The following is a compilation of all the areas in Tanakh in which the personality named Pinchas is mentioned

1.       Parshas Vaeira:

Elazar the son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and they had Pinchas.

2.       Parshas Balak:

There was a certain man who approached Moshe and the entire congregation with a Midyanite woman while Bnei Yisrael were crying in their tent. Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron Hakohen took a spear in his hand and speared the man and the woman in their private areas and the plague ended.

3.       Parshas Pinchas:

Pinchas is blessed with priesthood: Hashem said: The vengeance Pinchas took [against Zimri and Kozbi] has calmed my anger and prevented me from destroying the Jewish people in my vengeance. In reward for the above act, Pinchas is granted a covenant of eternal Kehuna/priesthood for him and all his offspring.

4.       Parshas Matos:

Bnei Yisrael wage war against Midian: Hashem spoke to Moshe saying that he should take vengeance against Midian and he will then pass on. Moshe recruited 1000 soldiers from each Tribe. They went to battle together with Pinchas the son of Elazar, and the sacred vessels of the Temple [i.e. Aron], and the trumpets in hand.

5.       Sefer Yehoshua Chapter 2:

Yehoshua sends spies to Jericho: Yehoshua sent two spies [i.e. Kalev and Pinchas] from the area called Shitim to spy the land and Jericho.

Lodging in the home of Rachav: The spies traveled and arrived at the home of Rachav, who was a food store owner [and harlot], and they slept there.

The King of Jericho is made aware of the spies: The king of Jericho was told that spies had come that night from amongst the Jewish people to spy the land. The king summoned Rachav and told her to bring him the men who arrived by her, as they have come to spy the land.

Rachav hides the spies: The woman took the two men and hid them. She then told the king that indeed men had come to her and she does not know where they are from, and in fact, just as the gates were closing at night they escaped. She said: “I do not know where they went. Quickly go chase after them and you will reach them.” In truth, she had brought the men up to her roof and hid them in the flax piles that were there.

The chase: The men chased after the spies through the Jordon, by the river, and the gates were closed behind them.

6.       Sefer Yehoshua Chapter 22:

The tribe of Reuvein, Gad and half of Menashe build an altar and almost cause a civil war: The tribes of Reuvein, Gad, and half of Menashe built a large altar on the Jordon river for the sake of a monument [and not to offer sacrifices^[1]].

A civil war is about to take place: The Jewish people received word of this and stated that the above tribes have built a counter altar [to offer sacrifices, in opposition to the altar in Shiloh^[2]]. The entire Jewish people therefore gathered in Shiloh to wage war against them [as G-d had prohibited offering sacrifices^[3]].

A delegation is sent to confront the tribes of Reuvein, Gad, and half of Menashe: The Jewish people sent a delegation consisting of Pinchas Ben Elazar Hakohen, and the leader of the ten tribes, to the tribes of Reuvein, Gad, and half of Menashe. The delegation confronted the tribes saying that they have gravely sinned against G-d by building an altar to rebel against Him. They warned the tribes that this sin will anger G-d and cause His wrath to spill upon the entire nation. They reminded the tribes of what had happened with Achan, and how Hashem punished all the Jewish people as a result.

The tribes of Reuvein, Gad, and half of Menashe explain their actions: The tribes of Reuvein, Gad, and half of Menashe explained to the delegation of tribal leaders that G-d knows the truth of their intents and by no means did they ever intend to offer sacrifices on the altar, and stray from G-d’s will. Rather, they built it to serve as a monument for the children and descendants of the Jewish people in Israel, to know that they too [i.e. the tribes of Reuvein, Gad and half of Menashe] have a portion in the G-d of Israel. They feared that the descendants of the tribes in Israel will tell their descendants that they do not have a portion in the G-d of Israel, being that they were segregated across the Jordon. They hence built the altar to serve as an eternal monument and reminder for all generations that they too have a portion in the G-d of Israel. They explained to the delegation that Heaven forfend, they would never build an altar to offer sacrifices in opposition to the altar of G-d that is in His Temple.

The delegation is satisfied with the explanation and rescind their plans: Pinchas the Kohen and the delegation of tribal leaders who were with him accepted the explanation of the tribes of Reuvein, Gad, and half of Menashe, and said that they now see that Hashem is amongst them, and they have not rebelled against Him. Pinchas and the delegation returned to the Jewish people and informed them of what happened, and it found favor in their eyes that they would not have to wage war to destroy their lands.

The naming of the altar: The tribes of Reuvein, and Gad, named the altar “Eid”, as it is a testimony between them that Hashem is their G-d.

7.       Sefer Yehoshua Chapter 6:

Rachav is saved: Yehoshua instructed the two spies [Kalev and Pinchas] who entered the land to visit the home of Rachav the harlot and remove from it the woman and all that is with her, as was sworn to her. The lads, the spies, went and took out from the home, Rachav, her father and mother, brothers and sisters and all that she had. The family of Rachav was placed outside the camp [until they would convert and would then join the rest of the camp of Israel^[4]].

