“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.”
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 — Moses explains the theological necessity: the Midianite women were the instruments of seduction at Peor (ch. 25), with Balaam's demonic counsel behind it. The "plague" (24,000 dead) demonstrates the severity of the covenant breach and justifies the severity of retribution. Balaam's name, though executed in v. 8, is invoked here to clarify his culpability.
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