Numbers 25:2-4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 These then invited the people to the sacrifices of their god, and the people ate of the sacrifices(A) and bowed down to their god. 3 Israel thereby attached itself to the Baal of Peor,(B) and the Lord’s anger flared up against Israel. 4 (C)The Lord said to Moses: Gather all the leaders of the people, and publicly execute them[a] before the Lord, that the blazing wrath of the Lord may turn away from Israel.
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- 25:4 Publicly execute them: the same phrase occurs in 2 Sm 21:6–14, where the context shows that at least a part of the penalty consisted in being denied honorable burial. In both passages, dismemberment or impalement (perhaps subsequent to the actual execution) as a punishment for the breaking of covenant pledges, is a possible interpretation of the Hebrew phrase.
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