# Numbers 25:8-9 — 23,000 or 24,000? Solving the Baal Peor Mystery

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bible-difficulties-and-answers-podcast-6715880/numbers-25-8-9-23-000-or-24-000-solving-the-baal-peor-mystery
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bible-difficulties-and-answers-podcast-6715880/numbers-25-8-9-23-000-or-24-000-solving-the-baal-peor-mystery.md
Podcast: [The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-bible-difficulties-and-answers-podcast-6715880)
Published: 2026-07-10T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://bibledifficultiesandanswers.podbean.com/e/23000-or-24000-solving-the-baal-peor-mystery/
Audio file: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/zpecjatdpgq78uas/Numbers_25_8-9_Why_does_this_verse_say_that_24_000_died_when_1_Corinthians_10_8_gives_a_different_number77c5v-vifipb-Optimized.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1353

## Resource

Host Lance Smith examines the apparent discrepancy between Numbers 25 and 1 Corinthians 10 about whether 23,000 or 24,000 Israelites died after the Baal Peor incident, explaining that Moses records the total deaths while Paul specifies that 23,000 fell in a single day. The episode reviews the background—Israel’s compromise with Moabite worship, Phinehas’ decisive action, and God’s judgment—and shows how careful reading resolves the numbers. The episode concludes with practical lessons: Paul’s purpose was pastoral, not statistical, urging believers to learn from Israel’s failure, resist gradual compromise, and rely on Christ’s mercy rather than human perfection. References to items discussed and/or used on this podcast may be found at the following: buymeacoffee.com/lancesmith The Bible Difficulties and Answers Website The Bible Difficulties and Answers Facebook Page Email Address: bibledifficultiesandanswers@gmail.com Geisler, Norman L., and Thomas Howe. The Big Book of Bible Difficulties. Baker Books, 1992. Available at: https://a.co/d/7shn4hI Lyons, Eric. "A Slip of the Mind?" Apologetics Press, 2001. https://apologeticspress.org/a-slip-of-the-mind-875/ Manning, Gary. "Were There 23,000 or 24,000 Slain?" Evidence Unseen. https://evidenceunseen.com/new-testament/1-corinthians/difficulties/were-there-23000-or-24000-slain/ Guzik, David. Numbers 25 Commentary. Enduring Word. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/numbers-25/ Mody, Rohintan. "Did Paul's Abacus Break? Numbers 25:9 and 1 Corinthians 10:7–10." Churchman 121, no. 1 (2007). https://www.churchsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cman_121_1_Mody.pdf "Why 24,000 vs. 23,000 Deaths?" Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/q/why_24,000_vs._23,000_deaths.htm "Israel's Whoredom as a Warning for Us (1 Corinthians 10:5–11…

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