Phineas

Phineas m

Biblical: name borne by two minor characters. One was a grandson of Aaron, who preserved the purity of the race of Israel and deflected God's wrath by killing an Israelite who had taken a Midianite woman to wife (Numbers 25: 6–15); the other, a son of the priest Eli, was killed in combat with the Philistines over the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 1: 3; 4: 6–11). The name is spelled Phinehas in the Authorized Version, and has been taken to mean ‘serpent's mouth’ (i.e. ‘oracle’) in Hebrew, but this is an incorrect popular etymology. It is in fact derived from the Egyptian name Panhsj, originally a byname meaning ‘the Nubian’ and used as a personal name in ancient Egypt. Phineas was popular among the Puritans in the 17th century, and has been occasionally used since, especially in America. Its variants have long been popular Jewish names.

Variants: Yiddish: Pinhas, Pinchas.