Deuteronomy 3:29 — Word Study
WLCוַנֵּ֣שֶׁב בַּגָּ֔יְא מ֖וּל בֵּ֥ית פְּעֽוֹר׃ פ
BSASo we stayedyâshab▸ [abode, remained, dwelt] in the valleygayʼ [a deep, narrow gorge] oppositemûwl [over against, near, facing] Beth-peorBêyth Pᵉʻôwr [house of Peor, a place east of the Jordan River]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַנֵּ֣שֶׁב | and we remained | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect first person common plural |
| בַּגָּ֔יְא | in the valley | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
| מ֖וּל | opposite to | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| בֵּ֥ית | Beth | Noun proper |
| פְּעֽוֹר׃ פ | Peor | Noun proper |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor. |
| KJV | So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor. |
| ASV | So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor. |
| YLT | 'And we dwell in a valley over-against Beth-Peor. |
| WEB | So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor. |
| BBE | So we were waiting in the valley facing Beth-peor. |
Where they part company is over the word בַּגָּ֔יְא — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with two phrases providing location and direction. The structure highlights the importance of the setting.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Poole, Ellicott, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
verbיָשַׁב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 3:29
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Moses' Farewell Addressgenerated
Deuteronomy 3:29 describes the moment when the Israelites stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor. This location is significant as they are on the brink of entering the Promised Land, with Moses reflecting on their journey and the leadership transition to Joshua, as noted in the preceding verses. The mention of Beth-peor ties back to earlier events in Israel's history, emphasizing their experiences and God's guidance.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 4:3–46 | 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. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 34:6 | And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows the location of his grave. |
| 3 | Numbers 25:3 | So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them. |
| 4 | Numbers 33:48–49 | They set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וַנֵּ֣שֶׁב, va.Ne.shevgenerated
The verb יָשַׁב (yashab) means to dwell or remain. It indicates a state of being settled or abiding in a place, which in this verse refers to the Israelites staying in the valley. The parsing shows it is a sequential imperfect form, indicating an ongoing action in the past.
This verb is commonly used in the Hebrew Bible to describe habitation or remaining in a location, highlighting the importance of place in the narrative of the Israelites' journey.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is וַנֵּ֣שֶׁב, and we remained, which governs the entire clause. It is followed by a prepositional phrase indicating location, בַּגָּ֔יְא in the valley, and another prepositional phrase that provides direction, מ֖וּל opposite to.
The structure emphasizes the action of remaining in a specific geographical context, highlighting the Israelites' position as they prepare for the next phase of their journey.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַנֵּ֣שֶׁב as ἐνεκαθήμεθα, meaning 'we sat down' or 'we dwelled'. This choice reflects a more settled state, emphasizing their pause in the journey.
The Greek word νάπῃ for בַּגָּ֔יְא translates as 'in the valley', maintaining the geographical reference while possibly broadening the understanding of the landscape.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 3:29 tells us that the Israelites remained in a valley facing Beth-peor. This moment is part of Moses' farewell address, where he reflects on their journey and the leadership transition to Joshua. The valley's significance lies in its proximity to the Promised Land, marking a pivotal point in their history.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates a pause in their journey, a moment of reflection before entering the Promised Land.
Beth-peor is a significant location in the biblical narrative, associated with the Israelites' history and their experiences.
This verse teaches about the importance of place and reflection in our journey of faith.
Moses' mention of this location sets the stage for Joshua's leadership as they prepare to cross into the Promised Land.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to remain in a place of transition in my own life?
- How can I reflect on my past experiences as I prepare for future changes?
- In what ways can I recognize significant locations or moments in my spiritual journey?
- How do I respond to moments of pause or reflection in my life?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 3:29 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor. In the plains of Moab, over against a temple built for Baalpeor upon a mountain, so called from that idol, or that idol from the mountain; this is the
Read John Gill on Deuteronomy 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe house or temple of Peor, or of Baal-Peor, of which see , whence this place or city had its name.
