Parshat Pinchas5 min read

Phinehas Took the Spear and God Gave Him Peace

Phinehas kills Zimri during a plague. Twelve miracles keep him alive mid-kill, and the tribes put him on trial before God grants him a covenant of peace.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Man Walking Toward the Tent
  2. What Zimri Said Before the Spear
  3. Twelve Miracles Mid-Kill
  4. The Trial and the Genealogy
  5. The Covenant and What It Guaranteed

The Man Walking Toward the Tent

The elders were still arguing about whether Zimri was liable for death when Phinehas stood up from the congregation. He did not wait for the argument to resolve. He hid the iron point of his spear in the folds of his garment, let the wooden shaft trail behind him like a walking staff, and moved through the camp toward the tent where Zimri had brought Cozbi. The scholars were still discussing. Phinehas was already moving.

Midrash Tanchuma asks why the Torah says Phinehas saw, as though the seeing needed explanation. Everyone saw. Moses saw. The entire congregation stood at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and watched Zimri walk past with the Midianite princess. What Phinehas saw was the ruling inside the sight: one who publicly commits this transgression may be struck down by zealots. He did not ask permission. He remembered the halakhah, and the halakhah was already a decision.

What Zimri Said Before the Spear

Midrash Aggadah makes the provocation deliberate and precise. Cozbi was not a random Midianite woman. She was the daughter of Balak, aimed specifically at Moses. Her father's strategy was a theological one: seduce Moses, and all of Israel would fall with him. Zimri had seized her when she refused him at first. He dragged her before Moses and asked the direct question: is she permitted or forbidden? Moses answered that she was forbidden. His hands went slack. Moses, Eleazar, and the elders wept together in public humiliation, and the Holy Spirit cried out over the camp.

Targum Jonathan adds Zimri's spoken challenge to Moses: what is wrong with taking her? Did you not yourself take a Midianite, the daughter of Jethro? Moses stood silent. The question had its own weight. Zimri was pressing the legal ambiguity in public, with Phinehas watching, with the plague already moving through the camp.

Twelve Miracles Mid-Kill

What happened next required divine intervention to remain possible at all. Targum Jonathan counts twelve miracles that kept Phinehas alive between the moment he entered the tent and the moment he came out. The angel of death, assigned to Zimri, was redirected. Cozbi could not cry out. The wound did not bleed outward. Phinehas lifted both bodies on the spear without losing his footing or his grip. He carried them to the door and showed the congregation. The Midianite witnesses who had gathered did not attack him. The plague stopped at exactly twenty-four thousand dead, its number already fixed, and the count closed the moment the spear completed its thrust.

Without those miracles the zealot act would have been murder. Zimri's tribe and the Midianite contingent were both in the camp with weapons. Phinehas came out standing because the same God who would later give him a covenant of peace had already protected the act that made the covenant necessary.

The Trial and the Genealogy

Zimri was a prince of the tribe of Simeon. When his body appeared on the spear, the camp did not cheer. The tribes turned on Phinehas. He is the son of Puti, they said, the one whose mother's grandfather fattened calves for idol worship. The blood of idol-keepers, and he dares to kill a chieftain of Israel. Midrash Tanchuma Buber on Pinchas asks why Scripture stops to trace Phinehas's lineage right after the spear is drawn. The answer is that the tribes had just tried to bury him under his mother's ancestry, to make his act look like atavism rather than zeal.

So God supplied the counter-genealogy publicly, in the text of the Torah: Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest. His father's line was what mattered, the line of the High Priest, the line that ran from Aaron who had atoned for Israel since the desert. Phinehas was not acting from his mother's side. He was acting as a priest should act when no one else would. The covenant of peace God gave him afterward was not a pardon. It was a recognition.

The Covenant and What It Guaranteed

Midrash Aggadah on the covenant explains the measure-for-measure logic. Phinehas made peace between God and Israel when the plague was consuming the camp. Because he brought peace between them, God gave him peace for himself. Sifrei Bamidbar adds the content: the covenant of eternal priesthood meant the twenty-four priestly gifts, the specific allocations and honors given to the kohanim. The zeal that looked violent from outside was read from inside the covenant as the act that stopped the destruction. God's wrath had been burning against Israel. Phinehas stood in it and it stopped at him.

