Lexical Definition

‎פִּינְחָס‎ Pîynᵉchâç (pee-nekh-aws') Phinehas ^N:N-M-P
apparently from ‎פֶּה‎ and a variation of ‎נָחָשׁ‎; mouth of a serpent

Phinehas.

• § Phinehas = "mouth of brass"
• Pinechas, the name of three Israelites

1) son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron; his zealousness for the Lord averted a plague on Israel and gained him the promise of the Lord of an everlasting priesthood in his family
2) a priest and the son of the priest Eli
3) the father of a helper of Ezra

Extended Information

• A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.25
• son of: Eleazar (אֶלְעָזָר) and the daughter_of_Putiel (פּוּטִיאֵל)
• father of: Abishua (אֲבִישׁוּעַ)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎פִּינְחָס‎₂₅ proper name, masculine (Egyptian Pe-nehasi, the negro, according to Lauth^{Moses (1868). 71, ZMG xxv (1871), 130 f.} compare Nes^{Eg 112,} AJSL xiii (1897) 174 Baen^{Exod 6:25}, yet see Di); —

1. grandson of Aaron, Φ(ε)ινεες, Exod 6:25; Num 25:7 + 16 t.

2. son of Eli 1Sam 1:3 ( ‎פְִּנְחָס‎), 1Sam 2:34; 1Sam 4:4; 1Sam 4:11; 1Sam 4:17; 1Sam 4:19; 1Sam 14:3.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • A High Priest • Aaron's grandson; zealous priest who opposed idolatry

High Priest living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness

Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was a priest known for his zeal in opposing idolatry and turning away God's wrath from Israel.

• A High Priest from the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.25;
• only referred to as Phinehas פִּינְחָס;
• a son of Eleazar אֶלְעָזָר and the daughter_of_Putiel פּוּטִיאֵל;
• father of Abishua אֲבִישׁוּעַ.

Phinehas was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel (Exodus 6:25). He is most remembered for his zealous act of killing an Israelite man and a Midianite woman who were engaging in sexual immorality and idolatry, thus turning away God's wrath from the people (Numbers 25:7-11). As a result, God granted Phinehas and his descendants a covenant of perpetual priesthood (Numbers 25:12-13; Psalm 106:30-31).

Phinehas also played important roles in other events. He was sent along with other leaders to confront the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh regarding an altar they had built, which was seen as a potential act of rebellion against God (Joshua 22:13-32). He served as a priest during the time of the judges and was consulted before the Israelites went to battle against the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20:28).

Phinehas was succeeded by his son Abishua in the line of high priests (1 Chronicles 6:4-5, 50). He was remembered as a faithful priest who had charge of the gatekeepers in the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9:20) and was part of Ezra's lineage (Ezra 7:5; 8:2).

All entries for Phinehas: פִּינְחָס

Related Profiles:

• Eleazar (father)
• daughter_of_Putiel (mother)
• Abishua (child)