While
Israel was staying at Shittim,1
the people began to have sexual relations2
with the women of Moab.3
These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the
people ate and bowed down to their gods.4
Thus Israel yoked itself to the Baal of Peor,5
and the Lord’s
anger was kindled against Israel.6
The Lord
said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and impale them
in the sun before the Lord,7
in order that the fierce anger of the Lord
may turn away from Israel.”8
And Moses said to the judges of Israel,9 “Each of you shall kill10 any of your people11 who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”
Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman into his family,12 in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.13 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest,14 saw it, he got up and left the congregation. Taking a spear in his hand, he went after the Israelite man into the tent, and pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly.15 So the plague was stopped among the people of Israel. Nevertheless, those that died by the plague16 were twenty-four thousand.17
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites by manifesting such zeal among them on my behalf that in my jealousy I did not consume the Israelites.18 Therefore say, 'I hereby grant him my covenant of peace.19 It shall be for him and for his descendants20 after him a covenant of perpetual priesthood,21 because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the Israelites.’”
The name of the slain Israelite man, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, head of an ancestral house belonging to the Simeonites. The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian.22
The Lord said to Moses, “Harass the Midianites, and defeat them;23 for they have harassed you by the trickery with which they deceived you in the affair of Peor, and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister;24 she was killed on the day of the plague that resulted from Peor.”
1 Complete change of scene
And Moses said to the judges of Israel,9 “Each of you shall kill10 any of your people11 who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”
Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman into his family,12 in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.13 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest,14 saw it, he got up and left the congregation. Taking a spear in his hand, he went after the Israelite man into the tent, and pierced the two of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly.15 So the plague was stopped among the people of Israel. Nevertheless, those that died by the plague16 were twenty-four thousand.17
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites by manifesting such zeal among them on my behalf that in my jealousy I did not consume the Israelites.18 Therefore say, 'I hereby grant him my covenant of peace.19 It shall be for him and for his descendants20 after him a covenant of perpetual priesthood,21 because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the Israelites.’”
The name of the slain Israelite man, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, head of an ancestral house belonging to the Simeonites. The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian.22
The Lord said to Moses, “Harass the Midianites, and defeat them;23 for they have harassed you by the trickery with which they deceived you in the affair of Peor, and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister;24 she was killed on the day of the plague that resulted from Peor.”
1 Complete change of scene
2
Outside of marriage?
3
Note that foreign women, rather than foreign men, almost always seem
to be the ones involved in these situations.
4
Always the implicit concern when relationships with foreigners start
up.
5
Interesting to highlight this use of “yoked”.
6
Not surprising.
7
Insane violence.
8
THAT is what turns the anger of the Lord away?
9
Are these judges the men who Moses appointed earlier, or is this a
newly introduced role?
10
Moses obeys, but places it in the hands of others.
11
Wait, sort of obeys. Didn't God say “chiefs”?
12
Moses did the same in Exodus 2:15-22, and was never punished.
13
Awful timing on his part.
14
Righteous descendant of Aaron who will be given the priesthood.
15
Again, incredible violence is portrayed as heroic.
16
Until now this plague hadn't been mentioned.
17
What destruction! That's the size of half of a tribe.
18
Just as some people's sin caused thousands to die, one man's zeal
allows the rest to live.
19
First mention of the “covenant of peace”? Yet in such a violent
context!
20
“until Jesus” isn't stated, but that is how the Christian church
sees it.
21
I thought it was already a perpetual priesthood? Is was said to be
so back in Exodus 40:15.
22
Her fault is either being born a Midianite, worshiping the gods of
her ancestors, marrying an Israelite, or leading her husband astray
after marriage. Neither the 2nd nor the 4th
of those options would seem to have been apparent to Phineas though.
23
Their punishment is military defeat and death.
24
Again, is their sin the worship of foreign gods, or entering into
sexual relations, or leading Israelites astray, or some deception
within that?
Take-home: One more example is made of the great sin which it is to worship foreign gods, and the role of sexual relations and mixed marriages in leading to that. The descendants of Aaron are again exalted and their perpetual power confirmed.
Take-home: One more example is made of the great sin which it is to worship foreign gods, and the role of sexual relations and mixed marriages in leading to that. The descendants of Aaron are again exalted and their perpetual power confirmed.
No comments:
Post a Comment