Bible Person

Beor

Meaning: burning; foolish; mad · Male · 9 cross references

Beor is remembered chiefly as the father of Balaam, the non-Israelite diviner whose oracles and later legacy affect Israel's story in the wilderness. His own role is brief, but his name remains attached to one of the Pentateuch's most unusual prophetic figures. First appears in Num 22:5.1

AI summary: Beor matters because the cross references preserve him through the repeated identification of Balaam son of Beor. That patronymic gives Balaam a fixed historical identity across Torah, Joshua, Micah, and later reflection. Although Beor has no independent narrative arc, his name remains visible wherever Balaam's blessing, corruption, and notoriety are recalled. Taken together, the material presents Beor as a minor ancestral figure whose significance is entirely bound up with the enduring memory of his son.1

Central Figure

Beor

Meaning: burning; foolish; mad

The father of Balaam (Num.