Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The seemingly simple number of twenty-four thousand who died in the plague hides a significant detail: it likely includes not only those struck directly by God's judgment but also those executed by human hands. This suggests that the community itself played a role in dealing with the sin, and both forms of death were considered part of the plague's devastating toll.
Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse concludes the account of a devastating plague that swept through Israel. The people had fallen into sin by joining themselves with the Moabites and worshipping Baal Peor, leading to God's judgment. The narrative highlights Phinehas's bold action to stop the plague and culminates in this stark number, revealing the immense cost of Israel's disobedience.
You might have noticed a number difference between this verse and a similar mention in the New Testament. What's going on there?
A Tale of Two Numbers
This verse states that 24,000 Israelites died in a plague. However, the Apostle Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians 10:8, mentions that 23,000 fell. How do we reconcile these numbers?
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Twenty-four thousand people. That's a staggering number. What does this immense loss tell us about the gravity of sin in God's eyes?
A Grim Reminder
This plague was not a minor incident; it was a catastrophic event. The sheer scale of the loss underscores a crucial biblical truth: God takes sin very seriously.
The staggering number of deaths highlights the severity of Israel's sin and God's judgment, serving as a stark warning against spiritual and moral compromise. The slight difference in numbers between Moses' account and Paul's in the New Testament is often reconciled by noting that Paul might have focused on those who died 'in one day' by plague, while Moses included those executed by human authority.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Camp at Shittim
The Israelites are encamped in the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River, adjacent to the town of Shittim. This proximity to Moabite territory sets the stage for the events that follow.
c. 1400 BC
Moabite Women Incite Idolatry and Immorality
Moabite and Midianite women begin to entice the Israelite men, leading them into sexual immorality and worship of the Moabite god Baal of Peor.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Phinehas Executes Zimri and Cozbi
In a dramatic act of zeal, Phinehas, a priest, confronts and kills an Israelite man, Zimri, and a Midianite woman, Cozbi, who were openly sinning. This act stops the widespread plague.
c. 1400 BC
Divine Judgment and Plague
A plague breaks out among the Israelites as a direct consequence of their widespread sin and idolatry, resulting in a massive loss of life.
c. 1400 BC
God Commands Vengeance on Midianites
Following the incident at Shittim, God instructs Moses to vex and strike the Midianites for their role in seducing the Israelites into sin.
The Apostle Paul uses this event as a stark warning against sexual immorality and idolatry, though he notes a slightly different number of those who died, prompting reflection on the precision of historical accounts versus their spiritual significance.
Psalm 106:30-31This psalm recounts Phinehas's zealous act and God's approval, highlighting his divine commission and the establishment of his covenant of peace, reinforcing the theme of divine justice and priestly intercession.
Leviticus 26:14-17This passage outlines God's curses for disobedience, including plagues and pestilence, paralleling the judgment described in Numbers 25 as a consequence of Israel's sin and rebellion against God.
Galatians 5:19-21The apostle lists 'sexual immorality, impurity, and idolatry' as works of the flesh that exclude one from the Kingdom of God, directly reflecting the sins that led to the plague in Numbers 25.
gillNumbers 25:9: "And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand."
And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. The apostle says 23,000 1 Corinthians 10:8 . Moses includes those that were hanged against the sun, in the time of the plague, as well as those that were taken off by it, even all that died on this account; the apostle only those that "fell", which cannot with propriety be said of those that were hanged, who might be 1000 and so their numbers agree; b…
pooleNumbers 25:9: "And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand."
Object. They were but 23,000, 1 Corinthians 10:8 . Answ. The odd thousand here added were slain by the judges according to the order of Moses, the rest by the immediate hand of God, but both sorts died of the plague , the word being used, as oft it is, for the sword, or hand, or stroke of God.
The seemingly simple number of twenty-four thousand who died in the plague hides a significant detail: it likely includes not only those struck directly by God's judgment but also those executed by human hands. This suggests that the community itself played a role in dealing with the sin, and both forms of death were considered part of the plague's devastating toll.
This verse concludes the account of a devastating plague that swept through Israel. The people had fallen into sin by joining themselves with the Moabites and worshipping Baal Peor, leading to God's judgment. The narrative highlights Phinehas's bold action to stop the plague and culminates in this stark number, revealing the immense cost of Israel's disobedience.
This verse concludes the account of a devastating plague that swept through Israel. The people had fallen into sin by joining themselves with the Moabites and worshipping Baal Peor, leading to God's judgment. The narrative highlights Phinehas's bold action to stop the plague and culminates in this stark number, revealing the immense cost of Israel's disobedience.
"Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand." — The seemingly simple number of twenty-four thousand who died in the plague hides a significant detail: it likely includes not only those struck directly by God's judgment but also those executed by h…
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Last reviewed October 2026