People of the Bible

Phinehas (Levite)

Tribe of Levi

Family

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Son of Eleazar, the high priest (Ex. 6:25). While yet a youth he distinguished himself at Shittim by his zeal against the immorality into which the Moabites had tempted the people (Num. 25:1-9), and thus “stayed the plague” that had broken out among the people, and by which twenty-four thousand of them perished. For his faithfulness on that occasion he received the divine approbation (10-13). He afterwards commanded the army that went out against the Midianites (31:6-8). When representatives of the people were sent to expostulate with the two and a half tribes who, just after crossing Jordan, built an altar and departed without giving any explanation, Phinehas was their leader, and addressed them in the words recorded in Josh. 22:16-20. Their explanation follows. This great altar was intended to be all ages only a witness that they still formed a part of Israel. Phinehas was afterwards the chief adviser in the war with the Benjamites. He is commemorated in Ps. 106:30, 31.

From M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary (1893), in the public domain.

Named in 16 verses

Exodus: 6:25
Numbers: 25:7, 25:11, 31:6
Joshua: 22:13, 22:30, 22:31, 22:32, 24:33
Judges: 20:28
1 Chronicles: 6:4, 6:50, 9:20
Ezra: 7:5, 8:2
Psalms: 106:30

The family, dates and events on this page come from Theographic, a knowledge graph of the Bible by Robert Rouse, used and shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. It is a work in progress, and its dates follow one reconstruction of biblical chronology among several. The dictionary article above is separately in the public domain.