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.
Look, these women caused the Israelites to sin against the LORD by following Balaam's advice in the incident at Peor, and because of this a deadly plague struck the LORD's people.
This verse explains that certain Midianite women, following Balaam's counsel, led Israel into sin at Peor, which brought God's judgment through a plague.
📚 Historical Context
This refers to the incident at Baal-Peor where Israelite men were seduced by Moabite and Midianite women into worshipping false gods and committing sexual immorality (Numbers 25). Balaam, the prophet who couldn't curse Israel directly, had advised these nations to entice Israel into sin as a way to bring God's judgment upon them. The plague that followed killed 24,000 Israelites.
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