Original Word: כֹּזבִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration: Kozbiy
Pronunciation: KOZ-bee
Phonetic Spelling: (koz-bee')
KJV: Cozbi
NASB: Cozbi
Word Origin: [from H3576 (כָּזַב - lie)]

1. false
2. Cozbi, a Midianitess

Cozbi

From kazab; false; Cozbi, a Midianitess -- Cozbi.

see HEBREW kazab

Word Origin
from kazab
Definition
a woman of Midian
NASB Translation
Cozbi (2).

כָּזְבִּי proper name, feminine a woman of Midian Numbers 25:15,18, ᵐ5 Ξασβ(ε)ι.

Name and Identity

Cozbi is introduced in Numbers 25:15 as “the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.” Her lineage indicates political importance: she was not a common woman but part of the ruling class. Her name, echoing the idea of falsehood or deception, fits the role she plays in a calculated attempt to draw Israel into compromise.

Historical Setting

Israel is encamped on the plains of Moab, poised to enter the Promised Land. Balak, king of Moab, has already hired Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22–24). When that plot fails, a subtler tactic emerges: Moabite and Midianite women entice Israelite men, leading them into sexual immorality and the worship of Baal of Peor (Numbers 25:1-3). The resulting plague claims twenty-four thousand lives (Numbers 25:9).

Biblical Narrative

Cozbi publicly enters the Israelite camp with Zimri son of Salu (an Israelite leader from the Simeonite clan). Their brazen union—occurring “in the sight of Moses and of the whole congregation of Israel” (Numbers 25:6)—embodies the alliance between immorality and idolatry that threatened Israel’s covenant fidelity. Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, puts both Zimri and Cozbi to death with a single spear thrust (Numbers 25:7-8). His decisive act halts the plague and earns him an everlasting priestly covenant (Numbers 25:10-13).

Numbers 25:15 records, “The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.”

Numbers 25:18 adds that the Midianites “harass you with their wiles… in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi… who was killed on the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.”

Theological Themes

1. Holiness and Zeal: Cozbi’s account showcases the need for uncompromising holiness among God’s people. Phinehas’ zeal illustrates righteous indignation that safeguards communal purity (compare Psalm 106:28-31).
2. The Interlock of Idolatry and Immorality: The narrative links physical seduction with spiritual apostasy, a pattern later denounced by the prophets (Hosea 4:12-14) and by Paul (“Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did,” 1 Corinthians 10:8).
3. Leadership Accountability: Both participants are leaders’ children—Zimri from Simeon, Cozbi from Midian. Their downfall warns that status never exempts anyone from divine standards.
4. Covenant Protection: The plague ends not by human strategy but by atoning zeal that points forward to the final atonement accomplished by Christ (Hebrews 9:26).

Lessons for Ministry Today

• Guard the flock against syncretism; subtle alliances with the world can devastate a congregation faster than open persecution.
• Address sin promptly and biblically. Delay would have prolonged the plague; timely intervention restored blessing.
• Teach the inseparability of moral and doctrinal purity. Sexual ethics and worship integrity rise or fall together.
• Cultivate leaders who, like Phinehas, value God’s honor above personal security or popularity.

Cross-References and Later Echoes

• Revelation 2:14 recalls “the teaching of Balaam” that “enticed the Israelites to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols,” alluding to the Peor incident that included Cozbi.
• Joshua 13:21 lists Zur among Midian’s princes defeated under Moses, showing the long-term consequences of the Peor conspiracy.
• Psalm 106:28-31 praises Phinehas’ intervention, embedding the episode in Israel’s worship memory.

Summary of Significance

Cozbi occupies only two verses yet epitomizes the danger of seductive compromise with pagan culture. Her fate, juxtaposed with Phinehas’ reward, underscores a timeless principle: God’s covenant community flourishes when sin is confronted and holiness upheld.

כָּזְבִּ֣י כָּזְבִּ֨י כזבי kā·zə·bî kazeBi kāzəbîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts