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.

NUMBERS 25:18KJV
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Numbers 25:18 (KJV)

What does Numbers 25:18 mean?

Numbers 25:18 explains that the Midianites caused trouble for the Israelites by deceiving them, specifically through the incident at Peor and involving Cozbi, a Midianite woman who was killed during a plague that came as a result of this deception. The verse highlights the harm done to Israel through cunning actions and the resulting judgment.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, warning him about the ongoing threat from the Midianites after the Israelites had been led into sin at Peor. The verse refers to how the Midianites, through trickery and seduction, led the Israelites into idolatry and immorality, which brought about a deadly plague. Cozbi, mentioned here, was a leader’s daughter who played a direct role in this event and was killed as part of God’s judgment.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 25:18

  • "Vex" (צָרַר, tsarar, H6887) means to cause distress or trouble. Here, it emphasizes the active harm the Midianites brought upon Israel, not just annoyance but real danger.
  • "Wiles" (נִכְלָה, nikhlah, H5231) refers to cunning or deceitful schemes. This word shows that the Midianites’ actions were deliberate and crafty, not accidental.
  • "Beguiled" (נָכַל, nakhal, H5230) means to deceive or lead astray. The use of this word points to the intentional misleading of the Israelites, especially in the context of the Peor incident.
  • "Matter" (דָּבָר, davar, H1697) is a broad word meaning "thing," "matter," or "affair." In this verse, it refers to the specific incidents involving Peor and Cozbi, highlighting them as significant events.

Why Numbers 25:18 matters

  • Numbers 25:18 clarifies that the trouble Israel faced was not random but the result of intentional deception by the Midianites, helping the reader understand the seriousness of the conflict.
  • The verse connects the death of Cozbi and the plague directly to the events at Peor, making clear the consequences of Israel’s involvement with Midianite practices.
  • This verse sets up the reason for God’s later command to oppose the Midianites, showing that their actions were not just personal offenses but a threat to Israel’s relationship with God.

Where else these words appear

“Cozbi” Hebrew H3579 · used in 2 verses

  • Numbers 25:15 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.

“beguiled” Hebrew H5230 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 37:18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
  • Psalms 105:25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants.
  • Malachi 1:14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

“Peor” Hebrew H6465 · used in 4 verses

  • Numbers 23:28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
  • Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
  • Joshua 22:17 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,

“plague” Hebrew H4046 · used in 25 verses

  • Exodus 9:14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
  • Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
  • 1 Chronicles 21:22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.