Numbers 25:6 Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

◄ Numbers 25:6 ►

New International Version
Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

New Living Translation
Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

English Standard Version
And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Berean Standard Bible
Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

New American Standard Bible
Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

NASB 1995
Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

NASB 1977
Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought near to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Amplified Bible
Then one of the Israelites came and presented to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping [over God’s judgment] at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

Christian Standard Bible
An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

American Standard Version
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, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.

Contemporary English Version
Later, Moses and the people were at the sacred tent, crying, when one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to meet his family.

English Revised Version
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, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
One of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman to his brothers. He did this right in front of Moses and the whole community of Israel while they were crying at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Good News Translation
One of the Israelites took a Midianite woman into his tent in the sight of Moses and the whole community, while they were mourning at the entrance of the Tent of the LORD's presence.

International Standard Version
That very moment, one of the Israelis arrived, bringing to his brothers one of the Midianite women, right in front of Moses and the entire community of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting!

Majority Standard Bible
Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

NET Bible
Just then one of the Israelites came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the plain view of Moses and of the whole community of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

New Heart English Bible
Look, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Webster's Bible Translation
And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to 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.

World English Bible
Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And behold, a man of the sons of Israel has come, and brings a Midianitess to his brothers before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, who are weeping at the opening of the Tent of Meeting;

Young's Literal Translation
And lo, a man of the sons of Israel hath come, and bringeth in unto his brethren the Midianitess, before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of all the company of the sons of Israel, who are weeping at the opening of the tent of meeting;

Smith's Literal Translation
And behold, a man from the sons of Israel went, and he will bring to his brethren a Midianitess before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of all the assembly of the sons of Israel; and they were weeping at the door of the tent of appointment.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And behold one of the children of Israel went in before his brethren to a harlot of Madian, in the sight of Moses, and of all the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And behold, one of the sons of Israel entered, in the sight of his brothers, to a prostitute of Midian, within view of Moses and of all the crowd of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle.

New American Bible
At this a certain Israelite came and brought in a Midianite woman to his kindred in the view of Moses and of the whole Israelite community, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

New Revised Standard Version
Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman into his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And, behold, one of the men of the children of Israel came to his brethren, and then he went in to a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel while they were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And behold, a man from the children of Israel came and he approached before his brothers, and going in entered into a Midianite woman before the eyes of Moshe and before the eyes of all of the assembly of the children Israel, and they were weeping in the door of the Time Tabernacle.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And, behold, a man of the children of Israel came and brought his brother to a Madianitish woman before Moses, and before all the congregation of the children of Israel; and they were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of witness.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Zeal of Phinehas
6Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 7On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

1 Corinthians 10:8
We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

Psalm 106:28-31
They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods. / So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. / But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained. ...

Deuteronomy 4:3-4
Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor. / But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive to this day, every one of you.

Hosea 9:10
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.

1 Kings 11:1-2
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.

2 Peter 2:15
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

Joshua 22:17
Was not the sin of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day? It even brought a plague upon the congregation of the LORD.

Judges 2:11-13
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. / Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

2 Kings 17:7-12
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods / and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. / The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. ...

Exodus 34:15-16
Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. / And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. / And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?

2 Corinthians 6:14-16
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Ephesians 5:3-5
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed. / Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving. / For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Colossians 3:5-6
Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. / Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

Treasury of Scripture

And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers 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.

Phinehas

Exodus 6:25
And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

Joshua 22:30,31
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…

Judges 20:28
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.

a javelin

1 Samuel 18:10,11
And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand…

1 Samuel 19:9
And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.

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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

Berean Study Bible

Just then
This phrase sets the scene with a sense of immediacy and urgency. In the Hebrew text, the word used here is "וְהִנֵּה" (vehineh), which often introduces a sudden or unexpected event. It draws the reader's attention to the unfolding drama, emphasizing the abruptness of the situation. This immediacy serves to highlight the gravity of the actions about to be described, underscoring the tension and the need for a swift response.

one of the Israelites
The term "Israelites" refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel. This identification is crucial as it underscores the covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel. The individual mentioned here is not just any person but a member of God's chosen people, which makes his actions particularly grievous. Historically, the Israelites were expected to uphold the laws and commandments given by God, and any deviation was seen as a breach of this sacred covenant.

