Numbers 25:8 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

Into the tent, or brothel house; for since they gave way to such lewd practices, no doubt they singled out convenient places for their wickedness. Thrust both of them through; which is no warrant for private persons to take upon them the execution of justice upon any, though the greatest malefactors, because Phinehas was himself a man in great authority and power, and did this after the command given by Moses to the rulers to slay these transgressors, and in the very sight, and no doubt by the consent of Moses himself, and also by the special instinct and direction of God's Spirit. Through her belly, or in her brothel house, for the word is the same before used, and translated tent, and it may be called hers, because she chose or used that place for her wicked purposes, as the rest doubtless hid other places of like nature. The plague; either the pestilence, or some other sudden and grievous mortality.

Numbers 25:8

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.