Phinehas

1Israel camped at a place called Shittim. The men there began sleeping with women from Moab.

And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

NoteShittim was a camping place near the Jordan River. Israel had been traveling a long time and stopped there. Moab was a land close by, with its own people and its own kings.

2Those women asked the men to come to feasts for their gods. The men ate the food and bowed down to those gods.

And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

NoteA feast for a god meant food was given to that god first. Then everyone ate the food together. Bowing down to a god meant showing you belonged to him.

3So Israel began worshiping a god called Baal of Peor. This made the LORD very angry with Israel.

And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

NoteBaal was the name of a god that other peoples worshiped. Peor was a hill where people came to worship him. So this god was called Baal of Peor.

4The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people. Put them to death out in the open, in daylight, before me. Then my burning anger will turn away from Israel."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

Note"Out in the open, in daylight" means where everyone could watch. Punishments were done that way so all the people would see.

5So Moses told the judges of Israel, "Each of you must put to death your own men who worshiped Baal of Peor."

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

NoteJudges were men chosen to decide what was right and fair. They settled arguments and handed out punishments.

6Then an Israelite man brought a woman from Midian home to his family. He did it right in front of Moses and all the people. They were crying at the door of the Tent of Meeting, where God met with them.

And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

NoteMidian was a land in the desert, south and east of where Israel camped. Its people were called Midianites. The people were crying at God's tent because so many had died.

7Phinehas saw this. He was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron the priest. He got up from the crowd and took a spear in his hand.

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;

NoteA priest was a man whose job was serving God at the tent. He helped the people bring their gifts and prayers. Aaron was the first priest, and his sons and grandsons became priests too.

8He followed the Israelite man into the tent. He drove the spear through them both, through the man and through the woman's stomach. Then the sickness that was killing the people stopped.

And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

NoteIsrael had no houses yet. They were still traveling, so every family lived in a tent.

9But twenty-four thousand people had already died from that sickness.

And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

NoteTwenty-four thousand is a huge number of people. That is more than fit in most towns today.

10Then the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

11"Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger away from Israel. He stood up for me among the people. So I did not destroy the people of Israel in my anger.

Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

NoteThe old words say Phinehas was "zealous" for God. That means he cared very strongly and acted right away.

12So tell him this: I am making a promise of peace with him.

Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:

NoteA promise like this was called a covenant. It was a serious promise that was meant to last forever.

13This promise is for him and for his children after him. It says his family will always be priests, the men who serve God for the people. I give it because he stood up for his God. He made things right again between the people and me."

And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

Note"He made things right again" means the trouble between God and the people was mended. The old word for this is atonement.

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2"Pay the Midianites back for what they did to Israel. After that, you will die and join your family who died before you."

Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.

NoteThe Midianites were a desert people who lived near Israel. They traveled with tents and flocks instead of living in big cities.

3So Moses said to the people, "Get some of your men ready for war. Send them against Midian to pay Midian back for the LORD."

And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.

4"Send 1,000 men to the fight from each of the twelve tribes of Israel."

Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

NoteA tribe was one big family group. Israel had twelve of them, one for each son of a man named Jacob.

5So 1,000 men came from each tribe. That made 12,000 men ready for war.

So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

6Moses sent them out to fight. Phinehas went with them. He was the son of Eleazar the priest, the man who led worship for God. Phinehas carried holy things from the worship tent and the trumpets for signals.

And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

NoteThe worship tent was a large tent where Israel worshiped God. It was taken down and carried whenever the people moved.

7They fought against Midian, just as the LORD had told Moses. They killed every man.

And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

8Among the dead were the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with a sword.

And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

NoteBalaam was a man who was paid to speak messages about people. Earlier a king had paid him to say bad words against Israel.

9The Israelites took the women and children of Midian as prisoners. They took all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods.

And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.

NoteLong ago, an army that won a battle took people, animals, and things home with them. That is what "spoil" means here.

10They burned down every town where the Midianites lived. They burned their camps too.

And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.

NoteThe King James Bible says "goodly castles" here. It means their camps of tents, not stone castles.

11They carried away everything they had taken, both people and animals.

And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

12They brought the prisoners and all the goods to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to all the people. The camp was on the flat land of Moab, by the Jordan River near Jericho.

And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

NoteMoab was a land east of the Jordan River. Jericho was a walled city on the other side of the river.

9So the people of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh left the other Israelites at Shiloh, a town in Canaan. They went back to Gilead, the land God had given them through Moses.

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

NoteShiloh was the town where Israel kept God's holy tent. Gilead was the hilly land east of the Jordan River.

10When they reached the Jordan River, still inside Canaan, they built an altar there. This one was very large.

And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to.

NoteAn altar is a table built of stones. People burned gifts to God on top of it. Israel was told to use only one altar, the one at God's holy tent.

11The other Israelites got word about it. People said, "Look! The people of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh built an altar at the edge of Canaan, by the Jordan River."

And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel.

12When the Israelites heard this, they all gathered at Shiloh. They planned to go to war against those tribes.

And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against them.

NoteA second altar looked like the start of a whole new place to worship. That is why the other tribes were so upset.

13The Israelites first sent a man to the land of Gilead to talk with them. They sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest.

And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,

NoteA priest was a man whose job was to lead people in worship. Eleazar was the chief priest, and Phinehas was his son.

14Ten leaders went with him. One came from each tribe of Israel. Each one was the head of a large family group.

And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

NoteEach tribe was made of smaller family groups. The oldest, most respected man led each one.

15They came to the people of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh in Gilead. They said to them,

And they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying,

16"All of the LORD's people ask you this. Why have you broken faith with the God of Israel? You have turned away from following the LORD today. You built your own altar. Are you fighting against the LORD?

Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?

NoteTo break faith means to be untrue to someone who trusted you.

17Remember our sin at Peor. We are still not clean from it, even today. That sin brought a deadly sickness on all of God's people.

Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,

NoteAt a place called Peor, many Israelites worshiped a different god. A terrible sickness spread and many people died. Here "not clean" does not mean dirty. It means the wrong was still not made right.

18And now you are turning away from the LORD! If you fight against the LORD today, tomorrow he will be angry with all of Israel.

But that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? and it will be, seeing ye rebel to day against the LORD, that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

19If your land is not fit for worship, then come over here. Come to the land that belongs to the LORD, where his holy tent stands. Take a share of land among us. But do not fight against the LORD, and do not fight against us. Do not build another altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.

Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, wherein the LORD’s tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us: but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us, in building you an altar beside the altar of the LORD our God.

NoteGod's holy tent was a large tent made of cloth and skins. It was the one place where all Israel came to worship together.

20Remember Achan, the son of Zerah. He took things that were set apart for God. God's anger fell on all of Israel. And Achan was not the only one who died for what he did."

Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.

NoteAchan took gold and silver from a city that was supposed to be given to God. He hid it in his tent. Trouble came on the whole army because of it.

21Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh answered the leaders of Israel.

Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,

22They said, "The LORD is God! He is the greatest of all. We say it twice: the LORD is God! He knows why we did this, and Israel will know too. If we did it to fight God or to break faith with him, then do not spare us today.

The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)

NoteSaying it twice was their way of showing they really meant it.

23If we built this altar to turn away from the LORD, let God punish us himself. If we built it to burn animal gifts or grain gifts or friendship gifts on it, let him punish us.

That we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD himself require it;

NoteThe King James Bible says "meat offering." In 1611, "meat" meant any food at all. This gift was flour or bread, not meat.

24No, we did it because we were afraid. We thought, someday your children might say to our children, 'What do you have to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?

And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?

25The LORD made the Jordan River a line between us and you. You people of Reuben and Gad have no share in the LORD.' Then your children might stop our children from worshiping the LORD.

For the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.

NoteThe wide river made the two groups look like separate peoples. That is what worried the tribes who lived on the far side.

26That is why we said, let us build an altar. It is not for burning gifts or for animal offerings.

Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice:

27It is a sign between us and you, and for our children later on. It shows that we do worship the LORD, with our gifts and offerings. Then your children can never tell our children, 'You have no share in the LORD.'

But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD.

NoteA witness is someone who tells what really happened. Here the altar does the telling, like a big stone reminder.

28We said that if they ever talk that way to us or our children, we will answer. We will say, 'Look at this copy of the LORD's altar that our fathers made. It was never used for burning gifts or offerings. It is a sign between us and you.'

Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.

NoteThe altar was built to look just like the real one. It was only for looking at, never for burning gifts.

29We would never fight against the LORD or turn away from him. We would never build another altar for gifts or offerings. The LORD's own altar stands in front of his holy tent, and that is the only one."

God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn this day from following the LORD, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle.

30Phinehas the priest and the leaders with him heard all this. What the people of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh said made them glad.

And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.

31Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, said to them, "Today we know the LORD is with us. You did not break faith with him after all. You have kept the LORD's anger away from Israel."

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.

32Then Phinehas and the leaders left Gilead. They went back to the Israelites in Canaan and told them what happened.

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

33The Israelites were glad to hear it. They praised God. They said no more about going to war against the land where Reuben and Gad lived.

And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

34The people of Reuben and Gad gave the altar a name. They called it Witness. They said, "It stands as a sign that the LORD is God."

And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.

NoteEd is a Hebrew word. It means Witness.

26Then all the Israelites went up to the house of God at Bethel. They sat there before the LORD and cried. They ate no food all that day, until evening. They gave burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

NoteGoing without food is called fasting. People did it while praying to show they were sad and serious. A burnt offering was an animal given to God and burned on an altar. An altar was a stone table for gifts to God. A peace offering was a meal shared with God and with friends.

27The Israelites asked the LORD what to do. In those days the ark of God's covenant was there.

And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

NoteThe ark was a wooden box covered in gold. Inside were the stones with God's rules written on them. A covenant is a promise between God and his people. The ark reminded them that God was with them.

28Phinehas served in front of it in those days. He was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron. They asked, "Should we fight our brothers of Benjamin again, or should we stop?" The LORD said, "Go up. Tomorrow I will hand them over to you."

And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.

NoteAaron was Moses' brother and Israel's first priest. Eleazar was Aaron's son, and Phinehas was Aaron's grandson.

28They joined themselves to Baal at Peor. They ate food offered to gods that are not alive.

They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

NoteBaal was a god that other people prayed to. Peor was the name of a place. The food had been given to those gods first.

29The things they did made the LORD angry. A deadly sickness broke out among them.

Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

30Then Phinehas stood up and stepped in to stop it. The sickness was held back.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

NotePhinehas was a priest. He was Aaron's grandson.

31God counted that as the right thing to do. He will count it so for all time to come.

And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

Note"Counted as right" means God said, "That was a good thing to do." God would remember it always.