The Skeptics Annotated Bible (155 page)

25
And Israel abode in Shittim, and
the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

(25.1) “
The people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.”

2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor:
and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel
.

(25.3)
“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.”

4 And
the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

(25.4) “
The LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.”

5 And
Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.

(25.5)
“Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.”

(25.6-9) While God is talking to Moses about hanging up the dead bodies, one of the Israelite men brings home a foreign woman. When “Phinehas (Aaron’s grandson) sees the happy couple he throws a spear “through the man … and the woman through her belly.” This act pleases God so much that “the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.” But not before 24,000 had died.
God’s 25th Killing

6 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.

7 And
when Phinehas
, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest,
saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;

(25.7)
“When Phinehas … saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand,”

8
And he
went after the man of Israel into the tent, and
thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

(25.8)
“And he … thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.”

9
And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

(25.9)
“And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.”
140 How many did God kill for “committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab”?

(25.10-13) For impaling the interracial couple, God rewards Phinehas and his sons with the everlasting priesthood.

10 And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(25.10)
“The LORD spake unto Moses, saying”

11
Phinehas
, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest,
hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel
, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

(25.11)
“Phinehas … hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel.”

12
Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: