Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 25:14

Now the name of the Israelite that was slain [even] that was slain with the Midianitish woman, [was] Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

A prince: this is added as a proof of Phinehass zeal, that he durst venture upon so great a person, who was likely to have many avengers of his blood.

Of a chief house, Heb. of the house of his father. Every tribe was divided into great households, called the houses of their fathers, Num 1:2, and he was the prince or chief of one of these, though not of fire whole tribe.

Among the Simeonites; of the tribe of Simeon, which seems to have been too much influenced by his and other such examples, so that for 59,300, which were numbered, Num 1:22,23, there were now only 22,000 Num 26:14.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14. Zimri, . . . a prince . . .among the SimeonitesThe slaughter of a man of such high rankis mentioned as a proof of the undaunted zeal of Phinehas, for theremight be numerous avengers of his blood.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Now the name of the Israelite that was slain,…. By Phinehas, as before related:

[even] that was slain with the Midianitish woman; who was slain also, both together with one thrust:

was Zimri, the son of Sela, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites; or a prince of his father’s house, or family; there were five families of the Simeonites, and this man was a prince of one of them, see Nu 26:12 though Josephus h, and so the Samaritan Chronicle i, make him to be a prince of the tribe of Simeon. His name is mentioned partly to the reproach of him, and partly for the honour of Phinehas, whose zeal and courage were such, that he feared not to take away the life of a person of such figure, authority, and interest among the people.

h Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect. 10. i Apud Hottinger, Smegma Oriental, l. 1. c. 8. p. 448.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Verses 14, 15:

The man involved in this affair was a prominent leader of the tribe of Simeon: Zimri, son of Salu. This was not an uncommon name in Israel. Nothing more is known of him. It is tragic that the only note of this man in history is his shameful death for a blatant act of immorality and contempt for Jehovah God.

The Midianite woman involved was named Cozbi. She was the daughter of a prominent Midianite chief named Zur. Nu 31:8 identifies him as one of five kings slain in a battle with Israel’s army. The role of this woman infers that the Midianites were deeply involved in the hostilities against Israel, along with the Canaanite nations.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

14. Now the name of the Israelite. Even as the memory of the just is blessed, so also it was equitable that the author of this foul sin should be condemned to perpetual infamy. It appears, however, from the fact of a part of the disgrace being thrown upon the whole tribe, how greatly displeasing to God was this gross enormity. For although the tribe of Simeon is not here actually involved in the charge of participating in the sin, yet are they all branded with the common mark of ignominy for their humiliation, in order that each one of them may learn severely to correct whomsoever amongst his relatives he may see offending, and by no means to encourage their vices, if he desires to do credit to the founder of his race. (189) It is recorded that both Zimri and the Midianitish woman were of noble and principal families, not only that we may be taught that God’s judgment is no respecter of persons ( ἀπροσωπόληπτον,) in that it does not spare rank, but also that the higher a person may be in position, the greater is the disgrace he is exposed to if he conduct himself dishonorably, since their very dignity renders men’s actions more conspicuous.

Because the paternal house of the harlot is said to have been in Midian, some conjecture that she was born in the land of Moab, or, at any rate, brought up there among her maternal relatives; but, as the matter is unimportant, I leave it undecided.

(189) “Car e’est le vray moyen d’honorer sa famille et son sang;” for this is the true way to honor one’s family and blood. — Fr.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(14) A prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.Better, of a fathers house, &c. It is probable that the tribe of Simeon was deeply implicated in the transgression, and that those who belonged to that tribe were the chief sufferers in the plague. (See Num. 26:14, and Note.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

The Man and The Woman Are Identified. Both From Chieftain’s Houses ( Num 25:14-15 )

Num 25:14

‘Now the name of the man of Israel who was slain, who was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites.’

The man who had done this thing was now named and shamed (note how this parallels what he had done in the analysis above). He was Zimri, son of Salu, a chieftain of a father’s house in Simeon. As we noted earlier he had introduce the woman among his brethren and they had not protested. Thus it would appear that the tribe of Simeon had been heavily involved in the idolatry. This explains why, when a name had to be omitted in the list of tribes publicly blessed by Moses, Simeon’s name was missing (Deuteronomy 33). They had to do penance for their failure by being temporarily ‘blotted out of Israel’. Levi had proved faithful once again and Simeon had sinned grievously, so that they could not be coupled together as they had been by Jacob (Gen 49:5).

Num 25:15

‘And the name of the Midianitish woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian.’

The name of the Midianitish woman was also given. She was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a Midianite high chieftain, a ‘head of a father’s house’ (see byn 31:8; Jos 13:21). We note again how easily Moab and Midian are linked.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The HOLY GHOST is particular in mentioning the names of the delinquents. It is awful when great names are only recorded, in order to particularize their greater shame and infamy.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Num 25:14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, [even] that was slain with the Midianitish woman, [was] Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

Ver. 14. A prince of a chief house. ] Whom yet Phineas spared not; as neither did John Baptist spare Herod; nor Nathan David; nor Bishop Lambert King Pippin, whom he freely reproved to his face for his adultery, A.D. 798, though he were afterwards therefore slain by the harlot’s brother. a Odo Severus, the twenty-second Archbishop of Canterbury, A.D. 934, dealt like plainly with King Edwin, excommunicated his concubines, and caused one of them, on whom the king doted unreasonably, to be fetched out of the court by violence, burnt her in the forehead with a hot iron, and banished her into Ireland. b

a Epitome Hist. Gall., p. 30.

b Godw., Catal.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)