Who was Beor in the Bible?

Beor was the father of Balaam, a pagan prophet from Pethor who was hired to curse the Israelites. He is mentioned as the father figure in the lineage of the prophet Balaam (Numbers 22:5).

Why is Beor significant in the Bible?

Beor's significance comes entirely through his son, Balaam, whose story is a major narrative about God's sovereignty. Balaam's attempt to curse Israel and the famous incident with his talking donkey are central events where Beor is referenced as his father (Deuteronomy 23:4-5).

Was Beor a prophet like his son Balaam?

The Bible does not state that Beor was a prophet. He is only identified as the father of Balaam, with no record of his own prophetic activity or direct role in the biblical narrative (Joshua 13:22).

Beor

Both TestamentsEgypt & WildernessMaleFather

Beor was the father of Balaam, a pagan prophet from Pethor.

Beor

Biography

Beor is primarily known as the father of Balaam, the enigmatic pagan diviner from Pethor, a city associated with Mesopotamia (Numbers 22:5; Deuteronomy 23:4). Beyond his paternal relationship to one of Scripture's most complex figures, almost nothing is recorded about Beor himself. He lived during the wilderness period, and his son Balaam was summoned by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel as they journeyed toward Canaan. The name Beor appears multiple times in Scripture solely as a means of identifying Balaam. Interestingly, the name Beor also appears in Edomite king lists (Genesis 36:32), though most scholars treat these as two distinct individuals. His legacy is entirely defined through the fame of his son.

Significance

Beor's significance in Scripture is indirect but not negligible: he is the father of Balaam, one of the Old Testament's most theologically rich and morally ambiguous figures. The repeated identification of Balaam as "son of Beor" throughout Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Micah, and the New Testament (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11; Revelation 2:14) anchors Balaam's identity and warns readers about the dangers of misusing prophetic gifting for personal gain. Beor thus represents the family context out of which a man of extraordinary spiritual sensitivity could still ultimately choose greed over faithfulness, a sobering reminder of human freedom and accountability.

Verse Appearances (9)

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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Beor

Biography

Significance

Verse Appearances (9)

Numbers

Deut

Josh

Micah

2Pet

References