 Displeased with the immorality with which the Moabites and Midianites had successfully tempted the Israelites () to inter-marry and to worship Baal-peor, Phinehas personally executed an Israelite man and a Midianite woman while they were together in the man's tent, running a javelin or spear through the man and the belly of the woman, bringing to an end the plague sent by God to punish the Israelites for sexually intermingling with the Midianites.Phinehas is commended by God in the book of Numbers chapter 25