Bible Figure
Phinehas
Third high priest of Israel
Phinehas son of Eleazar was a priest whose zeal during the Baal-peor crisis stopped a plague and brought a covenant promise concerning his priestly line.
Biography
Numbers 25 recounts Phinehas killing an Israelite man and Midianite woman who defiantly brought sexual immorality and idolatry into Israel's camp. The plague stopped, and God commended Phinehas's zeal and promised a covenant of peace and enduring priesthood. He later accompanied Israel's campaign against Midian and helped investigate the eastern tribes' altar in Joshua 22, where he welcomed their explanation and helped avert civil conflict.
Biblical Significance
Phinehas combines zeal for God's holiness with later careful mediation among Israel's tribes. His priestly line became important in Israel's subsequent history.