Numbers 25:5
New International Version
So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

New Living Translation
So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

English Standard Version
And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

Berean Standard Bible
So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”

King James Bible
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.

New King James Version
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

New American Standard Bible
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have become followers of Baal of Peor.”

NASB 1995
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

NASB 1977
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”

Amplified Bible
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each one of you must kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor [in worship].”

Christian Standard Bible
So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”

American Standard Version
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor.

Contemporary English Version
Moses told Israel's officials, "Each of you must put to death any of your men who worshiped Baal."

English Revised Version
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you must kill the men who have joined in worshiping the god Baal of Peor."

Good News Translation
Moses said to the officials, "Each of you is to kill every man in your tribe who has become a worshiper of Baal of Peor."

International Standard Version
Then Moses ordered the judges of Israel, "Each one of you is to execute the men in his own tribe who joined the Baal-peor cult."

Majority Standard Bible
So Moses told the judges of Israel, ?Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.?

NET Bible
So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you must execute those of his men who were joined to Baal-peor."

New Heart English Bible
Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined to Baal-peor.

World English Bible
Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Moses says to [the] judges of Israel, “Each slays his men who are joined to Ba‘al-Peor.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses saith unto the judges of Israel, 'Slay ye each his men who are joined to Baal-Peor.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Moses will say to the judges of Israel, Kill ye each his men being bound to Baal-Peor.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses said to the judges of Israel: Let every man kill his neighbours, that have been initiated to Beelphegor.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Let each one kill his neighbors, who have been initiated into Baal of Peor.”

New American Bible
So Moses told the Israelite judges, “Each of you kill those of his men who have attached themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

New Revised Standard Version
And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you shall kill any of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Slay every one of you his men who have joined themselves to Baal-peor.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Moshe said to the Judges of Israel: “Kill each man his men, those who are initiated to Baal Peor.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel: 'Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto the Baal of Peor.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses said to the tribes of Israel, Slay ye every one his friend that is consecrated to Beel-phegor.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moab Seduces Israel
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.”

Cross References
Exodus 32:27-28
He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’” / The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead.

Deuteronomy 13:6-11
If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known, / the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, whether from one end of the earth or the other), / you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. ...

Deuteronomy 17:2-5
If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant / and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden— / and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel, ...

Joshua 22:20
Was not Achan son of Zerah unfaithful regarding what was set apart for destruction, bringing wrath upon the whole congregation of Israel? Yet it was not only Achan who perished because of his sin!’”

1 Kings 18:40
Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.

Psalm 106:28-31
They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods. / So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. / But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained. ...

1 Corinthians 10:8
We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

Deuteronomy 4:3-4
Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor. / But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive to this day, every one of you.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

2 Kings 10:25-28
When he had finished making the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill them. Do not let anyone out.” So the guards and officers put them to the sword, threw the bodies out, and went into the inner room of the temple of Baal. / They brought out the sacred pillar of the temple of Baal and burned it. / They also demolished the sacred pillar of Baal. Then they tore down the temple of Baal and made it into a latrine, which it is to this day. ...

2 Chronicles 23:17
So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

Ezra 10:18-19
Among the descendants of the priests who had married foreign women were found these descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. / They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.

Nehemiah 13:23-27
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. / Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah. / I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! ...

Matthew 18:8-9
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. / And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.


Treasury of Scripture

And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Slay you every one his men that were joined to Baalpeor.

a Midianitish

Numbers 25:14,15
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…

Numbers 22:4
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

Numbers 31:2,9-16
Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people…

in the sight of Moses

Numbers 15:30,31
But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people…

Deuteronomy 29:19-21
And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst: …

Jeremiah 3:3
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

weeping

Judges 2:4
And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

Ezra 9:1-4
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites…

Ezra 10:6-9
Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away…

Jump to Previous
Baal Ba'al Baalpeor Baal-Peor Death Honour Israel Israel's Joined Judges Kill Moab Peor Pe'or Relations Slay Themselves Women Worshiping Yoked
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Baal Ba'al Baalpeor Baal-Peor Death Honour Israel Israel's Joined Judges Kill Moab Peor Pe'or Relations Slay Themselves Women Worshiping Yoked
Numbers 25
1. Israel at Shittim commit unfaithfulness and idolatry
6. Phinehas kills Zimri and Cozbi
10. God therefore gives him an everlasting priesthood
16. The Midianites are to be troubled














So Moses said
The phrase begins with Moses, the central human figure in the Pentateuch, who is acting as the leader and prophet of Israel. The Hebrew root for "said" is אָמַר (amar), which often implies a command or authoritative speech. Moses, as God's appointed leader, is delivering a divine directive. This highlights the gravity of the situation and the necessity for immediate action. Historically, Moses' leadership is pivotal during Israel's wilderness journey, and his words carry the weight of divine authority.

to the judges of Israel
The "judges" here refers to the leaders or officials appointed to maintain order and justice among the people. The Hebrew word שֹׁפְטִים (shoftim) indicates those who are responsible for executing judgment. In the context of Israel's theocratic society, these judges were not only civil leaders but also spiritual guides. Their role was crucial in upholding the covenantal laws given by God. This highlights the communal responsibility in addressing sin and maintaining holiness among God's people.

Each of you must kill
This phrase is a direct and severe command, reflecting the seriousness of the sin committed. The Hebrew verb הָרַג (harag) means to kill or slay, indicating a decisive action against those who have transgressed. This command underscores the necessity of purging evil from the community to prevent further divine judgment. It reflects the holiness code of Israel, where sin, especially idolatry, was intolerable and had to be eradicated to preserve the sanctity of the nation.

all of his men
The phrase "his men" refers to those under the authority of each judge, likely indicating the leaders of families or clans. This personalizes the command, making each judge responsible for those within his sphere of influence. It emphasizes the communal and familial nature of Israelite society, where leaders were accountable for the spiritual and moral conduct of their people.

who have yoked themselves
The imagery of "yoked" comes from the Hebrew word צָמַד (tsamad), meaning to join or bind together. This metaphor suggests a voluntary and intimate association with idolatry, akin to the binding of animals under a yoke. It implies a deliberate choice to align with pagan practices, which is a direct violation of the covenant with Yahweh. This highlights the spiritual adultery of Israel, as they forsake their exclusive relationship with God.

to Baal of Peor
Baal of Peor refers to a local manifestation of the Canaanite deity Baal, worshiped at Peor. The worship of Baal was often associated with fertility rites and immoral practices, which were abhorrent to the God of Israel. The historical and archaeological context reveals that Baal worship was a persistent temptation for Israel, representing a direct challenge to their covenantal identity. This phrase underscores the spiritual battle between the worship of the one true God and the seductive allure of pagan idolatry.

Verse 5. - The judges of Israel. אֶלאּשֹׁפְטֵי. This is the first place where "the judges" are mentioned by this name (cf. Deuteronomy 1:16; Judges 2:16), but the verb is freely used in Exodus 18, in describing the functions of the officers appointed at Sinai. Every one his men. The men who were under his particular jurisdiction. This command given by Moses is not to be confounded with the previous command given to Moses to hang up all the chiefs. Moses only could deal with the chief, but it was within the power and the province of the judges to deal with ordinary offenders. It does not, however, appear how far either of these commands was put in practice.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Moses
מֹשֶׁ֔ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

told
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the judges
שֹׁפְטֵ֖י (šō·p̄ə·ṭê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

“Each of you must kill
הִרְגוּ֙ (hir·ḡū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

all of his men
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

who have joined in worshiping
הַנִּצְמָדִ֖ים (han·niṣ·mā·ḏîm)
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6775: To link, gird, to serve, contrive

Baal of Peor.”
פְּעֽוֹר׃ (pə·‘ō·wr)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1187: Baal of Peor', a Moabite god


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OT Law: Numbers 25:5 Moses said to the judges of Israel (Nu Num.)
Numbers 25:4
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