📖 Biblical Definition
Grandson of Aaron, son of Eleazar (Exodus 6:25). Third high priest of Israel after Aaron and Eleazar, active in the late wilderness generation and into the early conquest period (Numbers 25; 31; Joshua 22; Judges 20:28). Phinehas is most famous for his zealous act at Baal-peor in Numbers 25. When Israel had joined herself unto Baal-peor in idolatrous and sexual sin with the daughters of Moab, when twenty-four thousand had died in plague, and when an Israelite man Zimri brought a Midianite woman Cozbi into his tent in defiance of the LORD's command, Phinehas took a javelin in his hand, went after them into the tent, and thrust both of them through. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel (Numbers 25:10-13). The plague was stayed. Phinehas later led the punitive expedition against the Midianites (Numbers 31:6) and the priestly delegation that confronted the Transjordanian tribes over their altar (Joshua 22). His covenant of an everlasting priesthood is celebrated in Psalm 106:30-31 (Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore). The figure is the OT model of priestly zeal that loves the LORD's holiness more than the political comfort of letting open covenant-breach go unaddressed.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Third high priest of Israel after Aaron and Eleazar (Numbers 25; 31; Joshua 22; Judges 20:28); zealous executor of Zimri and Cozbi at Baal-peor; granted the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.
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PHINEHAS, proper n. (OT priest) Grandson of Aaron, son of Eleazar. Third high priest of Israel after Aaron and Eleazar. Active in the late wilderness generation and into the early conquest period (Numbers 25; 31; Joshua 22; Judges 20:28). At Baal-peor, when Israel had joined herself to Baal in idolatrous and sexual sin and twenty-four thousand had died in plague, Phinehas thrust Zimri and Cozbi through with a javelin in the tent; the plague was stayed. The LORD granted him the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel (Numbers 25:13). Celebrated in Psalm 106:30-31. Led the punitive expedition against the Midianites; led the priestly delegation against the Transjordanian altar at Geliloth. OT model of priestly zeal for the LORD's holiness.
📖 Key Scripture
Numbers 25:10-13 — "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel."
Psalm 106:30-31 — "Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore."
Numbers 31:6 — "And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand."
Joshua 22:30-31 — "And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the LORD is among us."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
No major postmodern redefinition. Phinehas's zealous act is sometimes morally caricatured by modern readers as violent extremism; the patriarchal-Reformed reading recovers it as the OT model of priestly zeal for the LORD's holiness.
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Phinehas as a proper name does not undergo lexical corruption. The principal contemporary moral caricature is the soft-evangelical and broadly progressive reading that treats Phinehas's act as inappropriate violent extremism, a relic of pre-civilized religious life that cannot be received as exemplary. The biblical text is firm in the opposite direction. The LORD Himself names Phinehas's act as making atonement (Numbers 25:13), grants him the covenant of an everlasting priesthood for it, and Psalm 106:31 counts it to him for righteousness unto all generations. The patriarchal-Reformed reading receives the act as the OT model of priestly zeal that loves the LORD's holiness more than the political comfort of letting flagrant covenant-breach go unaddressed. The New Covenant church does not execute idolaters with javelins; the new-covenant equivalent is faithful ecclesial discipline, the bold preaching of repentance, and the church's refusal to bless what the LORD curses.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Third high priest after Aaron and Eleazar; Baal-peor execution; covenant of an everlasting priesthood; Numbers 25; 31; Joshua 22.
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['Hebrew', 'H6372', 'Pinechas', 'possibly mouth of brass, oracle, or Egyptian-derived the Nubian']
['Hebrew', 'H7068', "qana'", 'to be zealous (Numbers 25:11, 13)']
['Hebrew', 'H1285', 'berit shalom', 'covenant of peace (Numbers 25:12)']
Usage
"Third high priest of Israel; grandson of Aaron."
"Executed Zimri and Cozbi at Baal-peor; the plague was stayed."
"Granted the covenant of an everlasting priesthood for his zeal."