It just dawned on me: The way an Israelite got married was by taking a woman into his home/tent. When Zimri did that with a Midianitess, he was killed by Phinehas for it. Where was the standard set forth that they could not marry Midianite women on pain of death? Maybe it was there and I just missed it...
Wasn't Moses married to a Midianitess as well? Or was there a double standard even back then? Of course, Moses took his wife before getting the law so I guess that made it ok.
I wonder what the real motive of Phinehas was. Was he really that offended by Zimri marrying a Midianitess or was he jealous that he wasn't getting any?
I always thought he was out of line and thus guilty of murder.
Fornication is not a captial offense under the Law; only adultery, because marriage/engagements are a property issue not a sexual morality issue.
Which is interesting because the WTS spins it such that fornication is a capital offense and is a sexual morality issue. The account of the Israelite and his lady-friend being run through with a spear whilst engaging in intercourse was turned into the Dramaâ„¢ that scared the bejeebers out of me when I was a teenager.
The way an Israelite got married was by taking a woman to his tent/home. If he took her into Phinehas' tent I could understand how it played out, 'cause that just isn't cool, but it seems from the text like it was Zimri's tent. So why did Phinehas go bustin' in on a brotha' like that? Zimri was on his honeymoon!
I wonder what the real motive of Phinehas was. Was he really that offended by Zimri marrying a Midianitess or was he jealous that he wasn't getting any?
That totally explains why Phineas on the drama tape groans so heavily!