. Worship often involved sexual promiscuity as part of fertility rites. This points to a clear spiritual defilement and violation of the First Commandment against having other gods.
- "and in the matter of Cozbi": Cozbi was a Midianite princess, daughter of Zur (Num 25:15), who openly engaged in sexual immorality with Zimri, an Israelite leader, as documented in Num 25:6-14. Her specific act became a symbol and high-profile example of the wider defilement and strategic corruption.
- "the daughter of a prince of Midian": This detail underscores Cozbi's high status, which meant her participation in the sin was not an isolated act by an individual but representative of a deliberate policy by Midianite leadership to weaken Israel from within. It highlights the serious nature and depth of the scheme.
- "their sister": This phrase further emphasizes Cozbi's kinship with the Midianites and collectively attributes her actions (and thus the whole strategy) to the Midianite people as a whole. It signifies that her actions were not individual but part of a tribal scheme or ethos.
Numbers 25 18 Bonus section
The "wiles" of Midian can be understood as a prototype of spiritual warfare where the enemy employs subtle temptations and seduction, rather than overt attack, to lead God's people astray. This foreshadows later biblical warnings against worldly influences and spiritual deception. The intense divine reaction against Midian demonstrates the severity of spiritual idolatry and impurity in God's eyes, even more so than physical attacks, as it directly strikes at the covenant relationship. This event also clarifies that collective national judgment can follow the deliberate, deceptive actions of one people against another, especially when it targets spiritual defilement. The enduring memory of Peor throughout Israel's history (e.g., in Joshua, Psalms, Hosea) signifies its importance as a cautionary tale of the dangers of assimilation and spiritual compromise.
Numbers 25 18 Commentary
Numbers 25:18 serves as God's declaration of judgment against Midian for their calculated and treacherous scheme to undermine Israel. Their "wiles" refer directly to Balaam's counsel (Num 31:16), advising Balak to use Moabite and Midianite women to entice Israel into idolatry and sexual sin, thereby invoking divine judgment against them. The incident at Baal of Peor, facilitated by these women, successfully led thousands of Israelites into apostasy and resulted in a devastating plague. Cozbi, a Midianite princess, is highlighted not merely as an individual sinner, but as a principal actor in this strategy, her public fornication symbolizing the profound spiritual and moral corruption orchestrated by Midianite leadership. God's command for Israel to "vex" and kill Midianites (Num 25:17) is not a call for unprovoked violence but a righteous judgment against a deliberate spiritual attack that aimed to separate God's chosen people from His holiness. This act reinforces God's zeal for His covenant, His intolerance for syncretism, and the necessity of His people maintaining spiritual purity and separation from pagan practices that ensnare and defile.