Salu was a leader from the tribe of Simeon and the father of Zimri, who was killed by Phinehas for bringing a Midianite woman into the camp of Israel. Salu is best known through his son Zimri's sin at Baal-Peor, an event that led to a severe plague among the Israelites.
Salu's son Zimri brought the Midianite woman Kozbi into the camp of Israel in the midst of the people's mourning over the plague, which was an open sin against God.
6Just then an Israelite man came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in full view of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Salu is mentioned as a leader among one of the family heads in the tribe of Simeon, showing that Zimri's sin was especially serious given his family's prominent position.
8followed the Israelite into the inner chamber, and drove the spear through both of them—the Israelite man and the woman, through her body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped.
As a result of Phinehas' action, God's wrath was turned away from the people of Israel, but 24,000 people had already died in the plague that was triggered by idolatry at Baal-Peor.
8followed the Israelite into the inner chamber, and drove the spear through both of them—the Israelite man and the woman, through her body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped.
Because of Phinehas' zeal against the sin committed by, among others, the son of Salus, God gave Phinehas an eternal covenant of peace and an eternal priesthood.
11"Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the Israelites, for he was zealous with my own zeal among them; so I did not put an end to the Israelites in my zeal.
13It will be a covenant of a lasting priesthood for him and his descendants after him, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites."