The verse stands within the history of Israel's national apostasy at Baal-peor. There the people joined in heathen worship and sexual rites until the apostasy became national and God's wrath was kindled against them. Its teaching lies in that setting rather than in any exposition of its particular words. It forms the opening of the Lord's word to Moses directing that Israel was to punish the Midianites. That punishment was ordered because the Midianites had by deceit led the people into sin and disobedience to God's commandments. It was ordered because they had enticed Israel into disobedience to God's commandments and into idolatry, as part of God's dealing with Israel's sin at Baal-peor.
The verse stands within the history of Israel's national apostasy at Baal-peor. There the people joined in heathen worship and sexual rites until the apostasy became national and God's wrath was kindled against them. Its teaching lies in that setting rather than in any exposition of its particular words. It forms the opening of the Lord's word to Moses directing that Israel was to punish the Midianites. That punishment was ordered because the Midianites had by deceit led the people into sin and disobedience to God's commandments. It was ordered because they had enticed Israel into disobedience to God's commandments and into idolatry, as part of God's dealing with Israel's sin at Baal-peor.