Religious Zeal in Punishing Evil People: Phinehas

“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal. …

But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained.

It was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.