Numbers 25:7

7 And when Phineas the sonne of Eleazer the sonne of Aaro the preast sawe it he rose vp out of the companye and toke a wepon in his hande

Numbers 25:7 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 25:7

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, saw it
Saw the man pass by in this impudent manner, and his whore with him; his spirit was stirred up, he was filled and fired with zeal for the glory of God, and with an holy indignation against the sin and sinner, and with a just concern for the honour of the righteous law of God; and, to prevent others from falling into the same sin, led by the public example of so great a personage, as it appears afterwards this man was:

he rose up from among the congregation;
who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle, or from the midst of the court of judicature, set for trying and judging such persons who were charged with idolatry; for he was not only the son of the high priest and his successor, but a ruler over the Korahites, and had, besides his priestly office, a civil authority, ( 1 Chronicles 9:20 )

and took a javelin in his hand;
a spear or pike; the Jews say ^F25 he snatched it out of the hand of Moses; and, according to Josephus ^F26, it was a sword; but the word rather signifies an hand pike; this being ready at hand, he took it up and pursued the criminal.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Pirke Eliezer, c. 47. fol. 56. 1.
F26 Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect. 12.

Numbers 25:7 In-Context

5 And Moses sayed vnto the iudges of Israel: goo and slee those men that ioyned the selues vnto Baal Peor.

6 And beholde one of the childern of Israel came and broughte vnto his brethern a Madianitish wife euen in the sighte of Moses and in the sighte of all the multitude of ye childern of Israel as they were wepynge in the dore of the tabernacle of witnesse.

7 And when Phineas the sonne of Eleazer the sonne of Aaro the preast sawe it he rose vp out of the companye and toke a wepon in his hande

8 and wet after the man of Israel in to the horehousse and thrust them thorow: both the man of Israel and also the woman euen thorow the belye of hir. And the plage ceased from the childern of Israel.

9 And there dyed in the plage. xxiiij. thousande.