Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse's powerful contrast lies in "sacrifices of the dead" being offered to Baal-peor, highlighting the ultimate emptiness and deception of idolatry. This wasn't just worship of lifeless idols; it points to the deadening spiritual reality of forsaking the true, living God for something that could offer no true life or sustenance.
Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Psalmist recounts Israel's rebellion after God's deliverance, specifically highlighting their unfaithfulness at Baal-Peor, where they engaged in idolatry and sexual immorality with Moabite women. This sin led to a devastating plague, which was only halted by Phinehas' zealous act of judgment against an idolater and his foreign consort, a pivotal moment that restored God's favor and preserved the nation.
Have you ever felt trapped by a commitment, a habit, or even a relationship that drains you? The Psalmist uses a powerful image to describe Israel's relationship with Baal-peor.
The verse says the Israelites "yoked themselves" to Baal-peor. This isn't just joining a club; it's a word that implies being bound, enslaved, or put under a heavy burden. Think of an ox yoked to a plow – it's a partnership, but one of forced labor and submission.
This imagery highlights how idolatry isn't a neutral choice. When people turned to Baal-peor, they weren't just adopting a new hobby. They were entering into a binding covenant, much like the covenant they had with God. This new "yoke" meant submitting to the demands and practices of Baal-peor worship, which often involved sensuality and immorality, as the historical context in Numbers 25 suggests.
This contrasts sharply with the "easy yoke" Jesus offers (Matthew 11:30). The yoke of idolatry is heavy and destructive, leading away from true life and freedom.
What does it mean to offer sacrifices to the 'dead'? This isn't just about inanimate objects; it points to a profound spiritual reality.
The verse speaks of eating "sacrifices offered to the dead." This phrase is a profound insult to idols and the worship directed towards them.
Contrasting Life and Death
Idols are called 'dead' for a few key reasons:
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The Ultimate Futility
To "eat sacrifices" in this context meant participating in the rituals and fellowship of idolatry. By doing so, the Israelites were aligning themselves with death rather than life. They were partaking in ceremonies that offered no true sustenance, no spiritual vitality, and ultimately led to destruction. It was a choice to embrace the domain of death over the overflowing life God offers.
Understand the original words
tsamad · Hebrew Verb
To be joined or attached to something, often used metaphorically to describe entering into a covenant or an illicit association with an idol or a false deity.
Baal · Hebrew Proper Noun
The chief deity of the Canaanite pantheon, frequently representing fertility and storm gods; biblically, it serves as the ultimate symbol of apostasy and false worship against Yahweh.
zebach · Hebrew Noun
Food items prepared for ritual purposes; in this context, it refers to pagan ritual feasts that signify spiritual alliance with dead idols or non-existent gods.
This verse recalls a specific, scandalous event where Israelites fell into idolatry with the Moabites, even participating in ritualistic meals associated with their dead gods. It highlights the danger of foreign enticements and the gravity of forsaking the living God for lifeless idols.
c. 1400 BC
IsraelITES encamp near Mount Peor
The Israelites camp in the plains of Moab, near Mount Peor. This location becomes associated with a particular Moabite deity and idolatrous practices.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Israelites join Baal of Peor worship
Many Israelites engage in idolatrous worship of Baal of Peor, participating in sexual immorality and eating sacrifices offered to this deity. This event leads to a severe plague.
c. 1400 BC
Phinehas executes judgment
Phinehas zealously executes judgment upon an Israelite man and a Midianite woman caught in the act of sin, which stops the plague. This act is considered a great service to God.
c. 1400 BC
Divine judgment and forgiveness
While a plague devastates the people, God's anger is ultimately appeased by Phinehas's action, preventing total destruction and preserving the nation.
This passage provides the historical account that the Psalm is referencing, detailing Israel's participation in the worship of Baal of Peor and the resulting plague.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12This passage explicitly forbids the practices mentioned, such as consulting the dead or engaging in idolatry, showing the severity of Israel's sin in Psalm 106.
1 Corinthians 10:20The Apostle Paul directly quotes and interprets this type of pagan worship, warning believers that participation in idol sacrifices means fellowship with demons, not God.
Psalm 106:30-31These verses immediately follow, highlighting Phinehas's zealous action that stopped the plague, demonstrating a specific response to the sin described in verse 28.
clarkePsalms 106:28: "They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead."
They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor - The Vulgate, Septuagint, and others, have Belphegor; the Syriac and Arabic, the idol Phegor, or Phaaur; the ע ain in the word being pronounced as gh. Ate the sacrifices or the dead - מתים methim, of dead men. Most of the heathen idols were seen, who had been deified after their death; many of whom had been execrated during their life.
bensonPsalms 106:28: "They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead."
Psalm 106:28-30 . They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor — To wit, in worship, whereby they had a union and communion with him, as God’s people have with God in acts of his worship. And ate the sacrifices of the dead — Which were offered to idols, which he calls dead, in opposition to the true and living God, and by way of contempt, and to denote the stupidity of idolaters, who worshipped lifeles…
The verse's powerful contrast lies in "sacrifices of the dead" being offered to Baal-peor, highlighting the ultimate emptiness and deception of idolatry. This wasn't just worship of lifeless idols; it points to the deadening spiritual reality of forsaking the true, living God for something that could offer no true life or sustenance.
The Psalmist recounts Israel's rebellion after God's deliverance, specifically highlighting their unfaithfulness at Baal-Peor, where they engaged in idolatry and sexual immorality with Moabite women. This sin led to a devastating plague, which was only halted by Phinehas' zealous act of judgment against an idolater and his foreign consort, a pivotal moment that restored God's favor and preserved the nation.
The Psalmist recounts Israel's rebellion after God's deliverance, specifically highlighting their unfaithfulness at Baal-Peor, where they engaged in idolatry and sexual immorality with Moabite women. This sin led to a devastating plague, which was only halted by Phinehas' zealous act of judgment against an idolater and his foreign consort, a pivotal moment that restored God's favor and preserved the nation.
"Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;" — The verse's powerful contrast lies in "sacrifices of the dead" being offered to Baal-peor, highlighting the ultimate emptiness and deception of idolatry. This wasn't just worship of lifeless idols; i…
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Last reviewed October 2026