The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What strikes me here is that Zimri wasn't just any Israelite; he was a "prince," a leader of a prominent family within the tribe of Simeon. His public transgression and subsequent death served as a stark, high-profile example of the gravity of sin, highlighting that even those in positions of influence are not above divine judgment, and underscoring Phinehas's bold courage in confronting such a significant figure.
The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a devastating plague that struck down 24,000 Israelites for their participation in idolatrous immorality with Moabite women, Phinehas dramatically intervened by executing one of the offenders. This verse names that Israelite as Zimri, a prominent leader from the tribe of Simeon, highlighting both his high standing and the severity of the divine judgment that followed his defiance. The narrative immediately before details the people's sin and weeping, while after this verse, God commands Israel to attack the Midianites for their role in seducing them.
Why does the Bible name this specific man, Zimri? It wasn't just any Israelite who fell into sin with a Midianite woman.
Numbers 25:14 deliberately names Zimri, the son of Salu, as a 'prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.' This wasn't a random act; Zimri held a position of significant influence within his tribe.
The Danger of High Places
Why immortalize a name associated with such blatant sin and judgment? This verse serves as a stark warning.
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The inclusion of Zimri's name isn't just for historical record; it's a deliberate act of divine justice and a lasting memorial.
Infamy as a Warning
The specific naming of Zimri, a prince of Simeon, highlights the gravity of his sin and the high cost of idolatry and sexual impurity, especially when it affects leaders and results in divine judgment.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Camped at Shittim
While camped in the plains of Moab, many Israelites began to engage in illicit sexual relations with Moabite women and participate in their idolatrous worship of Baal-peor.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Phinehas Executes Zimri and Cozbi
In a dramatic act of zeal, Phinehas the priest spears Zimri, an Israelite prince of the tribe of Simeon, and Cozbi, a Midianite woman, as they were engaged in sexual sin. This act stopped a plague that was ravaging the Israelites.
c. 1400 BC
God Commands Vexation of Midianites
Following the plague and the incident with Zimri and Cozbi, God instructs the Israelites to harass and strike the Midianites for their role in seducing Israel into sin.
c. 1370 BC
Census of Simeon
A census taken shortly after the events at Shittim shows a significant decrease in the tribe of Simeon's population, likely due to their heavy involvement in the sin of Baal-peor.
This passage directly alludes to the event in Numbers 25, stating that some Israelites died in a plague due to sexual immorality, reinforcing the severe consequences of such sin.
Jude 1:7Jude uses the example of Sodom and Gomorrah and those like them who 'indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural vice' to warn against similar destructive paths, echoing the sin and judgment seen in Numbers 25.
Psalm 106:30-31This psalm recounts the story of Phinehas and his zealous act, highlighting how his action was counted to him as righteousness and brought peace, offering a theological interpretation of the event.
Romans 6:23The wages of sin is death, a fundamental truth powerfully illustrated in Numbers 25 where the sin of sexual immorality and idolatry led to a devastating plague and individual death, including Zimri's.
pooleNumbers 25:14: "Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites."
A prince: this is added as a proof of Phinehas’s zeal, that he durst venture upon so great a person, who was likely to have many avengers of his blood. Of a chief house, Heb. of the house of his father . Every tribe was divided into great households, called the houses of their fathers , Numbers 1:2 , and he was…
ellicottNumbers 25:14: "Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites."
(14) A prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.— Better, of a father’s house, &c. It is probable that the tribe of Simeon was deeply implicated in the transgression, and that those who belonged to that tribe were the chief sufferers in the plague. (See Numbers 26:14 , and Note.)
What strikes me here is that Zimri wasn't just any Israelite; he was a "prince," a leader of a prominent family within the tribe of Simeon. His public transgression and subsequent death served as a stark, high-profile example of the gravity of sin, highlighting that even those in positions of influence are not above divine judgment, and underscoring Phinehas's bold courage in confronting such a significant figure.
Following a devastating plague that struck down 24,000 Israelites for their participation in idolatrous immorality with Moabite women, Phinehas dramatically intervened by executing one of the offenders. This verse names that Israelite as Zimri, a prominent leader from the tribe of Simeon, highlighting both his high standing and the severity of the divine judgment that followed his defiance. The narrative immediately before details the people's sin and weeping, while after this verse, God commands Israel to attack the Midianites for their role in seducing them.
Following a devastating plague that struck down 24,000 Israelites for their participation in idolatrous immorality with Moabite women, Phinehas dramatically intervened by executing one of the offenders. This verse names that Israelite as Zimri, a prominent leader from the tribe of Simeon, highlighting both his high standing and the severity of the divine judgment that followed his defiance. The narrative immediately before details the people's sin and weeping, while after this verse, God commands Israel to attack the Midianites for their role in seducing them.
"The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father’s house belonging to the Simeonites." — What strikes me here is that Zimri wasn't just any Israelite; he was a "prince," a leader of a prominent family within the tribe of Simeon. His public transgression and subsequent death served as a s…
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Last reviewed October 2026