The resonances between Abraham and Phinehas are obvious to anyone who knows the texts well, but this isn’t just a matter of our saying so. The two passages occur in close proximity in one of the primary “zeal” texts of Saul’s day, 1 Maccabees.5 We imagine the young boy, eager for God and the law, storing all this away for future reference. He will be zealous for God and Torah.
Wright constantly references this story in his commentaries.
