And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.”
- BSB So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”
- NKJV So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”
- NASB So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have become followers of Baal of Peor.”
- NLT 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.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses orders the judges of Israel to put to death each man who joined himself to Baal of Peor. The command is passed down to be carried out among the people.
Overview
Moses relays God's directive, charging Israel's appointed judges to execute those guilty of idolatry. The instruction emphasizes that judgment must fall specifically on the individuals who committed the sin. This call for purging unfaithfulness shows the gravity of apostasy within the covenant community and the necessity of removing it.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Exod 18:21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
- 1 Kgs 18:40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.
- Deut 13:13Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
- Exod 32:27–28And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
- Exod 18:25–26And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
- Deut 17:3–5And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
- Exod 22:20He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
- Deut 13:15Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
- Deut 13:6If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
- Deut 13:9But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 25:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.