Read Matthew Poole on Deuteronomy 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(29) So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.—Moses’ burial-place, as appears by Deuteronomy 34:6. It is a significant finishing touch to the scene described above. This verse also concludes the recapitulation of Israel’s journey from Horeb (Deuteronomy 1:6) to the banks of Jordan, with which this first discourse of Moses begins. The remainder, contained in Deut. Iv., is the practical part of the discourse, which now begins.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 3 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 29. Beth-peor.] This was a city in the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites; and as בית beth signifies a house, the place probably had its name from a temple of the god Peor, who was worshipped there. Peor was nearly the same among the Moabites that Priapus was among the Romans - the obscene god of an obscene people. This we have already seen. IT is very likely that what God speaks here, both concerning Moses and Joshua, was designed to be typical of the procedure of his justice and grace in the salvation of man. 1. The land of Canaan was a type of the kingdom of heaven. 2. The law, which shows the holiness of God and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, could not bring the people to the…
Read AdamClarke on Deuteronomy 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges29. the valley over against Beth-peor] Heb. the gai = hollow, glen, ravine, inapplicable to the Jordan plain; rather one of the glens descending to this from the Moab-plateau. That suits the probable meaning of Pe‘or, gap or cleft (Ar. fughrah, ‘a river-mouth’; cp. the ‘other Phogor’ of Euseb. and Jer. near Bethlehem, the modern Kh. Fβghϋr, PEF Map Sh. xvii.). Beth-Pe‘or abbrev. from Beth-Ba‘al-Pe‘or, shrine of the B. of P. (cp. Deuteronomy 4:3). This gai of Israel’s encampment, where also Moses was buried (Deuteronomy 34:6), unnamed, but defined as over against Beth-pe‘or (so too Deuteronomy 4:46), is also nameless in E, Numbers 21:20, defined as in the region of Moab, and these words are…
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleBeth-peor, i. e., the house of Peor, no doubt derived its name from a temple of the Moabite god Peor which was there situated.
Read Albert Barnes on Deuteronomy 3 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible29. So we abode in the valley — Here the people were encamped a long time. The transactions related in Numbers 28-34 took place here. Here these discourses of Moses were spoken. Near this spot he was buried.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor.
So we stayed in the valley near Beth Peor.
So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor.
So we settled down in the valley opposite Beth Peor.
Tyndale line
So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.
So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.
So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.
So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.
So wee abode in the valley ouer against Beth-Peor.
Strictly literal
And we abode in the valley opposite to Beth-Peor.
'And we dwell in a valley over-against Beth-Peor.
And we dwell in a valley opposite Beth-Peor.”
And we abode in the valley opposite Beth-peor.
So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.
From the Latin
And we abode in the valley over against the temple of Phogor.
Simplified
So we remained there in the valley near Beth-peor.
So we were waiting in the valley facing Beth-peor.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial agreement, with one word restored by an editor, indicating a similar textual tradition.
וַנֵּ֣שֶׁב בַּגָּ֔יְא מ֖וּל בֵּ֥ית פְּעֽוֹר׃ פ
3 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ונשׁב בגיא מול בית פעור
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ונשב] בגיא מול בית פעור
4 words on the leather — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 3:29
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יָשַׁב (yashab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to sit, remain, or dwell. It encompasses a range of actions from simply sitting down to more complex ideas like establishing a home or causing a place to be inhabited. The entries indicate various forms, including Qal (to sit), Niphal (to be inhabited), and Hiphil (to cause to dwell). There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְתִב (ye.tiv), meaning 'to dwell'.
