Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
For under pretence of kindred, and friendship, and leagues, yea, and marriages, which they offered to them, instead of that war which the Israelites expected from them, they sought only an opportunity to insinuate themselves into their familiarity, and execute their hellish plot of bringing that curse upon the Israelites, which they had in vain attempted to bring another way.
In the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi; by drawing you both to spiritual and corporal whoredom.
Their sister, in a large sense, to wit, their countrywoman.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. they vex you with theirwilesInstead of open war, they plot insidious ways ofaccomplishing your ruin by idolatry and corruption.
their sistertheircountrywoman.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For they vex you with their wiles,…. Not with wars, but with wiles, with cunning stratagems, and artful methods to draw them into sin, that thereby they might be exposed to the wrath of God:
wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor; the idol Peor, that is, Baalpeor; which seems to countenance the notion that Peor was the name of a man, some great personage, who was deified after his death; now the Midianites beguiled the Israelites, by sending their daughters among them, with whom they committed fornication, and by whom they were inveigled to worship the idol Peor:
and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister; their countrywoman, as it was common with eastern people to call those of the same country with them their brethren and sisters: now the Midianites beguiled the Israelites, by prostituting a person of such quality to a prince of theirs, which was setting an example to other daughters of Midian to follow her, and so hereby many of the children of Israel were ensnared into whoredom, and into idolatry:
which was slain in the day of the plague, for Peor’s sake: or for the business of Peor, as the Targum of Jonathan, because of the worship of that idol; not that Cozbi was slain upon that account, but the plague came upon Israel by reason of their worshipping of it, and it was on the day that the plague was that she was slain; by which it seems that the plague lasted but one day.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18. For they vex you Not with wars but with wiles, which were more destructive to Israel. The vigorous prosecution of this war is detailed in chap. 31.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
REFLECTIONS
PAUSE, my soul, over this chapter now again in the close of it, and while taking a leisurely review of the sad consequences of a fallen state, look up for grace to keep thee from the stratagems of Satan and all his agents, lest thou fall after the same example of unbelief. I would convert the apostle’s account of this sad history into a prayer, and say, LORD grant that I may not lust after evil things as they lusted, neither commit fornication as some of them committed; but grant gracious GOD that amidst all the variety of temptations, which beset my soul in this wilderness, a way may be made for me to escape, that I may be able to bear it.
And while I behold the zeal of Phinehas, who amidst the general corruption was found faithful to his GOD, oh! may I never forget thee, thou great High Priest of a better dispensation established upon better promises. Dearest JESUS! it is thou, whose ardent love for thy FATHER’S glory, and thy people’s welfare, brought thee down from heaven; and in the destruction of sin, thou hast destroyed the works of the devil. Be thou my everlasting priest, thou great Melchisedec, and may I find in thee all the FATHER’S grace, and mercy, and love, displayed in thine everlasting priesthood.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 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.
Ver. 18. For they vex you with their wiles. ] Not with their wars; they outwit you, out smart by counterfeit courtesy, cut-throat kindness; they have deceived you into those sister sins, fornication and idolatry, which God hath so severely punished.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wiles = seductions. Hebrew. nekal. Occurs only here.
day: i.e. the “one day” of 1Co 10:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
vex you: Num 31:15, Num 31:16, Gen 26:10, Exo 32:21, Exo 32:35, Rev 2:14
beguiled: Gen 3:13, 2Co 11:3, 2Pe 2:14, 2Pe 2:15, 2Pe 2:18
which: Num 25:8
Reciprocal: Gen 25:2 – Midian Num 25:4 – all the heads Num 31:2 – Avenge Num 31:8 – Zur Deu 25:17 – General Jdg 6:1 – Midian 1Ki 11:18 – Midian Amo 2:1 – For three Mic 6:5 – Balak Col 2:18 – no
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 25:18. With their wiles For under pretence of kindred, and friendship, and leagues, which they offered to them, instead of that war which the Israelites expected, they sought only an opportunity to insinuate themselves into their familiarity, and execute their hellish plot of bringing that curse upon the Israelites which they had in vain attempted to bring another way. We see here that we have more to fear from our passions than from the malice of our enemies, and that it is a very dangerous thing to suffer ourselves to be seduced by voluptuousness and the desires of the flesh. This is the application which St. Paul makes of this history in the passage above referred to; where he tells us that these things were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world are come. Again, the zeal which Moses and Phinehas showed on this occasion, and Gods rewarding Phinehas, prove that we must zealously oppose, by all just and lawful means, those that offend God openly; that this is in particular the duty of magistrates and ministers of religion; and that God rewards the fidelity of those who thus express their zeal for his glory.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
25:18 For they vex you with their {h} 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.
(h) Causing you to commit both corporal and spiritual fornication by Balaam’s counsel, Num 31:16, Rev 2:14.