The name that is transliterated as “Midian” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that depicts Moses fleeing to Midian (see Exodus 2:15, combined with a sign for the region. (Source: Missão Kophós )
Because of the social position of both Zimri and Cozbi, their sexual-religious encounter had wider implications: they became a model for the immoral and idolatrous merger of the two peoples, Israel and Midian (or Moab, hence any non-Israelite people), which is punished and condemned in this chapter. The details regarding their names and families are placed here at the end of the account so that they do not deflect from the main point of the narrative, which is the sin of infidelity to the LORD. Furthermore, “Listing the names at the end of the narrative gives them a certain emphasis” (Ashley, page 524). Since these two individuals were from leading families in both nations, they should have behaved better. Since verses 14-15 do not continue the narrative, but rather give background information, they may need to be specially marked as a parenthesis.
The name of the slain man of Israel, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu …: For the Hebrew verb rendered slain (literally “struck”), see the comments on 3.13, where it is translated “slew.” It is repeated here for emphasis. Good News Translation removes this emphasis by beginning verse 14 with “The name of the Israelite who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu….”
Head of a fathers’ house belonging to the Simeonites describes Zimri, not his father. The Hebrew word for head is nasiʾ, which refers to a prominent and distinguished leader, for example, a sheikh (see the comments on 1.16), so it is better rendered “chief” (Revised English Bible) or “chieftain” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). A fathers’ house is literally “a father’s house.” The Hebrew word for “father” is singular. New Revised Standard Version keeps the singular by saying “an ancestral house” (see the comments on 1.2). The Hebrew phrase rendered head of a fathers’ house also occurs in 3.24, 30, 35. The Simeonites refers to “the tribe of Simeon” (Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version renders this whole phrase as “one of the leaders of the Simeon tribe” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie), which seems to miss the point that Zimri was actually the chief of one of the extended families within that tribe, and not simply a member of the leadership committee of the tribe as a whole. The Reubenites and the Levites rebelled in chapter 16, but this time a descendant of Simeon, the other son who was cursed by Jacob in Gen 49.3-7, was involved in a rebellious act (so Douglas, pages 203-207).
And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi the daughter of Zur …: The name Cozbi is quite significant in the narrative since its Hebrew root (k z b) means “to deceive/lie” or “to be voluptuous.” Sexual attractiveness or sexual vigor was an attribute of some fertility goddesses (so Sherwood, page 181). Her father Zur is referred to as a “king” in 31.8.
Who was the head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian: Here the Hebrew word for head is roʾsh, as in 1.4. A fathers’ house is literally “a father’s house,” as in the previous verse. The Hebrew word for people (ʾummah) is literally “peoples.” This word does not occur frequently in the Old Testament, so it not clear how it should be connected to the rest of this clause. Translations connect it in different ways; for example, New Revised Standard Version has “who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian.” Revised English Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh are similar with “who/he was the tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.” Bible en français courant, on the other hand, translates “[he] was chief of several clans of a Midianite tribe.” In any case, Cozbi was the daughter of somebody who had an important position among the Midianite people. The unusual expression here seems to be another indication of this.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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