Phinehas: Mouth of brass, or from old Egypt, the negro.1. Son of Eleazar, the high priest
(Exodus 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
(Numbers 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
(Numbers 25:10-13) He afterwards commanded the
army that went out against the Midianites
(Numbers 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
(Joshua 22:13-20) 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
(Psalms 106:30,31)
(See ED)
2. One of the sons of Eli, the high priest
(1 Samuel 1:3; 2:12) He and his
brother Hophni were guilty of great crimes, for which
destruction came on the house of Eli
(1 Samuel 31:1) ff. He died in
battle with the Philistines
(1 Samuel 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 Samuel 4:19-22).
(See HOPHNI)
