The Meaning of Numbers 25:18 Explained

Numbers 25:18

KJV: For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

YLT: for they are adversaries to you with their frauds, with which they have acted fraudulently to you, concerning the matter of Peor, and concerning the matter of Cozbi, daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who is smitten in the day of the plague for the matter of Peor.'

Darby: for they have harassed you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague because of the matter of Peor.

ASV: for they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For they vex  you with their wiles,  wherewith they have beguiled  you in the matter  of Peor,  and in the matter  of Cozbi,  the daughter  of a prince  of Midian,  their sister,  which was slain  in the day  of the plague  for Peor's  sake. 

What does Numbers 25:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 25:1-18 - The Zeal Of Phinehas Against Impurity
Unable to curse Israel directly, Balaam suggested to Balak the device of destroying the union between Israel and their divine Protector by enticing them into sin. Once bring license and passion into play, and let the seductions of evil prevail, and surely the holiness of God would compel Him to withdraw His protection! This was a diabolical suggestion to gain his wage. See Revelation 2:14.
The women of the land, notorious for their wantonness, seduced the men of Israel to join in the sensual rites of their worship. All did not fall into this sin. See Deuteronomy 4:3-4. But it brought terrible chastisement on the offenders, 1 Corinthians 10:8. You must amputate a gangrened limb.
For Phinehas, see Malachi 2:4, etc. Let us come out of the world, cleansing ourselves from its filthiness! 2 Corinthians 6:14, etc. There are crises when love for God's honor demands strenuous action, which never fails, as in the case of Phinehas, of an abounding recognition, Numbers 25:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Numbers 25:18 mean?

For harassed they you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi the daughter of a leader of Midian their sister who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor and it came to pass after the plague -
כִּ֣י צֹרְרִ֥ים הֵם֙ לָכֶ֔ם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־ נִכְּל֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם עַל־ דְּבַר־ פְּע֑וֹר וְעַל־ דְּבַ֞ר כָּזְבִּ֨י בַת־ נְשִׂ֤יא מִדְיָן֙ אֲחֹתָ֔ם הַמֻּכָּ֥ה בְיוֹם־ הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה עַל־ דְּבַר־ פְּעֽוֹר וַיְהִ֖י אַחֲרֵ֣י הַמַּגֵּפָ֑ה‪‬ פ

צֹרְרִ֥ים  harassed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: צָרַר 
Sense: to bind, be narrow, be in distress, make narrow, cause distress, besiege, be straitened, be bound.
בְּנִכְלֵיהֶ֛ם  with  their  schemes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נֵכֶל  
Sense: cunning, wiliness, craft, knavery.
אֲשֶׁר־  by  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נִכְּל֥וּ  they  seduced 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָכַל  
Sense: to be deceitful, be crafty, be knavish.
דְּבַר־  the  matter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
פְּע֑וֹר  of  Peor 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פְּעֹור  
Sense: a mountain peak in Moab belonging to the Abarim range and near Pisgah.
וְעַל־  and  in 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
דְּבַ֞ר  the  matter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
כָּזְבִּ֨י  of  Cozbi 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: כָּזְבִּי  
Sense: a daughter of Zur, a chief of the Midianites, who was slain by Phinehas because of her adultery.
בַת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
נְשִׂ֤יא  of  a  leader 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָשִׂיא 
Sense: one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, leader.
מִדְיָן֙  of  Midian 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְיָן  
Sense: son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians.
אֲחֹתָ֔ם  their  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
הַמֻּכָּ֥ה  who  was  killed 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hofal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בְיוֹם־  in  the  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה  of  the  plague 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַגֵּפָה  
Sense: blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence, strike, smite.
עַל־  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּעֽוֹר  Peor 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: פְּעֹור  
Sense: a mountain peak in Moab belonging to the Abarim range and near Pisgah.
וַיְהִ֖י  and  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַחֲרֵ֣י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הַמַּגֵּפָ֑ה‪‬  the  plague 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַגֵּפָה  
Sense: blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence, strike, smite.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation