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.
For they trouble you with their tricks, which they used to deceive you in the incident at Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite prince, their countrywoman, who was killed on the day of the plague because of what happened at Peor.
God is explaining why the Israelites should treat the Midianites as enemies - because the Midianites had deceived them into sin at Peor, leading to God's judgment.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Numbers, the Israelites were encamped in the plains of Moab and began to intermarry with the Midianites, leading them to worship the pagan god Baal of Peor and engage in immoral practices, which provoked God's judgment through a deadly plague. This event highlighted the Midianites' deceptive tactics in luring the Israelites away from their covenant with God, including the specific case of Cozbi, a Midianite woman of noble birth, whose relationship with an Israelite man was a flashpoint for the crisis. The verse serves as a stern reminder of the ongoing threat posed by neighboring peoples who sought to undermine Israel's faithfulness.
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