יָשַׁב 1090 vb. sit, remain, dwell
Qal
sit
sit, sit down
sit down
sit = be set (as a jewel)
remain, stay, tarry
with special emphasis of qualifying phr.
dwell, have one’s abode
of a land or city, sit, abide, seated in its place, fig. for be inhabited
Niph. be inhabited, of land
Pi. and they shall set their encampments in thee
Hiph.
cause to sit
cause to abide
cause to dwell
cause cities to be inhabited
marry (prop. give a dwelling to)
Hoph. and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land
base
H3427 יָשַׁב sit, remain, dwell
3427 yashab yaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as
judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to)
abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to)
inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing),
(bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle),
(down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate),
take, tarry.
יָשַׁב (ya.shav) — to dwell.
1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to sit, sit down
1a2) to be set
1a3) to remain, stay
1a4) to dwell, have one's abode
1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited
1c) (Piel) to set, place
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to sit
1d2) to cause to abide, set
1d3) to cause to dwell
1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited
1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to)
1e) (Hophal)
1e1) to be inhabited
1e2) to make to dwell
Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect first person common pluralHc/Vqw1cp
גַּיְא (gay) means 'valley' and specifically refers to a steep, narrow gorge. It is likely derived from a root meaning related to height. The term appears in various combinations with names of locations, indicating specific valleys, such as Topheth and Zeboim. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.
גַּיְא n.m. valley
base
H1516 גַּיְא valley
1516 gay' gah'-ee
or (shortened) gay {gah'-ee}; probably (by transmutation)
from the same root as 1466 (abbreviated); a gorge (from its
lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or
winter-torrent):--valley.
see HEBREW for 01466
גַּיְא (gay) — Valley.
valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
Another name of to.phet (תֹּ֫פֶת "Topheth" H8612)
גַּיְא (gay) — (Iphtahel) Valley.
valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
Combined with yiph.tach-el (יִפְתַּח־אֵל " of Iphtahel" H3317)
גַּיְא (gay) — (Zeboim) Valley.
valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
Combined with tse.vo.im (צְבֹעִים " of Zeboim" H6650H)
גַּיְא (gay) — (Salt) Valley.
valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
Combined with me.lach (מֶ֫לַח " of Salt" H4417H)
גַּיְא (gay) — Ge.
§ valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
גַּיְא (gay) — (Zephathah) Valley.
valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
Combined with tse.pha.tah (צְפַ֫תָה "Zephathah" H6859)
גַּיְא (gay) — Valley (Gate).
§ valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
גַּיְא (gay) — (Hamon-gog) Valley.
valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHRd/Ncbsa
val'-i.
See VALE; VALLEY.
Valley
(1.) Heb. bik’ah, a “cleft” of the mountains (Deut. 8:7; 11:11; Ps. 104:8; Isa. 41:18); also a low plain bounded by mountains, as the plain of Lebanon at the foot of Hermon around the sources of the Jordan (Josh. 11:17; 12:7), and the valley of Megiddo (2 Chr. 35:22).
(2.) ‘Emek, “deep;” “a long, low plain” (Job 39:10, 21; Ps. 65:13; Cant. 2:1), such as the plain of Esdraelon; the “valley of giants” (
With respect to the general features of the Holy Land, see CANAAN; and for descriptions of some of its numerous valleys, see JERUSALEM, JEZREEL, JORDAN, REPHAIM, SHECHIEM, and SODOM. "The valley of the shadow of death," is an expression denoting an extremely perilous and cheerless condition of the soul, Ps 23:4, and may have been suggested by the psalmist’s experience with his flock in some of the deep, narrow, and dark ravines of Syria.
Thus the entrance to Petra is by long winding defile, between rugged precipices in some spots not more than twelve or fourteen feet apart and two or three hundred feet high, and almost excluding the light of day. See view in SELA. A similar pass south of mount Carmel is now known as the "Valley of Death-shade."
מוּל (mul) means 'front' or 'in front of,' and is used adverbially to indicate position or direction. It can refer to being opposite or toward the front of something. The word is derived from a root meaning 'abrupt' or 'precipice,' and appears in various contexts in the Old Testament, such as in Deuteronomy 1:1 and Numbers 22:5.
