Bible Strands
Psalms 106:28
They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the congregation by recounting Israel’s historical rebellion at the wilderness encampment near Peor, immediately following their dispersion among the nations and preceding the outbreak of plague.
The words — The Hebrew verb צִמְדוּ (tzi.me.du) literally means "they yoked themselves," and the noun מֵתִים (me.tim) translates directly as "dead ones," describing the idols receiving the consumed sacrifices.
The thread — This incident matches the account in Numbers 25:1–5, where Israel engages in sexual immorality and Baal worship at Shittim, and the wilderness period is later recalled in Hosea 9:10 using agricultural metaphors of initial delight.
Why it lands — The text records that idolatrous alliance directly provoked divine anger and triggered communal judgment, requiring the reader to acknowledge that participating in false worship severs the community from God's protection.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
They joined themselves also unto Baal–peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
Cross-references
- Numbers 25:1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
- Numbers 25:5 So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”
- Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the firstfruits of the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Shame; so they became as detestable as the thing they loved.
- Deuteronomy 4:3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all who followed Baal of Peor.
- Jeremiah 10:8 But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!
- 1 Corinthians 10:19 Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?
- Deuteronomy 32:17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear.
- Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
- Numbers 31:16 “Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
- Joshua 22:17 Was not the sin of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day? It even brought a plague upon the congregation of the LORD.