Who was Phinehas in the Bible?
High Priest, during the years in Egypt and the wilderness
Phinehas was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel (Exo.6.25). Phinehas appears in 19 verses across 7 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Phinehas for 2 different people. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Phinehas, son of Eleazar
Phinehas was the son of Eleazar and the grandson of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel (Exo.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 (Num.25.7-11). As a result, God granted Phinehas and his descendants a covenant of perpetual priesthood (Num.25.12-13; Psalm Num.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 (Jos.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 (Jdg.20.28). Phinehas was succeeded by his son Abishua in the line of high priests (1Ch.6.4-5, 50). He was remembered as a faithful priest who had charge of the gatekeepers in the tabernacle (1Ch.9.20) and was part of Ezra's lineage (Ezr.7.5; 8.2).
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Phinehas, son of Eli
Phinehas was one of the two sons of Eli, the priest who served in the tabernacle at Shiloh (1Sa.1.3). Along with his brother Hophni, Phinehas was described as a worthless man who did not know the Lord (1Sa.2.12). They abused their priestly duties by taking more than their share of the sacrificial meat and engaging in sexual immorality with the women who served at the entrance of the tabernacle (1Sa.2.13-17, 22). Eli rebuked his sons for their wicked behavior, but they did not listen (1Sa.2.22-25). As a result, a prophecy was given to Eli that his two sons would die on the same day (1Sa.2.34). This prophecy was fulfilled when the Philistines defeated the Israelites in battle, captured the Ark of the Covenant, and killed Hophni and Phinehas (1Sa.4.11). Upon hearing the news of his sons' deaths and the capture of the Ark, Eli fell backward, broke his neck, and died (1Sa.4.17-18). Phinehas' wife, who was pregnant, went into labor and died after giving birth to a son named Ichabod, which means "the glory has departed from Israel" (1Sa.4.19-22).
5 verses: 1 Samuel 2:34, 1 Samuel 4:11, 1 Samuel 4:17, 1 Samuel 4:19, 1 Samuel 14:3
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Where does Phinehas appear in the Bible?
Phinehas is referenced in 19 verses across 7 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Chronicles 6:4
- 1 Chronicles 6:50
- 1 Chronicles 9:20
- Ezra 7:5
- Ezra 8:2
- Judges 20:28
- Joshua 22:13
- Joshua 22:30
- Joshua 22:31
- Joshua 22:32
- Numbers 25:7
- Numbers 25:11
- Numbers 31:6
- Psalms 106:30
Showing the first 14 of 19.
Open all 19 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Phinehas.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Phinehas?
Phinehas refers to 2 different people in the Bible: Phinehas, son of Eleazar; Phinehas, son of Eli.
How many times does the Bible mention Phinehas?
Phinehas appears in 19 verses across 7 books, most often in 1 Samuel, which accounts for 5 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Phinehas?
1 Samuel, Joshua, 1 Chronicles, Numbers, Ezra, Judges, Psalms.
Where can I read every verse about Phinehas?
This page lists 14 of them. Protos carries all 19, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
