Lexical Summary Beth Peor: Beth Peor Original Word: בֵּית פְּעוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth-peor From bayith and p'owr; house of Peor; Beth- Peor, a place East of the Jordan -- Beth-peor. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW p'owr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and Peor Definition "house of Peor," a place E. of the Jordan NASB Translation Beth-peor (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֵּית מְּעוֺר proper name, of a location (= ׳בַּעַל פ ׳בּ, compare below בעל) east of Jordan Deuteronomy 3:29, in land of Amorites Deuteronomy 4:46 compare Joshua 13:20 (where assigned to Reuben); in land of Moab Deuteronomy 34:6. On site compare Di Numbers 23:28 LagOnom. 232. 2nd ed. 246 CondHeth & Moab 142 f. PEF1882, 85 f. TristrMoab 305. Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Beth-peor lay east of the Jordan River in the territory of Moab, at the foot of the heights of Pisgah that overlook the Jordan Valley. The site is often pictured as a small Moabite shrine-town placed on the slopes above “the valley opposite Beth-peor” (Deuteronomy 3:29), facing westward toward Jericho and the land promised to Israel. Its location gave it strategic visibility for travelers moving north–south along the King’s Highway and for the Israelites encamped at Shittim before their crossing of the Jordan. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Deuteronomy 3:29 records Israel’s final encampment in the valleys across from Beth-peor after the conquest of the Amorite kings Sihon and Og. Historical Background Beth-peor bordered the ancient sanctuary of Peor, the Moabite-Midianite deity whose cult seduced Israel in Numbers 25. While the four named texts do not retell that apostasy, the proximity inevitably calls to mind the grievous compromise that cost Israel twenty-four thousand lives (Numbers 25:9). Thus Beth-peor stands in Scripture as a sober reminder of competing allegiances on the threshold of blessing. Association with Moses’ Final Acts The valley opposite Beth-peor served as Moses’ last stage of ministry. Here he repeated and expounded the law (Deuteronomy 1–4), commissioned Joshua, sang his final song, blessed the tribes, glimpsed the land from Pisgah, and finally died. By placing Moses’ burial opposite a town tied to idolatrous Peor, Scripture sets a deliberate contrast: the faithful servant of Yahweh is laid to rest facing a shrine of false worship, underscoring the exclusive sovereignty of the God of Israel. Boundary Marker for Tribal Inheritance Joshua lists Beth-peor among “the cities of the plateau” (Joshua 13:20) granted to Reuben, embedding the site in Israel’s territorial fabric. The location continued to stand as an eastern border reference throughout the monarchy. Its inclusion underlines the Lord’s faithfulness in transforming erstwhile pagan ground into an inheritance for His people. Contrasts with Baal of Peor Idolatry The very name Beth-peor (“house of Peor”) keeps alive the memory of spiritual conflict between covenant fidelity and Canaanite-Moabite syncretism. Adjacent references to Mount Pisgah and the plains of Moab invite readers to reckon with two formative choices: devotion exemplified by Moses, and defection exemplified by the Baal-Peor episode. Both decisions were made within sight of the Promised Land. Ministerial and Theological Reflections • Beth-peor illustrates how geography can serve redemptive purposes; a pagan locale becomes the platform for covenant renewal (Deuteronomy 4). Later History and Archaeological Considerations Though its exact location remains debated, most scholars place Beth-peor near modern Khirbet esh-Sheikh Jayil or Khirbet el-Ba`iyara, both overlooking the Wadi Ayun Musa. Sparse remains—rock-cut tombs, cisterns, and terrace walls—suggest a modest settlement that flourished under Moabite control. No definitive cultic installation has been unearthed, yet the region’s abundance of high-place altars corroborates the biblical portrayal of pervasive idolatry. Key Passages for Further Study Numbers 25; Deuteronomy 3:23–29; Deuteronomy 4:44–49; Deuteronomy 34:1–6; Joshua 13:15–23; Psalm 106:28–31; Hosea 9:10; 1 Corinthians 10:6–8. Forms and Transliterations פְּע֑וֹר פְּע֔וֹר פְּע֛וֹר פְּעֽוֹר׃ פעור פעור׃ pə‘ōwr pə·‘ō·wr peorLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 3:29 HEB: מ֖וּל בֵּ֥ית פְּעֽוֹר׃ פ NAS: in the valley opposite Beth-peor. KJV: in the valley over against Bethpeor. INT: the valley opposite Beth-peor Deuteronomy 4:46 Deuteronomy 34:6 Joshua 13:20 4 Occurrences |
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