And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
The verse records Balak's third attempt to secure a curse upon Israel, made after the former attempts had failed. After the second failure he was disheartened and distressed and cried out to Balaam neither to curse them at all nor to bless them at all, yet with faint hope still lingering he determined to try again and conducted Balaam to Mount Peor. He vainly hoped that leading Balaam to another place, to the top of Peor, and changing the standpoint would induce him to turn Israel's blessing into a curse.
The top of Peor, or Mount Peor, held the temple noted most of all for disgusting scenes of licentiousness enacted in honor of its god. There the same number of altars were erected as before and the same number of sacrifices were offered, preparing for Balaam's next blessing declaring Israel's prosperity. The moving from one point to another was a repeated effort to move steadfastness and obtain a curse instead of a blessing, and it succeeded no better than before, for human applause and the fear of man are powerless to shake one who is sustained by divine power.
The verse records Balak's third attempt to secure a curse upon Israel, made after the former attempts had failed. After the second failure he was disheartened and distressed and cried out to Balaam neither to curse them at all nor to bless them at all, yet with faint hope still lingering he determined to try again and conducted Balaam to Mount Peor. He vainly hoped that leading Balaam to another place, to the top of Peor, and changing the standpoint would induce him to turn Israel's blessing into a curse.
The top of Peor, or Mount Peor, held the temple noted most of all for disgusting scenes of licentiousness enacted in honor of its god. There the same number of altars were erected as before and the same number of sacrifices were offered, preparing for Balaam's next blessing declaring Israel's prosperity. The moving from one point to another was a repeated effort to move steadfastness and obtain a curse instead of a blessing, and it succeeded no better than before, for human applause and the fear of man are powerless to shake one who is sustained by divine power.