Original Word: פְעוֹר
Part of Speech: proper name; mont.
Transliteration: P`owr
Pronunciation: peh-OR
Phonetic Spelling: (peh-ore')
KJV: Peor See also H1047
NASB: Peor
Word Origin: [from H6473 (פָּעַר - opened)]

1. a gap
2. Peor, a mountain East of Jordan
3. (for H1187) a deity worshipped there

Peor

From pa'ar; a gap; Peor, a mountain East of Jordan; also (for Ba'al p'owr) a deity worshipped there -- Peor. See also Beyth p'owr.

see HEBREW pa'ar

see HEBREW Ba'al p'owr

see HEBREW Beyth p'owr

Word Origin
from paar
Definition
a mountain in Moab, also a god worshiped there
NASB Translation
Peor (5).

מְּעוֺר proper name Φογωρ:

1. mont. in Moab (apparently from some √ פעֿר); — Numbers 23:28 compare (׳בֵּית פ, ׳בַּעַל פ and references; also) Buhl^Geogr.122 Dr^{Deuteronomy 3:29}; [ᵐ5 Joshua 15:59a [60] gives a Φαγωρ with Bethlehem; see also ᵐ5 for מָּ֑עוּ, מָּ֑עִי]. 2. dei (apparently) Numbers 25:18 (twice in verse) (compare ׳בַּעַל פ Numbers 25:3; Numbers 25:5), Numbers 31:16; Joshua 22:17.

Geographical Setting

Peor designates a mountain ridge in the Abarim range, facing the plains of Moab and overlooking the Jordan Valley opposite Jericho (Numbers 23:28). The summit offered Balaam an unhindered view of the Israelite encampment, making it a strategic vantage for both blessing and cursing. The nearby town of Beth Peor and the surrounding valleys later became part of Reuben’s tribal inheritance (see Deuteronomy 3:29; Joshua 13:20), yet the site always retained the memory of its earlier spiritual conflict.

Religious Significance: Baal of Peor

Peor quickly became associated with the Canaanite deity Baal, so that “Baal Peor” stood for both the location and the idolatrous cult practiced there. This fertility god demanded ritual prostitution and sacrificial meals. Israel’s encounter with Baal Peor marked the nation’s first large-scale flirtation with Canaanite worship, making the name a lasting symbol of covenant infidelity.

Key Biblical Episodes

• Numbers 23:28—Balak brings Balaam “to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland”, hoping a change of scenery will secure a curse on Israel. Instead, the LORD again overrules, underscoring His sovereign protection of His people.
• Numbers 25:1-9—While Israel remains “at Shittim,” Moabite and Midianite women entice the men “to the sacrifices of their gods,” and “Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor”. Twenty-four thousand die in the ensuing plague until Phinehas’ zealous act halts the judgment.
• Numbers 25:18—The plague is explicitly tied to “the incident that happened because of Peor,” identifying the women as instruments of Midianite deception.
• Numbers 31:16—Moses reminds Israel before the Midianite campaign that “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident”, framing the war as divine retribution.
• Joshua 22:17—Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are exhorted not to repeat “the sin of Peor,” which “brought a plague on the congregation of the LORD.” The memory of Peor thus functions as a moral checkpoint during later tribal tensions.

Theological Themes and Lessons

1. Covenant Fidelity versus Syncretism: Peor contrasts the exclusivity demanded by the LORD with the seductive pull of surrounding cultures.
2. Holiness and Corporate Responsibility: The plague fell on the nation, not merely on individual offenders, teaching that tolerance of sin threatens communal blessing.
3. Zeal against Idolatry: Phinehas’ action (Numbers 25:11-13) models decisive obedience that upholds divine honor and secures generational peace.
4. Divine Sovereignty: Balaam’s inability to curse from Peor reveals that geography and sorcery are powerless against God’s determinate blessing.
5. Lasting Warning: Later Scriptures—Hosea 9:10; Psalm 106:28-29; Revelation 2:14—echo the Peor episode, demonstrating its enduring relevance as a cautionary tale.

Historical Impact on Israel

The incident at Peor shaped future policy toward foreign alliances, informed the Deuteronomic prohibitions against Moabite entry into the assembly (Deuteronomy 23:3-6), and set precedents for dealing with apostasy. The Levites’ priestly covenant springing from Phinehas’ zeal reinforced their mediating role.

Ministry Application

• Guard against cultural accommodation that dilutes exclusive devotion to Christ.
• Confront sexual immorality and idolatry quickly and biblically to prevent wider defilement (1 Corinthians 10:8-11).
• Remember that spiritual leadership carries responsibility for communal purity, as Moses, Eleazar, and Phinehas demonstrate.
• Use historical warnings like Peor to teach believers the seriousness of holiness and the certainty of God’s discipline, balanced by the assurance of covenant mercy for the repentant.

Peor thus stands as a geographic marker, a historical crisis point, and a perpetual theological signpost directing God’s people to unwavering loyalty to the LORD.

הַפְּע֔וֹר הפעור פְּע֑וֹר פְּע֔וֹר פְּעֽוֹר׃ פעור פעור׃ hap·pə·‘ō·wr happə‘ōwr happeor pə‘ōwr pə·‘ō·wr peorInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts