Matthew Henry's Complete Bible Commentary

Numbers 25

Israel, having escaped the curse of Balaam, here sustains a great deal of damage and reproach by the counsel of Balaam, who, it seems, before he left Balak, put him into a more effectual way than that which Balak thought of to separate between the Israelites and their God. “The Lord will not be prevailed with by Balaam’s charms to ruin them; try if they will not be prevailed with by the charms of the daughters of Moab to ruin themselves.” None are more fatally bewitched than those that are bewitched by their own lusts. Here is, I. The sin of Israel; they were enticed by the daughters of Moab both to whoredom and to idolatry, Numbers 25:1-25:3. II. The punishment of this sin by the hand of the magistrate (Numbers 25:4, 25:5) and by the immediate hand of God, Numbers 25:9. III. The pious zeal of Phinehas in slaying Zimri and Cozbi, two impudent sinners, Numbers 25:6, 25:8, 25:14, 25:15. IV. God’s commendation of the zeal of Phinehas, Numbers 25:10-25:13. V. Enmity put between the Israelites and the Midianites, their tempters, as at first between the woman and the serpent, Numbers 25:16-25:18 MHBCC 143.1