Zimri

Zimri, a prince of a Simeonite ancestral house, appears briefly but decisively in the account of Israel’s apostasy at Shittim: he brings a Midianite woman into the assembly’s sight and is killed with her by Phinehas, an act after which the plague is stayed.

The Peor Crisis

While Israel was staying at Shittim, people began sexual relations with Moabite women and were invited to their gods’ sacrifices; they ate and bowed down to those gods. Israel joined itself to Baal-peor, and the LORD’s anger was kindled. Moses instructed Israel’s judges to kill those who had joined themselves to Baal-peor, while the people wept at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Against this public scene of mourning and judgment, an Israelite brought a Midianite woman to his brethren in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation. Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, saw them, took a spear, followed the man into the chamber, and thrust both through. The account then identifies the slain Israelite as Zimri, son of Salu, a prince of a Simeonite ancestral house; the woman was Cozbi, daughter of Zur, a chief in a Midianite ancestral house.

Death and Consequences

The narrative gives no further speech or action to Zimri: his significance lies in the public circumstances of his death, which closes the immediate plague episode. After Phinehas killed the pair, the plague was stayed; twenty-four thousand people had died from it.

The LORD declared that Phinehas had turned divine wrath away from Israel through his zeal, and granted him a covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood for his descendants. The account then directs Israel to harass the Midianites, citing their entanglement with Israel in the Peor crisis and the death of Cozbi. Zimri’s death thus stands within a sequence joining apostasy, plague, violent intervention, and renewed conflict with Midian.