Beor

Father of the prophet Balaam

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Beor is primarily known as the father of Balaam, the pagan prophet who was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel. Although little is known about Beor personally, his name is linked to one of the most well-known prophetic stories in the Old Testament. He is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible as an identifier for his son Balaam.

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Mentioned as Balaam's father in Numbers

Beor is identified as the father of Balaam when Balak, king of Moab, sends for Balaam to curse the people of Israel.

5and he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor, at Pethor on the River, in the land of his people, to summon him with this message: "A people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the land, and they have settled next to me.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכִ֜ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר פְּ֠תוֹרָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמּ֖וֹ לִקְרֹא־ל֑וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר הִ֠נֵּה עַ֣ם יָצָ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ הִנֵּ֤ה כִסָּה֙ אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב מִמֻּלִֽי׃ ‬
2Balak son of Zippor saw everything Israel had done to the Amorites,
וַיַּ֥רְא בָּלָ֖ק בֶּן־צִפּ֑וֹר אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לָֽאֱמֹרִֽי׃ ‬
3and Moab was terrified of the people, because there were so many of them. Moab was filled with dread at the Israelites.
וַיָּ֨גָר מוֹאָ֜ב מִפְּנֵ֥י הָעָ֛ם מְאֹ֖ד כִּ֣י רַב־ה֑וּא וַיָּ֣קָץ מוֹאָ֔ב מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ‬
4So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will lick up everything around us the way an ox licks up the grass of the field." Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מוֹאָ֜ב אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֗ן עַתָּ֞ה יְלַחֲכ֤וּ הַקָּהָל֙ אֶת־כָּל־סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כִּלְחֹ֣ךְ הַשּׁ֔וֹר אֵ֖ת יֶ֣רֶק הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּבָלָ֧ק בֶּן־צִפּ֛וֹר מֶ֥לֶךְ לְמוֹאָ֖ב בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽוא׃ ‬

Balaam's mission from Balak

Balaam, son of Beor, is repeatedly mentioned in connection with Balak's attempts to get him to curse Israel, but God turns the curse into a blessing.

3He took up his oracle and said: "The word of Balaam son of Beor, the word of the man whose eye is opened,
וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃ ‬
15Then he took up his oracle and said: "The word of Balaam son of Beor, the word of the man whose eye is opened,
וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃ ‬
18Then Balaam took up his oracle and said: "Rise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor.
וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר ק֤וּם בָּלָק֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔ע הַאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנ֥וֹ צִפֹּֽר׃ ‬

Mentioned in Deuteronomy

Moses reminds the people of Israel about the incident with Balaam, son of Beor, and how the Lord refused to listen to Balaam and turned the curse into a blessing.

4No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of them shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD,
לֹֽא־יָבֹ֧א עַמּוֹנִ֛י וּמוֹאָבִ֖י בִּקְהַ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה גַּ֚ם דּ֣וֹר עֲשִׂירִ֔י לֹא־יָבֹ֥א לָהֶ֛ם בִּקְהַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ ‬
5because they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your journey when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Mesopotamia to curse you.
עַל־דְּבַ֞ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹא־קִדְּמ֤וּ אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּלֶּ֣חֶם וּבַמַּ֔יִם בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַאֲשֶׁר֩ שָׂכַ֨ר עָלֶ֜יךָ אֶת־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר מִפְּת֛וֹר אֲרַ֥ם נַהֲרַ֖יִם לְקַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃ ‬

Mentioned in Joshua

Balaam, son of Beor, is mentioned in connection with the Israelites killing him with the sword during the conquest of the land.

22The Israelites also put Balaam son of Beor, the diviner, to the sword along with the others they killed.
וְאֶת־בִּלְעָ֥ם בֶּן־בְּע֖וֹר הַקּוֹסֵ֑ם הָרְג֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בַּחֶ֖רֶב אֶל־חַלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ ‬
9Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,
וַיָּ֨קָם בָּלָ֤ק בֶּן־צִפּוֹר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֔ב וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח וַיִּקְרָ֛א לְבִלְעָ֥ם בֶּן־בְּע֖וֹר לְקַלֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶֽם׃ ‬
10but I would not listen to Balaam. Instead he blessed you again and again, and I rescued you from his hand.
וְלֹ֥א אָבִ֖יתִי לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ לְבִלְעָ֑ם וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ בָּרוֹךְ֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וָאַצִּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיָּדֽוֹ׃ ‬

Warnings in the New Testament

Balaam son of Beor is mentioned in 2 Peter as a warning example of one who loved unjust gain and left the right path.

15They have left the straight road and gone astray, following the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
⸀καταλιπόντες εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν ἐπλανήθησαν, ἐξακολουθήσαντες τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ Βαλαὰμ τοῦ ⸀Βοσὸρ ὃς μισθὸν ἀδικίας ἠγάπησεν
16But he was rebuked for his transgression: a mute donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
ἔλεγξιν δὲ ἔσχεν ἰδίας παρανομίας· ὑποζύγιον ἄφωνον ἐν ἀνθρώπου φωνῇ φθεγξάμενον ἐκώλυσεν τὴν τοῦ προφήτου παραφρονίαν.

Mentioned in the Book of Micah

The prophet Micah reminds the people of Balak's plans and Balaam son of Beor's response, so that they may know the Lord's righteous deeds.

5My people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and how Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving deeds of the LORD.
עַמִּ֗י זְכָר־נָא֙ מַה־יָּעַ֗ץ בָּלָק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֔ב וּמֶה־עָנָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֑וֹר מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים֙ עַד־הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל לְמַ֕עַן דַּ֖עַת צִדְק֥וֹת יְהוָֽה׃ ‬

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