Numbers 25:3

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹While Israel was staying in Acacia Grove, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab, ²who also invited them to the sacrifices for their gods. And the people ate and bowed down to these gods. ³So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the LORD's anger burned against them.⁴Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel." ⁵So Moses told the judges of Israel, "Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

joined: Numbers 25:5, Deuteronomy 4:3, Deuteronomy 4:4, Joshua 22:17, Psalms 106:28, Psalms 106:29, Hosea 9:10

the anger: Joshua 22:17, Judges 2:14, Judges 2:20, Psalms 90:11, Jeremiah 17:4

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:41 - high places Deuteronomy 3:29 - General Joshua 13:20 - Bethpeor Romans 11:4 - Baal

Cross-References

2 Samuel 2:9
and made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin-over all Israel.

1 Kings 10:1
Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.

Job 6:19
The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.

Psalms 72:10
May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.

Jeremiah 25:23
Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair;

Jeremiah 49:8
Turn and run! Lie low, O residents of Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him.

Ezekiel 25:13
therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast. I will make it a wasteland, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword.

Ezekiel 27:6
Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; of wood from the coasts of Cyprus they made your deck, inlaid with ivory.

Ezekiel 27:20
Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor,.... The name of an idol; one of the Baals, Baal being a general name for an idol; and, to distinguish this from other Baals or idols, it was called Peor, either from its opening its mouth in prophecy, as Ainsworth; or from some obscene posture and action used in the worship of it, being, as it is by many thought to be, the same with Priapus; or rather from the mountain Peor, where it was worshipped, as Jupiter is called Jupiter Olympius, Capitolinus, c. from the mountains where he had a temple, or was worshipped or from the name of some great personage, called Lord Peor, who was deified after his death; hence these Israelites are said to "eat the sacrifices of the dead", Psalms 106:28. Mr. Bedford t takes him to be Mizraim the son of Ham, the Osiris of the Egyptians, and the Priapus of other Heathens: and Father Calmet u is of opinion that he is the same with Orus, Osiris, and Adonis; and that Pe is only a prepositive article, and that Or is the name, and no other than Orus; but such a criticism the word will not bear: this idol, the chief god of the Moabites, was, in all probability, the same with Chemosh, who is expressly called the abomination of Moab, 1 Kings 11:7 of whom

1 Kings 11:7- : so Chemosh and Peor are thought to be the same by our English poet w: to him the Israelites joined themselves, forsook the true God in a great measure, and were initiated into the rites of this deity, and constantly attended the worship of it, and cleaved unto it with their hearts and directions, and joined with their harlots in all parts of service performed unto it; 1 Kings 11:7- :,

and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; for no sin is more provoking to God than idolatry, that being so directly opposite to his nature, honour, and glory, as well as to his will and worship; and hereby the end of Balaam and Balak was, in a great measure, answered, and Balaam obtained that by his evil counsel which he could not by all his conjuring; this was seen by the plague sent among them;

1 Kings 11:7- :.

t Scripture Chronology, p. 267. u Dictionary, on word "Baal". w "Next Chemos, the obscene dread of Moab's sons, Peor his other name, -----" Milton, B. 1. l. 406, 412.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Joined himself - i. e., by taking part in the sacrificial meals as described in the last verse. Compare Exodus 34:15; 1 Corinthians 10:18. The worship of Baal was attended with the grossest impurity, and indeed partly consisted in it Hosea 4:14; Hosea 9:10.

Baal-peor - i. e., the Baal worshipped at Peer, the place mentioned in Numbers 23:28 (compare Baal-meon, Numbers 32:38). (The identification of this god with Chemosh in Numbers 21:29 is now given up.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 25:3. Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor — The same as the Priapus of the Romans, and worshipped with the same obscene rites as we have frequently had occasion to remark.

The joining to Baal-peor, mentioned here, was probably what St. Paul had in view when he said, 2 Corinthians 6:14: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And this joining, though done even in a matrimonial way, was nevertheless fornication, (see Revelation 2:14), as no marriage between an Israelite and a Midianite could be legitimate, according to the law of God. See the propositions at the close of the preceding chapter.