PhinehasPinchasZealotryPriesthoodCovenantElijah
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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 21Midrash Tanchuma

(Numb. 25:7:) “When Phinehas [ben Eleazar ben Aaron the priest] saw.” But did they all not see it? And is it not written (in vs. 6), “before the eyes of Moses and the eyes of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel?” It is simply that when he saw the deed, he remembered the ruling (halakhah (Jewish religious law)); that one who cohabits with an Aramean woman will have zealots strike him down. (Numb. 25:7, cont.) “He arose from the midst of the congregation.” From where did he stand up? It is simply that, while they were involved in give and take on the matter of whether or not [the culprit] was liable for death, that man (Phinehas) stood up from the midst of the congregation and volunteered [to carry out the sentence]. (Numb. 25:7, cont.) “And took a spear in his hand.” He put the iron prong in his hand, which he put in his bosom. Then he began [to approach] leaning on the wood like a staff, because he was afraid of [the culprit's] tribe, as they surrounded him. When he reached them, they said to him, “Why have you come?” He said to them, “I also have come to fulfill my needs.” So they gave him permission, and he entered. For otherwise they would not have given him permission. (Numb. 25:8:) “Then he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them.” He pierced both of them, the one on top of the other, through the unclean place (i.e., the private parts) of the both of them; lest Israel say there was no defilement there. He was zealous for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. And twelve miracles occurred for him: The first miracle is that it is common that they would separate one from the other, but the angel adhered them together. The second miracle is that the angel closed their mouths that they not yell out. The third miracle is that [Phinehas was able to] direct [the spear precisely so that] the male genitals of [Zimri] were visible in the genitals of [Cozbi]; because they would have [otherwise] said, “[Phinehas] also went in and fulfilled his needs.” The fourth is that the iron expanded so that he could stab both of them. The fifth is that [the angel] gave him strength in his arm to raise both of them up. The sixth is that there was strength in the pole [of the spear] to lift both of them up. The seventh is that [Zimri and Cozbi] did not fall from the spear, but stayed in their place. The eighth is that the angel raised them up in the manner [of intercourse] on top of the spear for all to see their disgrace. The ninth is that they did not trickle blood, so that Phinehas would not become impure. The tenth is that the Holy One, blessed be He, kept their spirit [alive so that he would not become impure]. The eleventh is that the angel raised the lintel of the house chamber so that both of them would come out suspended in front of the eyes of everyone. The twelfth is when all the members of his tribe were ready to strike him down, an angel went down and smote them before him. When Phinehas saw that the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to destroy them, he struck [Zimri and Cozbi] on the ground. When he arose and prayed, they were removed. That is what is written (in Ps. 106:30), “Then Phinehas arose and interceded,” in that he gave the judicial verdict (din). Interceded (rt. pll) can only denote a judicial verdict (din), since it is stated (in reference to making a reparation Exod. 21:22), “and he shall pay as the judges (rt. pll) determine.” (Numb. 25:9:) “And those who died from the plague.” And afterwards [it is written] (in Numb. 26:2), “Count the head (take a census).” [This is] to inform you that, on every occasion when they fell, they were numbered. There is a parable about a wolf who fell upon a flock of sheep. The owner of the sheep said to the shepherd, “Count how many were lost.” [This] is to inform you how much unchastity distances [from God]; as this was [just one] individual, and [yet] twenty-four thousand fell on his account. This is related to (in Prov. 16:14), “The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man can appease it.” There is a parable about a king who was passing by when a group of youths were standing in front of him. [When] one of them cursed him, the king was filled with anger against [all of] them. [Then] one of them came and socked the one who cursed the king, [and] the king’s anger was immediately subdued. So too, who caused the Holy One, blessed be He, to go back from His anger and not to destroy all of Israel? One would say it was Phinehas. Ergo, “but a wise man can appease it.” The Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “In this world it is on account of gross misconduct that they were counted; but in the world to come (according to Hos. 2:1), “The number of the Children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered.” Amen, may it be [His] will.

