And Phinees the son of Eleazar, was their prince before the Lord,

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them formerly; Jehovah was with him.

and Phinehas son of Eleazar hath been leader over them formerly; Jehovah is with him.

and Phinehas the son of Eleazar was ruler over them in time past, the LORD being with him.

And Phinehas - The Targum says, "And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was ruler over them from ancient times, from the day in which the tabernacle was set up in the wilderness; and the Word of the Lord was his assistant."

And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past,.... Over the host, over the Levites, and the chief of them; which is to be understood of Phinehas the son of Eleazar, in the time of Moses, who succeeded his father in that post, see Numbers 3:32 though some think, as Kimchi observes, that this was not Phinehas the priest, but a certain Levite of this name in this post; but since he is said to be in time past, it may very well be understood of him: and it also is observed:
and the Lord was with him; inspiring him with zeal for his honour and glory, assisting and strengthening him to do his will and work, as particularly in the affair of Zimri, Numbers 25:7, the Targum is,"the Word of the Lord was for his help;''
this may be said for the encouragement of him that was in the same office now.

Phinehas was prince over them, not as high priest, but during the high-priesthood of his father Eleazar, i.e., in the time of Joshua, just as Eleazar, under the high-priesthood of Aaron in the time of Moses, had the oversight of the keepers of the holy place, as prince of the princes of Levi (Numbers 3:32). The words עמּו יהוה do not contain a historical remark, "Jahve was with him," for then the conjunction w would stand before it, as in 1-Chronicles 11:9; they are a blessing - "Jahve be with him" - in reference, probably, to the covenant of peace entered into with him and his descendants by Jahve (Numbers 25:11-13).