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 Aaron
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). He killed an Israelite man, Zimri, and a Midianite woman, Cozbi, who were sleeping together (Num. 25:6-15). He thus "stayed the plague" that had broken out among the people, and by which twenty-four thousand of them perished. His faithfulness on that occasion received divine recognition, and he was appointed to lead a hereditary priesthood. 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.
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.
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 inreverence 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.ja:ピネハス