John Gill Bible Commentary

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, Ch1 9:20. and took a javelin in his hand; a spear or pike; the Jews say (y) he snatched it out of the hand of Moses; and, according to Josephus (z), 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. (y) Pirke Eliezer, c. 47. fol. 56. 1. (z) Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect. 12.