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Midrash Aggadah, Numbers 25:2Midrash Aggadah

"And they bowed down to their gods." And what is written? "And Israel joined itself to Baal Peor" (Numbers 25:3). What is the meaning of "joined" (vayitzamed)? Like bracelets (tzemidim) that are upon the hand. Another interpretation: at first they entered modestly, and afterward they entered in pairs (zugot zugot), as it is said, "a yoke (tzemed) of oxen" (1 Samuel 11:7).

And when Zimri sought and went to Kozbi, and she was the daughter of Balak, she said to him: "I will not obey you, for so my father commanded me, that I should obey none but Moses your teacher, for he is a king and my father too is a king, and it is fitting for the daughter of a king to be for a king." And what was Balak's intent? He said: "Every evil deed that Israel does, Moses stands and annuls the decree. And if my daughter is able to seduce Moses, all Israel will be delivered into my hand." And Balak's daughter was very beautiful of form. Zimri said to her: "I am greater than Moses, for I am from the second tribe and he is from the third tribe." He pulled her by her hair-lock and went out before Moses. He said to him: "Is this one permitted or forbidden?" Moses said: "Forbidden, because she is a Midianite woman." Immediately Moses' hands became slack. Moses and Eleazar and the elders began to weep, as it is said, "and they were weeping" (verse 6). And the Holy Spirit cried out: "The stout-hearted are despoiled, they have slept their sleep" etc. (Psalms 76:6).

Pinchas saw this; immediately he was zealous and arose, as it is said, "And Pinchas son of Eleazar saw" etc. And what is "And Pinchas saw"? He saw that neither Eleazar nor any one of the elders nor of the princes arose. And since not one of them arose, immediately "he arose" and saw. And what did he see? He saw the deed and remembered the law, which he had learned before Moses our teacher, and he said: "You taught me, our teacher: one who has relations with an Aramean woman, the zealous strike him down."

Another interpretation: "And he saw and he arose." What did he see? He saw the law that one who is suspected of a matter may not judge it nor testify about it. He said: Reuben is suspected in the matter, as it is said, "And Reuben went and lay with Bilhah" (Genesis 35:22), one of his tribe cannot stand up in this matter, for they would say to him, "Judge yourself first, and afterward judge others." And Simeon, the great one of his tribe, committed this very transgression; the matter depends on none but me. Will he not remember that his father and my father slew all the men of Shechem over sexual immorality, when none had sinned but Hamor son of Shechem, and Zimri ought to have learned from his father's deed! Moreover, my tribe is zealous, in the affair of the Calf: my tribe arose and was zealous for His great Name, and felled of the people about three thousand men; and now it is fitting for me to be zealous for His great and awesome Name.

And he arose from amid the congregation and took a spear in his hand, in his hand was a spear (romach), and they were under the ban (cherem); for so "romach" and "cherem" are in all the numbers of their limbs, which is the number 248. And the Holy One, blessed be He, performed for him all those miracles, and they are twelve miracles: First, that it is their way to separate one from the other, but here the angel held them joined together. Second, the angel stopped their mouths so that they would not cry out. Third, the Holy One, blessed be He, aimed the spear so that it would enter into his male member and into her female part, so that the others would not say that he too entered and did his need. Fourth, He lengthened the iron so that it would pierce them both. Fifth, He put strength in his arm so that he could lift them both. Sixth, they did not slip off the weapon but stayed in their place. Seventh, the angel turned them over upon the spear, in their manner, so that all might see their disgrace. Eighth, they did not drip blood, so that Pinchas would not be defiled. Ninth, the Holy One, blessed be He, guarded their breath so that they would not die and defile Pinchas. Tenth, the angel raised up the lintel for him so that the two of them would go out between his shoulders. Eleventh, when they came out, he saw the plague destroying the people, and he cast them to the ground and stood and prayed, as it is said, "And Pinchas stood" etc. Twelfth, by his hands the plague was stayed.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "I hold much good in store for Pinchas." Pinchas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, of him it is said, "The wrath of a king is messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it" (Proverbs 16:14). A parable: to what is the matter like? To a king who was passing by, and a band of youths were standing there. One of them arose and reviled the king, and the king was filled with wrath against them. One who was sitting among them arose and struck the one who had reviled the king. The king saw what he did, and immediately the king's wrath subsided. Who caused the king to turn back from his wrath? The one who was sitting and arose and struck the other. So too, who caused the Holy One, blessed be He, that His wrath should turn back and He not destroy the children of Israel? You must say: Pinchas, to fulfill what is said, "The wrath of a king" etc. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "By right he should receive his reward," as it is said, "Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace." Great is peace, for the Torah is called peace, as it is said, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace" (Proverbs 3:17).

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Targum Jonathan on Numbers 25Targum Jonathan

The place was called Shittim, and the Targum explains the name: it derives from shetutha, meaning foolishness and depravity. The Targum's version of (Numbers 25) describes Moabite women who "brought out the image of Peor, concealed under their bundles", the idol was literally smuggled in beneath their clothing. Israel's attachment to the idol is compared to "the nail in the wood, which is not separated but by breaking up the wood." You could not pull them free without destroying them.

When Zimri brought the Midianite woman Kosbi before the congregation, the Targum gives him a speaking role the Torah omits. He confronted Moses directly: "What is it that is wrong to have company with her? If you say it is forbidden, did you not yourself take a Midianite, the daughter of Jethro?" When Moses heard this, "he trembled and swooned." The leader of Israel fainted. The people wept and cried "Listen!" but no one acted.

Then Phinehas rose and shouted: "He who ought to kill, let him kill! Where are the lions of the tribe of Judah?" Silence. "When they saw, they were quiet." So Phinehas took the lance himself.

What follows is the Targum's most extraordinary list: twelve miracles that sustained Phinehas during the killing. He tried to separate them but could not. Their mouths were sealed so they could not scream for rescue. The lance pierced both bodies. It stayed fixed in the wound. The lintel lifted itself so he could carry them out. He bore them through the entire camp, six miles, without fatigue. He held them aloft with his right arm while their kinsmen watched, powerless. The lance did not break under the weight. The iron pierced but did not withdraw. An angel came and stripped the corpses bare for all to see. They stayed alive throughout the entire procession so the priest would not be defiled by the dead. Only after Phinehas had carried them through every corner of the camp did their blood flow and they died.

The Targum also reveals that Kosbi was actually Balak's daughter, "daughter of Zur, who was called Shelonae, a daughter of Balak." And God's reward for Phinehas was staggering: "I decree to him My covenant of peace, and will make him an angel of the covenant, that he may ever live, to announce the Redemption at the end of the days." Phinehas did not just receive priesthood. He became immortal.

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Midrash Aggadah, Numbers 25:12Midrash Aggadah

"Therefore say: Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace" (Numbers 25:12). Just as he made peace between Me and the children of Israel, so that they were not destroyed by My zeal, for I am zealous against idolatry, therefore I cut a covenant with him, that he shall have peace from them all, so that they shall not be able to harm him.

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Sifrei Bamidbar 131:5Sifrei Bamidbar

This verse speaks of Phinehas (Pinchas), the grandson of Aaron, and the covenant G-d makes with him. It’s a verse packed with meaning, a evidence of the enduring power of zealotry for the divine.

The verse states, "And it shall be unto him and to his seed after him a covenant of eternal priesthood." What exactly does this "covenant of eternal priesthood" entail? According to Sifrei Bamidbar, our source here, it's a reference to the twenty-four priestly gifts bestowed upon the Cohanim, the priests. These gifts, tangible blessings and privileges, are a direct result of Phinehas's courageous act.

The verse goes on, adding, "because he was wroth for his G-d." Now, "wroth" might sound a little harsh to our modern ears. What it really means is that Phinehas was zealous, passionately devoted. He was so committed to upholding G-d's honor that he was, as the verse says, "ready to give his life." level of dedication for a moment.

