THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
What could possibly be weightier than the act of murder? Yet, it was once attributed to the truth for one who dared to commit it; the significance of doing something for God's purpose reigns supreme. How can such an act of murder be associated with righteousness? The Midianites, seeking to incite God's anger against the Israelites and hoping to defeat them when they were out of the Lord's favor, adorned their daughters, showcased them to the Israelite army, and by seducing them, led them first into immorality and then into deeper sin. When Phinehas witnessed this, he drew his sword and struck down the two transgressors caught in their sin, effectively averting God's wrath from being unleashed.
Read more (318 words)
Thus, although this act was indeed homicide, its outcome was the salvation of many, and it was, consequently, credited to him as a righteous deed. This act did not tarnish his hands; rather, it sanctified them justly, for it stemmed not from hatred for those he struck down but from a desire to save others; he took the lives of two but rescued thousands. His action resembled that of physicians who, by removing infected limbs, preserve the health of the entire body. As the Psalmist recounts, "And Phinehas stood up and executed judgment; and the plague was stayed, and that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore" (Psalms 105:30-31). The legacy of such an action has endured through time.
While we, who are not permitted to draw the sword to condemn such sinners with a spear, may share the same emotions as this saintly figure, we respond differently, easing grief through our sighs and tears. When Phinehas saw the defilement, he drew his sword and ended the lives of the two engaged in sin—not from animosity toward them but to prevent further loss of life. The act of murder was executed, yet it concluded with a joyous outcome—the salvation of many lost souls: he executed two and safeguarded countless others. As physicians save the body by eliminating rotten parts, so did he, and this was credited to him as truth.
There are moments when murder may be deemed justified, and humanity can be condemned even more harshly than murder: when the former is performed in accordance with God's will, while the latter stands in opposition. Phinehas was vindicated, though he pierced the harlot and her lover; similarly, the holy man of God, Samuel, despite his tearful nights of lamentation and prayer, could not save Saul from the divine condemnation pronounced for sparing the life of a foreign king who ought to have faced death.