Who was Zur in the Bible?

Zur was a leader of the Midianites, one of five kings who allied against Israel. He is mentioned in the context of Israel's sin at Peor, where his daughter was involved with an Israelite man, leading to a plague (Numbers 25:15, 31:8).

What happened to Zur in the Bible?

Zur was killed by the Israelites in a battle commanded by God to execute judgment on the Midianites for leading Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality at Peor. He was slain alongside the other Midianite kings (Numbers 31:8, Joshua 13:21).

Why is Zur significant in the Bible?

Zur's significance lies in his role in the events at Peor, which became a major warning against idolatry and intermarriage with pagan nations. His death symbolized God's judgment on those who lead His people into sin.

Zur

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleLeader

Zur was a Midianite leader whose daughter was involved with an Israelite, resulting in a plague on Israel.

Zur

Biography

Zur was a Midianite leader whose daughter Cozbi became entangled with an Israelite man named Zimri, son of Salu, during Israel's encampment at Shittim (Numbers 25:14–15). This liaison was part of a broader pattern of Israelite men consorting with Moabite and Midianite women, which led to Israel's participation in the worship of Baal-Peor and the resulting divine plague. The Israelite priest Phinehas intervened dramatically, driving a spear through both Zimri and Cozbi in the act, which halted the plague (Numbers 25:7–8). Zur was identified as a chief among the Midianites, and Cozbi's involvement was later cited as evidence of Midian's calculated strategy to bring Israel under judgment through moral and religious corruption (Numbers 25:18).

Significance

Zur's role in the Baal-Peor incident reveals the narrative of deliberate religious subversion: following the failure of Balaam's curses against Israel, Midian employed a strategy of seduction to accomplish what supernatural malediction could not. The naming of Zur as a Midianite leader and the identification of Cozbi as his daughter underscore that this was not merely personal misconduct but a politically and religiously motivated attack on Israel's covenant fidelity. This episode informs the later command to strike Midian (Numbers 31) and teaches enduring lessons about the dangers of spiritual compromise. Phinehas's zealous intervention, which God rewarded with a covenant of perpetual priesthood (Numbers 25:12–13), remains a powerful image of righteous action in defense of covenant holiness.

Verse Appearances (1)

Numbers

Numbers 25:15

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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