מוּל, מוֹל, מוֹאל subst. and prep. front, in front of
base
H4136 מוּל, מוֹל, מוֹאל front, in front of
4136 muwl mool
or mowl (Deuteronomy 1:1) {mole}; or mowtl (Nehemiah 12:38)
{mole}; or mul (Numbers 22:5) {mool}; from 4135; properly,
abrupt, i.e. a precipice; by implication, the front; used only
adverbially (with prepositional prefix) opposite:--(over)
against, before, (fore-)front, from, (God-)ward, toward, with.
see HEBREW for 04135
מוּל (mul) — opposite.
1) front
1a) front
1b) in the opposite direction
prep
2) in front of
2a) in front of
2b) (with prefix)
2b1) towards the front of, to the front of, on the front of
2b2) from the front of, off the front of, close in front of, on the forefront of
Prep — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
בֵּית פְּעוֹר n.pr.loc. E. of Jordan, in land of Amorites (where assigned to Reuben); in land of Moab
base
H1047 בֵּית פְּעוֹר E. of Jordan
1047 Beyth P`owr bayth pe-ore'
from 1004 and 6465; house of Peor; Beth- Peor, a place East
of the Jordan:--Beth-peor.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 06465
בֵּית פְּעוֹר (bet pe.or) — Beth-peor.
§ Beth-peor = "house of Peor"
a place east of the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, allotted to the tribe of Reuben
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
Beth
Occurs frequently as the appellation for a house, or dwelling-place, in such compounds as the words immediately following:
the most general word for a house or habitation. It has the special meaning of a temple or house of worship Beth is more frequently employed in compound names of places than any other word.
House, forms a part of many compounds names of places, and sometimes means the place or dwelling; and at others the temple. This word becomes Beit in modern Arabic.
בֵּית פְּעוֹר n.pr.loc. E. of Jordan, in land of Amorites (where assigned to Reuben); in land of Moab
base
H1047 בֵּית פְּעוֹר E. of Jordan
1047 Beyth P`owr bayth pe-ore'
from 1004 and 6465; house of Peor; Beth- Peor, a place East
of the Jordan:--Beth-peor.
see HEBREW for 01004
see HEBREW for 06465
בֵּית פְּעוֹר (bet pe.or) — Beth-peor.
§ Beth-peor = "house of Peor"
a place east of the Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, allotted to the tribe of Reuben
HNpl — Noun properHNpl
pe'-or (ha-pe`or; Phogor):
(1) A mountain in the land of Moab, the last of the three heights to which Balaam was guided by Balak in order that he might curse Israel (Nu 23:28). It is placed by Eusebius, Onomasticon on the way between Livias and Heshbon, 7 Roman miles from the latter. Buhl would identify it with Jebel el-Mashaqqar, on which are the ruins of an old town, between Wady A`yun Musa and Wady Chesban.
Peor
Opening. (1.) A mountain peak (Num. 23:28) to which Balak led Balaam as a last effort to induce him to pronounce a curse upon Israel. When he looked on the tribes encamped in the acacia groves below him, he could not refrain from giving utterance to a remarkable benediction (24:1-9). Balak was more than ever enraged at Balaam, and bade him flee for his life. But before he went he gave expression to that wonderful prediction regarding the future of this mysterious people, whose “goodly tents” were spread out before him, and the coming of a “Star” out of Jacob and a “Sceptre” out of Israel (24:14-17).
(2.) A Moabite divinity, called also “Baal-peor” (Num. 25:3, 5, 18; comp. Deut. 3:29).
(cleft), a mountain peak in Moab belonging to the Abarim range, and near Pisgah, to which, after having ascended Pisgah, the prophet Balaam was conducted by Balak that he might look upon the whole host of Israel and curse them. (Numbers 23:14,28) In four passages -- (Numbers 25:18) twice; Numb 31:16; Josh 22:17 --Peor occurs as a contraction for Baal-peor. [BAAL.)