Peor was a mountain in Moab where Balak brought Balaam to curse Israel, and where the Israelites later engaged in idolatry and immorality with the Moabites.
Peor was a mountain located in the land of Moab, east of the Jordan River. It is mentioned in the context of Balak, the king of Moab, who sought to curse Israel through the prophet Balaam (Num. 23:28). Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, hoping that from there, Balaam would be able to curse the Israelites. However, God intervened and caused Balaam to bless Israel instead (Num. 23:29-24:9).
Later, when the Israelites were camped in the plains of Moab, they began to engage in idolatry and sexual immorality with the Moabites (Num. 25:1-3). This incident became known as the "matter of Peor" (Num. 25:18; 31:16) and resulted in a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites (Num. 25:9). The Israelites' sin at Peor was remembered as a cautionary tale, warning against the dangers of idolatry and foreign influences (Josh. 22:17; Ps. 106:28-29). The events at Peor highlight the importance of remaining faithful to God and resisting the temptations of surrounding pagan cultures.
Approximate location: 31.765, 35.719 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
Opening. (1.) A mountain peak (Num. 23:28) to which Balak led Balaam as a last effort to induce him to pronounce a curse upon Israel. When he looked on the tribes encamped in the acacia groves below him, he could not refrain from giving utterance to a remarkable benediction (24:1-9). Balak was more than ever enraged at Balaam, and bade him flee for his life. But before he went he gave expression to that wonderful prediction regarding the future of this mysterious people, whose “goodly tents” were spread out before him, and the coming of a “Star” out of Jacob and a “Sceptre” out of Israel (24:14-17). (2.) A Moabite divinity, called also “Baal-peor” (Num. 25:3, 5, 18; comp. Deut. 3:29).
(cleft), a mountain peak in Moab belonging to the Abarim range, and near Pisgah, to which, after having ascended Pisgah, the prophet Balaam was conducted by Balak that he might look upon the whole host of Israel and curse them. (Numbers 23:14,28) In four passages— (Numbers 25:18) twice; Numb 31:16; Josh 22:17—Peor occurs as a contraction for Baal-peor. [Baal.)
PE'OR (cleft), the mountain-peak to which Balak brought Balaam to curse Israel. Num 23:28. The camp of Israel was at this time in the Jordan valley, near the Dead Sea. Beth-peor was "over against" the camp. Deut 3:29; Deut 34:6. Peor is described as "facing Jeshimon," and this is also said of Pisgah. The Rev. J.A. Paine proposed to identify Pisgah with Jebel Siaghah in the Abarim range opposite Jericho. Of the three summits of Siaghah he suggested the first or western as one station of Balaam. Num 22:41, and the second summit as the top of Peor, but his theory is disputed by Dr. Merrill and others. Balaam was first at "the top of Pisgah "and then upon "the top of Peor," Num 23:14, Acts 20:28, another peak evidently not far from Pisgah. From this he exclaimed, "How goodly are thy tents, Jacob!" See Pisgah.
PE'OR (cleft), the mountain-peak to which Balak brought Balaam to curse Israel. Num 23:28. The camp of Israel was at this time in the Jordan valley, near the Dead Sea. Beth-peor was "over against" the camp. Deut 3:29; Deut 34:6. Peor is described as "facing Jeshimon," and this is also said of Pisgah. The Rev. J.A. Paine proposed to identify Pisgah with Jebel Siaghah in the Abarim range opposite Jericho. Of
the three summits of Siaghah he suggested the first or western as one station of Balaam. Num 22:41, and the second summit as the top of Peor, but his theory is disputed by Dr. Merrill and others. Balaam was first at "the top of Pisgah "and then upon "the top of Peor," Num 23:14, Acts 20:28, another peak evidently not far from Pisgah. From this he exclaimed, "How goodly are thy tents, Jacob!" See Pisgah.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
4 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6465
And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.”
“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
Was not the sin of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day? It even brought a plague upon the congregation of the LORD.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.