10 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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 12 the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace; make it publicly known, for his encouragement, that I establish him in the priest's office, which is called in Malachi ii. 5. the covenant of 13 life and peace. 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 14 children of Israel.t Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, [even] that was slain with the Midianitish woman, [was] Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house 15 among the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain [was] Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he [was] head over a people, [and] of a chief house in Midian, and yet did not scruple to prostitute his daughter, in order to lead Israel into sin and ruin, 16 17 4. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Vex the Midianites, and smite them, treat them as enemies: For they vex you with their wiles; under pretence of kindred, friendship, leagues, and marriages, they insinuate themselves with you and draw you to sin, and so bring a curse upon you; wherewith they have beguiled you to idolatry in the matter of Peor, and to commit whoredom 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. SE EE what reason we have to guard against fleshly lusts, and what danger attends the indulgence of them. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 1 Cor. x. 8. Sensual indulgences lead men to all manner of irreligion; they take away the heart, and make men stupid and thoughtless. Israel, who had overcome the united force of the Amalekites and Amorites, and * This promise was conditional, for Eli was not of his family. In David's time, however, it returned to them again, and continued, in all probability, fill the time of Christ. † God knew that he acted out of love to him, and zeal for his honour; though the ac tion itself was rash and unwarrantable, as he was not a judge or a magistrate, unless he had a divine commission; which does not seem unlikely, froin the approbation with which God speaks of him and his conduct. t Josephus says, he was one who had a right to stand with Moses and Aaron in the government of the people; he ought to have ordered the judges of his tribe to punish the offenders; but, instead of doing this, he countenanced them in a shameful manner. The Moabites were equally guilty, but their punishment was reserved till afterward, 23 Balaam prophesied. whom Balaam durst not attack openly, are inveigled and ruined by the charms of the daughters of Moab. Bp. HALL observes on this story, that it is the common custom of Satan, to raise advantage to himself from the fairest pieces of the workmanship of God.' Lust is conceived, and it bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death, as in the case before us. Solomon has observed from the experience of many, and his own in particular, that strange women, women of no principle, of fair faces but foul dispositions, have cast down many wounded, yea, many strong men have been slain by them. The God of purity and holiness is highly displeased with such irregular indulgences, as they debase our rational nature, and dishonour our christian profession. Fornicators and adulterers God will judge; they shall nos enter into the kingdom of heaven. Let us, therefore, as pilgrims and strangers, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 2. Zeal for the honour of God, and the suppression of vice, is highly commendable, especially in times of great degeneracy. Phinehas was zealous for God, and he conferred peculiar honours upon him. The people behaved well in weeping and lamenting their wickedness, and deprecating the judgments of the Lord; but Phinehas acted a more worthy and excellent part. It is good to lament the wickedness of others, to grieve when we behold transgressors; but they are most acceptable to God, who appear and act boldly in his cause. Christian ministers and magistrates are peculiarly obliged to appear on the Lord's side. It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing and we have reason to believe, that God will more readily forgive a too fervent zeal for him and his cause, if such can be, than coldness and indifference. 3. We see Solomon's remark verified, that righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is the reproach and ruin of any people. Balaam and Balak could not hurt Israel, while there was no iniquity or perverseness found in them; but no sooner are their minds and their morals corrupted, than the plague breaks in upon them. Evil communications corrupt good manners, introduce shameful vices, and so a flood gate is opened for all dreadful calamities to enter in. Those are the worst enemies a man can have, who draw him to sin; those are the worst enemies to a nation, who tempt others to sin, and labour to make them children of hell. It is our duty, as christians, to avoid sin as much as possible ourselves, and to do all we can to prevent it in others; knowing that it will, sooner or later, bring inevitable ruin upon them. VOL. II. CHAP. XXVI. This chapter is principally taken up in numbering the people in the plains of Moab; in which we may observe the righteousness, fidelity, and goodness of God. His righteousness, in fulfilling his threatenings; his fidelity to Caleb and Joshua ; and his abundant goodness, in sparing Israel, and multiplying them so, that they were almost as many as at Sinai; all middle aged, strong men, fit for war, and well instructed in the law of God. 11 AND it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron 2 the priest, saying, Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their father's house, all that are able to go to war $ in Israel. And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying, 4 [Take the sum of the people,] from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt. 5 Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, [of whom cometh] the family of the Hanochites: of 6 Pallu, the family of the Palluites Of Hezron, the family of 7 the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. These [are] the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven 89 hundred and thirty. And the sons of Pallu; Eliab. And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This [is that] Dathan and Abiram [which were] famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men and they became a sign. Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not. 12. : The sons of Simeon after their families of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the Jamin13 ites of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites: Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14 These [are] the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred. 15 The children of Gad after their families of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Hag16 gites of Shuni, the family of the Shunites: Of Ozni, the 17 family of the Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites: Of Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the 18 Arelites. These [are] the families of the children of Gad ac 19 cording to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred. The sons of Judah [were] Er and Onan: and Er and Onan 20 died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of 21 Zarhites: And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Ham22 ulites. These [are] the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred. 23 [Of] the sons of Issachar after their families: [of] Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the Punites: 24 Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites of Shimron, the 25 family of the Shimronites. These [are] the families of Issa char according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred. 26 [Of] the sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elon27 ites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. These [are] the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph after their families [were] Manas29 seh and Ephraim. Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites and Machir begat Gilead : 30 of Gilead [come] the family of the Gileadites. These [are] the sons of Gilead: [of] Jeezer the family of the 31 Jeezerites of Helek the family of the Helekites: And [of] Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and [of] She32 chem, the family of the Shechemites: And [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and [of] Hepher, the fam33 ily of the Hepherites. And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad [were] Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, 34 and Tirzah. These [are] the families of Manasseh, and those that were mumbered of them were fifty and two thousand and seven hundred. 35 These [are] the sons of Ephraim, after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Bechar, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahan36 ites. And these [are] the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the 37 family of the Eranites. These [are] the families of the sons 38 of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These [are] the sons of Joseph after their families. The sons of Benjamin after their families of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbel 39 ites of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites: Of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family 40 of the Huphamites. And the sons of Bela were Ard and : Naaman [of Ard,] the family of the Ardites: [and] of 41 Naaman, the family of the Naamites. These [are] the sons of Benjamin after their families and they that were numbered of them [were] forty and five thousand and six hundred. 42 These [are] the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These [are] the families 43 of Dan after their families. All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, [were] threescore and four thousand and four hundred. : : 44 [Of] the children of Asher after their families of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jes45 uites of Beriah, the family of the Beriites. Of the sons of Beriah of Heber, the family of the Heberites: of Malchiel, 46 the family of the Malchielites. And the name of the daughter 47 of Asher [was] Sarah. These [are] the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; [who were] fifty and three thousand and four hundred. 48 [Of] the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites of Guni, the family of the Gu49 nites Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, 50 the family of the Shillemites. These [are] the families of Naphtali according to their families and they that were numbered of them, [were] forty and five thousand and four hundred. 51 These [were] the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty, 52 53 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the 54 number of names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those 55 that were numbered of him. Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of 56 their fathers they shall inherit. According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few. 57 And these [are] they that were numbered of the Levites after their families of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites of Merari, 58 the family of the Merarites. These [are] the families of the Levites the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mush59 ites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram. And the name of Amram's wife [was] Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom [her mother] bare to Levi in Egypt: |