Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Phinehas

This is an article from the public domain Easton's Bible Dictionary, originally published in 1897.\nThis article is written from a nineteenth century Christian viewpoint, and may not reflect modern opinions or recent discoveries in Biblical scholarship.\nPlease help the Wikipedia by bringing this article up to date. Phinehas - mouth of brass, or from old Egypt, the negro. (1.) Son of\nEleazar, the high priest (Ex. 6:25). While yet a youth he\ndistinguished himself at Shittim by his zeal against the\nimmorality into which the Moabites had tempted the people (Num.\n25:1-9), and thus "stayed the plague" that had broken out among\nthe people, and by which twenty-four thousand of them perished.\nFor his faithfulness on that occasion he received the divine\napprobation (10-13). He afterwards commanded the army that went\nout against the Midianites (31:6-8). When representatives of the\npeople were sent to expostulate with the two and a half tribes\nwho, just after crossing Jordan, built an altar and departed\nwithout giving any explanation, Phinehas was their leader, and\naddressed them in the words recorded in Josh. 22:16-20. Their\nexplanation follows. This great altar was intended to be all\nages only a witness that they still formed a part of Israel.\nPhinehas was afterwards the chief adviser in the war with the\nBenjamites. He is commemorated in Ps. 106:30, 31. (See ED.) (2.) One of the sons of Eli, the high priest (1 Sam. 1:3;\n2:12). He and his brother Hophni were guilty of great crimes,\nfor which destruction came on the house of Eli (31). He died in\nbattle with the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:4, 11); and his wife, on\nhearing of his death, gave birth to a son, whom she called\n"Ichabod," and then she died (19-22). From Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)