came and brought
The act of bringing suggests a deliberate and conscious decision. The Hebrew root "בּוֹא" (bo) implies an intentional action, indicating that the Israelite was fully aware of his actions. This phrase highlights the willful nature of the sin, as it was not done in secret but openly, in defiance of the community's standards and God's commandments.

a Midianite woman
The Midianites were a nomadic people often in conflict with Israel. Historically, they were descendants of Midian, a son of Abraham by Keturah. The mention of a Midianite woman is significant because it represents a union that was forbidden by God due to the potential for leading the Israelites into idolatry. This relationship symbolizes a spiritual and cultural compromise, threatening the purity and distinctiveness of the Israelite community.

to his family
The phrase "to his family" indicates that the Israelite brought the woman into the very heart of his community. The Hebrew word "אֶחָיו" (echav) can mean "his brothers" or "his kin," suggesting that this act was not only personal but also communal, affecting the entire family unit. This action would have been seen as a direct affront to the collective values and beliefs of the Israelite people.

in the sight of Moses
Moses, as the leader and prophet of Israel, represents God's authority and law. The phrase "in the sight of Moses" underscores the brazen nature of the sin, as it was committed openly before the one who was the mediator of God's covenant. This public defiance highlights the severity of the transgression and the challenge it posed to Moses' leadership and the community's adherence to God's commandments.

and the whole assembly of Israel
The "whole assembly" refers to the entire congregation of the Israelites, emphasizing the communal aspect of the sin. The Hebrew term "עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (adat benei Yisrael) suggests a collective witness to the act, implicating the entire community in the response. This public nature of the sin required a communal response to uphold the sanctity and holiness of the people as a whole.

while they were weeping
The act of weeping indicates a state of mourning and repentance among the Israelites. The Hebrew root "בָּכָה" (bakah) conveys deep sorrow and lamentation, reflecting the community's awareness of their sin and the resulting divine displeasure. This emotional response underscores the seriousness of the situation and the need for atonement and reconciliation with God.

at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting
The Tent of Meeting, or Tabernacle, was the sacred place where God met with Moses and the Israelites. It symbolized God's presence among His people and was the center of worship and sacrifice. The mention of the entrance to the Tent of Meeting highlights the proximity of the sin to the holy place, further emphasizing the audacity and sacrilege of the act. It serves as a stark reminder of the need for holiness and reverence in the presence of God.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - A Midianitish woman. Rather, "the Midianitish woman." אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִית. Septuagint, τὴν Μαδιανίτην. The writer deals with an incident only too notorious, and which by the peculiar aggravation of its circumstances had fixed itself deeply in the popular memory. This is the first mention of the Midianites in connection with this affair, and it prepares us to learn without surprise that they were in reality the authors of this mischief. All the congregation,... who were weeping. According to the loose sense in which this expression is used throughout the Pentateuch, it evidently means that those who truly represented the nation, not only as a political, but also as a religions community, were gathered in this distress before the presence of their invisible King. They wept on account of the wrath of God provoked; probably also on account of the wrath of God already gone forth in the form of a pestilence.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Just then,
וְהִנֵּ֡ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

an Israelite
מִבְּנֵ֨י (mib·bə·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

man
אִישׁ֩ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

brought
וַיַּקְרֵ֤ב (way·yaq·rêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

to his family
אֶחָיו֙ (’e·ḥāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

a Midianite woman
הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית (ham·miḏ·yā·nîṯ)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4084: Midianite -- a descendant of Midian

in the sight
לְעֵינֵ֣י (lə·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of Moses
מֹשֶׁ֔ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

[and]
וּלְעֵינֵ֖י (ū·lə·‘ê·nê)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

the whole
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

congregation
עֲדַ֣ת (‘ă·ḏaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5712: A stated assemblage

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

while they
וְהֵ֣מָּה (wə·hêm·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992: They

were weeping
בֹכִ֔ים (ḇō·ḵîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1058: To weep, to bemoan

at the entrance
פֶּ֖תַח (pe·ṯaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way

to the Tent
אֹ֥הֶל (’ō·hel)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 168: A tent

of Meeting.
מוֹעֵֽד׃ (mō·w·‘êḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4150: Appointed time, place, or meeting

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OT Law: Numbers 25:6 Behold one of the children of Israel (Nu Num.)