Phinehas
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Phinehas or Pinhas - פִּינְחָס, Standard Hebrew Pinəḥas, Tiberian Hebrew Pînəħās is a name shared by two characters in the Hebrew Bible.
Grandson of Son of Eleazar, the high priest (Exodus 6:25). As a youth he distinguished himself at Shittim by his zeal against the Heresy of Peor: the immorality into which the Moabites had tempted the people (Num. 25:1-9) with prostitutes and/or priestesses dedicated to Baal-peor.
Pinehas killed an Israelite man, Zimri, and a Midianite woman, [Cozbi]], who were cohabiting (Num. 25:6-15) at the entrance of the Holy Temple. In a moment of great strength born of holy zeal, he was able to run them both through with the same spear while they were apparently in coitus. He thus "stayed the plague" that had broken out among the people, and by which twenty-four thousand of them had already perished. God declared that Pinehas was to receive divine recognition, and he was appointed to lead a hereditary priesthood.
According to some interpretations the heresy itself was orchestrated by the Midianite prophet Balaam, who had been hired by the Moabite chieftain, Balak, to curse the Jews (events narrated in the previous chapter). Balaam failed to do so, as God had literally put words in his mouth of blessing for Israel instead (the first prayer said by Jews as part of their daily prayer service comes from this exact text). However the text does not mention Balaam's involvement.
This story has been used in modern times as an argument against interracial couples, notably by some Christian Identity believers under the banner of the Phineas Priesthood. The story of snow-white Miriam has been used in support of the opposite position.
In fact the Midianites were an Abrahamic tribe. Midian was a direct descendant of Abraham from his third wife, Kehas. Moses' own wife, Ziporah, was also a Midianite; Moses fled to Midian after slaying the Egyptian taskmaster and took Jethro's daughter, Ziporah, as a wife before returning to Egypt to free the Jews. The text of Numbers stresses that the issue was the desecration of the Temple; two Jews cohabiting in the Temple doorway would also have been offensive, as would any incidence of idolatry.
Phinehas son of Eleazar appears again in the book of Joshua. When the tribes of Reuben and Gad, together with the half-tribe of Manasseh, depart to take possession of their lands beyond the Jordan, they build a great altar on the other side; the remainder of the Israelites mistake this for a separatist move to set up a new religious centre, and send Phinehas to investigate (Joshua 22:9-34).
In addition to these episodes, Phinehas appears as commander of an army that went out against the Midianites (Num. 31:6-8), and as the chief adviser in the war with the Benjamites. He is commemorated in Psalm 106:28-31.
According to [1 Chronicles 6:4-8], his relation to Zadok is the following: Phinehas begat Abishua, Abishua begat Bukki, Bukki begat Uzzi, Uzzi begat Zerahiah, Zerahiah begat Meraioth, Meraioth begat Amariah, Amariah begat Ahitub, and Ahitub begat Zadok.
Pinchas is the name of the 41st weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the eighth in the book of Numbers. The beginning of this parshah tells the judgement of Phinehas son of Eleazar; the end of the previous parshah tells of his zealous act.
According to Jewish legend, Pinehas was an early incarnation of the prophet Elijah.
Son of Eli the Judge
One of the sons of Eli, the high priest (1 Sam. 1:3; 2:12). He and his brother Hophni were guilty of irreverence in doing their priestly duties, for which destruction came on the house of Eli (1 Samuel 2:31). He died in battle with the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:4, 11); and his wife, on hearing of his death, gave birth to a son, whom she called "Ichabod," and then she died (1 Sam. 4:19-22).Source
- This entry incorporates text from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.
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