The Father of Kings and Curses
The name Beor (Hebrew: Bə‘ōr) means “a burning” or “a torch.” The Bible mentions this name in two distinct contexts, centuries apart, suggesting either a common patronymic in the region or a single, highly notable ancestor to two famous sons.
1. Beor, Father of Bela (The King of Edom)
The first mention of Beor identifies him as the father of Bela, the very first king to reign over Edom, the descendants of Esau. This placement of Beor is found in the ancient genealogical lists of Genesis and 1 Chronicles:
“Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned any king over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.” (Genesis 36:31-32, KJV, repeated in 1 Chronicles 1:43, KJV)
- Significance: This reference is historically important because it establishes that Edom had an organized, centralized monarchy before God raised up a king over Israel. Beor, through his son Bela, is anchored in the early political history of Israel’s closely related, though often adversarial, neighbor.
2. Beor, Father of Balaam (The Prophet-Seer)
The second, and far more frequent, mention of Beor is as the father of Balaam, the notorious non-Israelite prophet summoned by Balak, King of Moab, to curse the Children of Israel as they approached the Promised Land.
“He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:” (Numbers 22:5, KJV)
Balaam is repeatedly identified by his patronymic, “Balaam the son of Beor,” throughout the narrative in Numbers 22-24, and in later historical and prophetic summary passages (Deuteronomy 23:4; Joshua 24:9; Micah 6:5, KJV).
- New Testament Connection: In the New Testament, Beor’s name is rendered as Bosor in a passage condemning greed and false doctrine: “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;” (2 Peter 2:15, KJV). This change is due to a variation in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew name.
A Lesson in Divine Sovereignty
Beor himself is an obscure figure, but his two famous sons—the Edomite king and the Mesopotamian seer—position his name at the intersection of international power and supernatural revelation, both of which God used to fulfill His covenant with Israel.
Beor’s dual legacy serves as a powerful reminder of God’s absolute sovereignty over all nations and men. Even those outside the covenant of Israel, from royal lineage (Bela) to prophetic office (Balaam), were ultimately instruments in the Lord’s hand, establishing His righteous acts of judgment and deliverance for His people (Micah 6:5, KJV).