While Israel was staying at Shittim, the menfolk menfolk NJPS “people”; cf. Exod. 14.6, Num. 21.33. See the Dictionary under ‘am. profaned themselves by whoring .” with the Moabite women,
Translation Notes
*profaned themselves by whoring — Others “began to commit harlotry
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישב
318
ישראל
541
בשטים
361
ויחל
54
העם
115
לזנות
493
אלבנות
489
מואב
49
Numbers 25:2
Gematria: 2104
ותקראןלעםלזבחיאלהיהןויאכלהעםוישתחוולאלהיהן
who invited the menfolk to the sacrifices for their god. The menfolk partook of them and worshiped that god.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ותקראן
757
לעם
140
לזבחי
57
אלהיהן
101
ויאכל
67
העם
115
וישתחוו
736
לאלהיהן
131
Numbers 25:3
Gematria: 2053
ויצמדישראללבעלפעורויחראףיהוהבישראל
Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and יהוה was incensed with Israel.
Just then a certain Israelite man ” came and brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, in the sight of Moses and of the whole Israelite community who were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
Translation Notes
*man — Lit. “participant whose involvement defines the depicted situation.
Word-by-Word Analysis
והנה
66
איש
311
מבני
102
ישראל
541
בא
3
ויקרב
318
אלאחיו
56
אתהמדינית
920
לעיני
170
משה
345
ולעיני
176
כלעדת
524
בניישראל
603
והמה
56
בכים
72
פתח
488
אהל
36
מועד
120
Numbers 25:7
Gematria: 2273
ויראפינחסבןאלעזרבןאהרןהכהןויקםמתוךהעדהויקחרמחבידו
When Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly and, taking a spear in his hand,
he followed the Israelite man into the chamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite man and the woman, through the belly. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויבא
19
אחר
209
אישישראל
852
אלהקבה
143
וידקר
320
אתשניהם
806
את
401
איש
311
ישראל
541
ואתהאשה
718
אלקבתה
538
ותעצר
766
המגפה
133
מעל
140
בני
62
ישראל
541
Numbers 25:9
Gematria: 1757
ויהיוהמתיםבמגפהארבעהועשריםאלףפ
Those who died of the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.
“Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out the Israelite people in My passion.
Word-by-Word Analysis
פינחסבספרי
560
ספרד
344
ואשכנז
384
נהוג
64
לכתוב
458
פינחס
208
ביוד
22
זעירא
288
בןאלעזר
360
בןאהרן
308
הכהן
80
השיב
317
אתחמתי
859
מעל
140
בניישראל
603
בקנאו
159
אתקנאתי
962
בתוכם
468
ולאכליתי
507
אתבניישראל
1004
בקנאתי
563
Numbers 25:12
Gematria: 3683
לכןאמרהננינתןלואתבריתישלוםבספריספרדואשכנזויוקטיעא
Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship.
It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time, because he took impassioned action for his God, thus making expiation for the Israelites.’”
The name of the Israelite man who was killed, the one who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, chieftain of a Simeonite ancestral house.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ושם
346
איש
311
ישראל
541
המכה
70
אשר
501
הכה
30
אתהמדינית
920
זמרי
257
בןסלוא
149
נשיא
361
ביתאב
415
לשמעני
500
Numbers 25:15
Gematria: 3544
ושםהאשההמכההמדיניתכזביבתצורראשאמותביתאבבמדיןהואפ
The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur; he was the tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.
for they assailed you by the trickery they practiced against you—because of the affair of Peor and because of the affair of their kinswoman Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was killed at the time of the plague on account of Peor.”