Lexical Summary Pthowr: Pethor Original Word: פְתוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Pethor Of foreign origin; Pethor, a place in Mesopotamia -- Pethor. Brown-Driver-Briggs מְּתוֺר proper name, of a location home of Balsam; — with ה locative מְּת֫וֺרָה Numbers 22:5, φαθουρα, A Βαθουρα; אֲרַם ׳פ נַהֲרַיִם Deuteronomy 23:5, but omitted ׳פ ᵐ5; — compare Assyrian Pitru (on western bank of upper Euphrase) SchrKGF 220; COT Numbers 22:5 Dl Pa 269 Dr Hastings DB; Egyptian Pe-d-ru WMMAs.u.Eur:291. [מָּתוֺת] see פתת. Topical Lexicon Biblical References Numbers 22:5; Deuteronomy 23:4 Historical and Geographic Context Pethor was the hometown of Balaam son of Beor, situated “by the Euphrates” (Numbers 22:5). Ancient Near-Eastern texts place it in northern Mesopotamia near Carchemish, along a major caravan route linking Syria, Anatolia, and Assyria. Its strategic location exposed it to diverse religious influences and made it a fitting base for a professional diviner whose reputation reached Moab. Role in the Balak–Balaam Narrative King Balak of Moab summoned Balaam from Pethor to curse Israel during their wilderness journey. Pethor therefore stands at the narrative’s threshold between pagan divination and divine revelation. The city’s distant setting intensifies the drama: Israel’s advance so troubled Moab that Balak sought supernatural aid from hundreds of miles away. By highlighting Pethor, Scripture exposes the futility of human schemes opposed to God’s covenant promises. Spiritual Significance 1. Contest of Loyalties: Balaam’s origin in Pethor underscores his outsider status. Though familiar with the name of the LORD, his heart remained tethered to the profit-driven culture of his homeland (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11). Later Biblical Reflection Deuteronomy 23:4 recalls Pethor to warn Israel against alliances with nations that employed spiritual hostility. Subsequent prophets label sorcery an abomination (Isaiah 47:9-13; Micah 5:12), echoing the Pethor incident as a paradigm of illegitimate mediation. Intertestamental and Rabbinic Perspectives Jewish tradition identified Pethor with Pitru near Carchemish, emphasizing its Assyrian links. Rabbinic commentators highlighted Balaam’s Pethor background to contrast prophetic inspiration (Moses) with divinatory manipulation (Balaam). New Testament Connections The New Testament cites Balaam as a cautionary example (2 Peter 2:15; Revelation 2:14). By extension, Pethor functions as a symbol of worldly enticement that infiltrates the church when spiritual leaders pursue gain over truth. Ministry Applications • Discernment: Leaders must evaluate teaching origins. A respected reputation from a distant “Pethor” does not guarantee alignment with God’s will. Theological Themes Providence over geography; the ineffectiveness of curse against covenant; the peril of syncretism; and the triumph of divine revelation over human enchantment. Summary Pethor serves Scripture as more than a geographic footnote. It is the launchpoint of a dramatic encounter demonstrating that no power—however exotic or professionally religious—can thwart the blessing God has ordained for His people. Forms and Transliterations מִפְּת֛וֹר מפתור פְּ֠תוֹרָה פתורה mip·pə·ṯō·wr mippeTor mippəṯōwr pə·ṯō·w·rāh Petorah pəṯōwrāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 22:5 HEB: בֶּן־ בְּע֗וֹר פְּ֠תוֹרָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־ NAS: of Beor, at Pethor, which KJV: of Beor to Pethor, which [is] by the river INT: the son of Beor Pethor which is near Deuteronomy 23:4 2 Occurrences |
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