8.       Sefer Yehoshua Chapter 24:

Elazar the Kohen passes away: Elazar the son of Aaron passed away and he was buried in the plot of his son Pinchas, in the mountains of Ephraim.

9.       Sefer Shoftim Chapter 2:

Pinchas, the angel of Hashem, chastises the Jewish people: The angel of G-d [i.e. Pinchas^[5]] went up from Gilgal to the city of Bochim [named after the cries of the Jewish people that took place in that area^[6]]. The angel said to the Jewish people “I will take you out of Egypt and bring you to the land that was sworn to your forefathers, and I said that I will never transgress the covenant with you. You were told that you shall not make a pact with any of the nations of this land, and that you shall destroy their altars. You did not listen to me. What have you done? I will now also state that since you did not banish them from your midst [you will no longer be successful in doing so^[7]] and they will be a military threat^[8] to you, and their gods will be for you a stumbling block [to cause you to stray after them^[9]].

10.   Sefer Shoftim Chapter 6:

A new Judge and prophet are appointed: When the Jewish people screamed to G-d in prayer regarding the atrocities of Midian, G-d sent them a prophet from amongst the Jewish people. [This prophet was none other than Pinchas.^[10]]

The message of the prophet: The prophet told them that G-d has told him to relay the following message: “I am the G-d who took you out of Egypt, the house of slavery. I saved you from the hands of the Egyptians and the hands of all your oppressors [i.e. Sichon and Og and the Canaanite kings]. I banished your oppressors from the land and gave it you. I told you not to fear the G-d of the Emorites who dwell in your land, but you did not listen to Me.”

Gideon is appointed to wage battle for the Jewish people against the Midianites: An angel of G-d [i.e. Pinchas^[11]] came and sat under the tree in Afra, which belonged to Yoash the son of Aviezer. Gideon, his son, was threshing wheat in the threshing floor in order to be able to flee from the Midianites.

The angel of G-d speaks to Gideon: The angel appeared before Gideon [on the day of Pesach^[12]] and told him “Hashem is with you; you are a warrior.” Gideon replied to him “My Master, is G-d truly with us? If so, then why are we in such a downtrodden state? Where are all the miracles that our ancestors told us that G-d performed for us in Egypt? Has G-d not left us and handed us over to the hands of Midian?”

11.   Sefer Shoftim Chapter 20:

The losses of the first battle: The Jewish people began to wage war against Binyamin by the Givah. The men of Binyamin left the Givah and killed 22,000 men from the side of the Jewish people.

Asking G-d if they should continue the battle: The Jewish people strengthened themselves and decided to continue to battle the next day, in the same area they waged war the previous day. However, prior to doing so they went and cried before G-d until the evening, and asked Hashem if they should continue to wage battle against their brother Binyamin. G-d replied that they should go.

The second battle: So, the Jewish people approached the tribe of Binyamin on the second day and Binyamin came charging at them from the Givah also on the second day. They managed to kill an additional 18,000 warriors of the Jewish people in that battle.

Crying to G-d for their losses and again inquiring if they should continue battle: The entire Jewish people came to Beis Eil and sat and cried before G-d. They fasted that day until the evening, and brought sacrifices of Olos and Shelamim to Hashem. They again inquired before G-d [if they should go to war]. The Aron Habris was located in that area [of Beis Eil] in those days. Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron Hakohen, was the priest who served before the Aron in those times, and he asked Hashem: Shall we continue to wage battle against our brother Binyamin or should we stop? Hashem replied that they should go, as the next day he will hand them to their hands.

12.   Sefer Melachim 1 Chapter 19:

• Eliyahu flees to the desert and asks to die: Eliyahu went to the desert [due to fear of being found and assassinated^[13]], a distance of one day’s travel. He sat under a tree [for shade^[14]] and requested from Hashem that He take his life. Eliyahu said to Hashem “Enough Hashem, please take my soul as I am no better than my forefathers [as I live in fear and danger and have lived long enough, as Pinchas is Eliyahu^[15]]. Eliyahu slept under the tree until an angel came and touched him and told to him to get up and eat.”

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[1] See Metzudos David 22:10

[2] See Radak 22:12; Ralbag 22:10

[3] Rashi 22:12

[4] Radak 6:23

[5] Rashi 1:1; Radak 1:1; Ralbag 1:1; Metzudos David 1:1; Seder Olam 19; Vayikra Raba 1:1

[6] See Rashi 2:1 that Bochim is the name of the city; See however Radak, Ralbag, Metzudos Tziyon 1:1 that it was called this name because of the cry

[7] Metzudos David 2:3

[8] See Rashi, Radak, Metzudos Tziyon on 2:3

[9] Metzudos David 2:3

[10] Rashi 6:8; Seder Olam 2

[11] See Ralbag 6:11; Rashi 6:8

[12] Rashi 6:13

[13] Radak 19:4

[14] Metzudos Dovid 19:4

[15] Radak 19:4

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