וּפִֽינְחָ֣ס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֗ר נָגִ֨יד הָיָ֧ה עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם לְפָנִ֖ים יְהוָ֥ה ׀ עִמּֽוֹ׃
und Phinehas, der Sohn Eleasars, war in der Vergangenheit Herrscher über sie, und der Herr war mit ihm.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A Midrashic approach: the fact that the word קנאה appears twice in succession proves that the Torah refers to two separate jealousies. The first display of Pinchas being jealous occurred here, the second in the days of Achav when the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel gave a repeat performance and killed 400 priests of the idol Baal, and he fled to Mount Chorev after that occurrence to escape the wrath of Achav and Izzevel. When he arrived there and G’d asked him why he had come there (Kings I 19,9-10) he answered: “I have worked with zeal for the Lord, the G’d of Hosts for they have abandoned Your covenant with the Children of Israel.” Pinchas was also involved in another act of religious zeal on behalf of G’d during the period known as Pilegesh beGivah in Judges 20,28 and Chronicles I 9,20.