God warns against alliances that lead to idolatry and encourages devotion to Him as the true source of life.
“for they have been hostile to you with their tricks with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.” (Numbers 25:18). In this verse, the LORD addresses the Israelites regarding the deceptive actions of the Midianites and how these actions led Israel astray. The “affair of Peor” refers to the incident where Israelite men participated in idolatrous worship with the Moabites and Midianites, primarily through sexual immorality and worship of the false god Baal of Peor (Numbers 25:1-3). This highlights the grave danger posed by foreign alliances that tempt God’s people into practices contrary to His commands. The harsh language in this verse—“hostile,”“tricks,”“deceived”—emphasizes the severity of the Midianites’ influence and the degree to which evil can worm its way into the hearts of the unsuspecting.
“…in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian…” (Numbers 25:18). Cozbi, as mentioned here, was a Midianite princess. She played a key role by enticing an Israelite into direct defiance of God’s prohibition against idolatry (Numbers 25:6-9). Historically, the people of Midian descended from Abraham after the death of Sarah, making them distant relatives of the Israelites (Genesis 25:1-2). By the time of Moses, around the 15th to 13th centuries BC, the Midianites lived primarily in the regions east of the Gulf of Aqaba and often had contentious interactions with Israel. Their leadership would have held sway over not just political affairs but also religious influences, explaining how an individual like Cozbi could draw Israelite men into forbidden worship.
“…who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.” (Numbers 25:18). As a direct result of these grave sins, a devastating plague came upon the Israelites, claiming many lives. Cozbi herself was killed for her part in leading Israel into this spiritual downfall. In the broader context of Scripture, this stern judgment underscores that tolerating idolatry and immorality can bring destruction upon a community (Romans 6:23). It also acts as a foreshadowing within the Old Testament of the necessity for redemption and grace, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1-4).
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Numbers 25:18 meaning
“for they have been hostile to you with their tricks with which they have deceived you in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.” (Numbers 25:18). In this verse, the LORD addresses the Israelites regarding the deceptive actions of the Midianites and how these actions led Israel astray. The “affair of Peor” refers to the incident where Israelite men participated in idolatrous worship with the Moabites and Midianites, primarily through sexual immorality and worship of the false god Baal of Peor (Numbers 25:1-3). This highlights the grave danger posed by foreign alliances that tempt God’s people into practices contrary to His commands. The harsh language in this verse—“hostile,” “tricks,” “deceived”—emphasizes the severity of the Midianites’ influence and the degree to which evil can worm its way into the hearts of the unsuspecting.
“…in the affair of Peor and in the affair of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian…” (Numbers 25:18). Cozbi, as mentioned here, was a Midianite princess. She played a key role by enticing an Israelite into direct defiance of God’s prohibition against idolatry (Numbers 25:6-9). Historically, the people of Midian descended from Abraham after the death of Sarah, making them distant relatives of the Israelites (Genesis 25:1-2). By the time of Moses, around the 15th to 13th centuries BC, the Midianites lived primarily in the regions east of the Gulf of Aqaba and often had contentious interactions with Israel. Their leadership would have held sway over not just political affairs but also religious influences, explaining how an individual like Cozbi could draw Israelite men into forbidden worship.
“…who was slain on the day of the plague because of Peor.” (Numbers 25:18). As a direct result of these grave sins, a devastating plague came upon the Israelites, claiming many lives. Cozbi herself was killed for her part in leading Israel into this spiritual downfall. In the broader context of Scripture, this stern judgment underscores that tolerating idolatry and immorality can bring destruction upon a community (Romans 6:23). It also acts as a foreshadowing within the Old Testament of the necessity for redemption and grace, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1-4).