Psalms 106:30

30 Then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed.

Psalms 106:30 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 106:30

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment
When none else would, he rose up in great zeal for the Lord of hosts; and took on him the work of a civil magistrate, and slew two persons of noble birth in the very act of fornication. The Targum is,

``he prayed''

and so the Syriac version

``he interceded with the Lord, that the plague might stop.''

This he might do, as well as the other, though it is not elsewhere recorded, and in which he succeeded: but in the Talmud ^F25 it is observed that it is not said (llpty) (that is, "he prayed"), but (llpy) , from whence may be learned, if it is proper to say so, that he executed judgments with his Maker. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, "he appeased"; made atonement for propitiation; and this is said of him, ( Numbers 25:13 ) .

And so the plague was stayed; it was restrained from proceeding
further;
no more execution was done by it. In this he was a type of Christ, who, by doing righteousness, by the atoning sacrifice of himself, and by his intercession, has appeased the wrath of God, and satisfied divine justice so that there is no condemnation to them that are interested in him; no evil of punishment shall befall them, nor plague come nigh them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 82. 2.

Psalms 106:30 In-Context

28 They joined themselves also with Baal of Peor, and ate the sacrifices to the dead.

29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their inventions, and the plague broke in upon them.

30 Then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed.

31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

32 They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes,