 Moses gave orders to kill all the idolaters, yet Zimri, the son of the Israelite prince Salu from the Tribe of Simeon, openly defied Moses and publicly showed his opinion to those standing at the Tabernacle entrance with Moses by going in to Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite prince Sur.In a moment of great strength born of holy zeal, Phinehas went after them and ran them through with a spear.He thus "stayed the plague" that had broken out among the people, and by which twenty-four thousand of them had already perished.