John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Numbers 25 The contents of this chapter are, the sin of the people of Israel, their whoredom and idolatry, Numbers 25:1, their punishment for it, multitudes being slain, Numbers 25:4, whose number is given, Numbers 25:9, the zeal of Phinehas in slaying two notorious offenders, Numbers 25:6, whose names are observed, Numbers 25:14 for which he is commended, and the covenant of...
John Gill
And Israel abode in Shittim,.... A place in the plains of Moab, so called from the shittim wood, which grew here in great abundance, so often mentioned in the building of the tabernacle; which was a sort of white thorn, or rather the acacia tree, since there was scarcely any thing else grew in the deserts of Arabia, [See comments on Exodus 25:5] its full name was Abelshittim, Numbers 33:49, here...
Matthew Henry
Israel, having escaped the curse of Balaam, here sustains a great deal of damage and reproach by the counsel of Balaam, who, it seems, before he left Balak, put him into a more effectual way than that which Balak thought of to separate between the Israelites and their God. "The Lord will not be prevailed with by Balaam's charms to ruin them; try if they will not be prevailed with by the charms of...