Finally, the verse concludes, "and he will atone for the children of Israel." This is where it gets really interesting. Notice that the text doesn't say "to atone," but "and he will atone." Sifrei Bamidbar points out this subtle nuance, explaining that Phinehas’s act wasn't just a one-time atonement. It has lasting power.

The passage continues, "Until now he has not stirred (from his place), but he stands and atones until the revival of the dead." Whoa. That's a pretty powerful statement! It suggests that Phinehas's merit continues to reverberate through time, his act of zealotry perpetually offering atonement for the Israelites. He is forever in a state of offering atonement. Even until the resurrection of the dead, Phinehas stands and intercedes.

So, what are we to take away from this? It’s not just a historical account; it’s a profound lesson about the lasting impact of our actions. Phinehas's unwavering commitment, his willingness to stand up for what he believed in, earned him and his descendants an eternal blessing. It's a reminder that even one person, acting with righteousness and zeal, can have a ripple effect that extends far beyond their own lifetime. It begs the question: what kind of legacy will we leave behind?

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Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Pinchas 3:1Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Pinchas

Let us return to the beginning of the section. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, see fit to trace the lineage of Phinehas after this deed? For at the hour when Zimri son of Salu was stabbed together with Cozbi daughter of Zur, the tribes rose up against him and said: "Have you seen this son of Puti, whose mother's father fattened calves for star-worship? He has slain a prince of a tribe in Israel!" Therefore the verse came and traced his lineage: "Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest."

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Bamidbar Rabbah 21:1Bamidbar Rabbah

The story of Pinḥas, as told in Bamidbar Rabbah, shines a light on just how vital shalom is.

The story begins with a moment of intense crisis. The Israelites are straying, and divine wrath is building. But then, Pinḥas, grandson of Aaron the priest, steps forward. He acts with a fierce, unwavering zeal, stopping the transgression in its tracks. And what does God say? "Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, has caused My wrath to be withdrawn from the children of Israel..and I did not destroy the children of Israel in My zealotry" (Numbers 25:11). But the story doesn't end there. God then declares, "Behold, I am giving him My covenant of peace" (Numbers 25:12). Wait a minute..peace? Why peace after such a violent act? That's the key. That's the lesson. The Bamidbar Rabbah makes it clear: peace is the ultimate reward, the most precious gift.

Why? Because, as the verse says, the world is conducted only through peace. Without peace – without stability, harmony, and understanding – nothing can truly flourish. The Torah itself, it says, is peace! "Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its pathways are peace [shalom]" (Proverbs 3:17). The entire Torah is saturated with peace.

This idea of peace permeates Jewish life. Consider the simple greeting, "Shalom." We use it constantly. When someone arrives, we greet them with peace. Rabbi Shimon be Ḥalafta even says, "The only vessel that holds blessing is peace." That's a powerful image, isn't it? Peace as a container, holding and nurturing all the good things in life.

And it goes beyond just greetings. We find peace woven into the very fabric of our prayers. The blessing after the Shema, "Who spreads a canopy of peace over His people.." The concluding words of the Amidah, the central prayer, are about peace. Even the Priestly Benediction ends with peace. Everywhere we turn, shalom is there.

According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Pinḥas's actions were controversial. Some questioned his methods, his zealotry. But God's covenant of peace affirms his actions – not necessarily the violence itself, but the ultimate goal: to restore harmony and prevent further chaos.

So, what does this all mean for us today? It means that peace isn't just the absence of conflict. It's an active force. It's something we strive for, something we cultivate. It's the foundation upon which we build our lives, our communities, and our world. Maybe the story of Pinḥas isn’t about endorsing violence, but about recognizing that true peace sometimes requires difficult, even uncomfortable, actions. It's a challenge, isn’t it? To be like Pinḥas in our own way, striving for peace, even when it's hard, knowing that it's the most valuable gift we can give and receive. As it is stated: "The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (Psalms 29:11).

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