The number 23,000 is significant in the Bible, particularly in the context of a specific event involving the Israelites during their wilderness journey. This number is mentioned in the New Testament as a reference to an incident recorded in the Old Testament.

Biblical Context:

1. Incident at Baal Peor:
· The number 23,000 is associated with the event at Baal Peor, where the Israelites engaged in idolatry and immorality with the Moabite women. This incident is recorded in the Book of Numbers.
· Numbers 25:1-9 describes how the Israelites began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices of their gods. The Israelites ate and bowed down to these gods, provoking the LORD's anger. As a result, a plague struck the Israelite camp.

2. New Testament Reference:
· The Apostle Paul references this event in his first letter to the Corinthians, using it as a warning against sexual immorality and idolatry.
· 1 Corinthians 10:8 states: "We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them fell."

Interpretation and Significance:

· Moral and Spiritual Lessons:
· The incident at Baal Peor serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of idolatry and immorality. It highlights the consequences of turning away from God and engaging in practices contrary to His commandments.
· Paul's reference to this event in 1 Corinthians underscores the importance of learning from the past and remaining faithful to God. It serves as a reminder to the Corinthian church, and by extension to all believers, to avoid similar pitfalls.

· Numerical Discrepancy:
· It is worth noting that there is a numerical discrepancy between the account in Numbers and Paul's reference in 1 Corinthians. Numbers 25:9 mentions that 24,000 died in the plague, while Paul states that 23,000 fell in one day. Various interpretations have been offered to reconcile this difference, including the possibility that Paul was emphasizing the number who died in a single day, while the total number was higher.

· Theological Implications:
· The event at Baal Peor and its New Testament reference illustrate the continuity of God's expectations for holiness and the severe consequences of disobedience. It also reflects the apostolic use of Old Testament events to instruct and admonish New Testament believers.

In summary, the number 23,000 in the Bible is closely linked to the incident at Baal Peor, serving as a historical and moral lesson about the perils of idolatry and immorality, and is used by Paul to warn the Corinthian church against similar transgressions.23000 (2 Occurrences)

1 Corinthians 10:8
Neither let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.
(See RSV)

Numbers 26:62
Those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
(See NAS)

23000 (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance 23000 (2 Occurrences). 1 Corinthians 10:8 Neither
let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed ...
/num/23000.htm - 7k

24000 (10 Occurrences)

/num/24000.htm - 9k

22600 (1 Occurrence)

/num/22600.htm - 6k

Fornicators (8 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 10:8 Nor may we be fornicators, like some of them who committed
fornication and on a single day 23,000 of them fell dead. (WEY). ...
/f/fornicators.htm - 9k

Tripolis
... The inhabitants number about 23,000. The town gives its name to a district under
the vilayet of Beirut, which has always been famous for its fruitfulness. ...
/t/tripolis.htm - 7k

Chios (1 Occurrence)
... The Pasha decreed that the island should be utterly devastated; 23,000 Chians
were massacred and 47,000 sold into slavery. Only 5,000 escaped. ...
/c/chios.htm - 11k

Single (65 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). 1 Corinthians 10:8 Nor may we be fornicators, like some of them who
committed fornication and on a single day 23,000 of them fell dead. (WEY RSV). ...
/s/single.htm - 28k

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