Psalms 106:28

106:28 They worshiped ¹  Baal of Peor,

and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. ² 

Ezekiel 24:17

24:17 Groan in silence for the dead, ³  but do not perform mourning rites. ⁴  Bind on your turban ⁵  and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip ⁶  and do not eat food brought by others.” ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “joined themselves to.”

² tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).

³ tn Or “Groan silently. As to the dead….” Cf. M. Greenberg’s suggestion that דֹּם מֵתִים (dom metim) be taken together and דֹּם be derived from ָדּמַם (damam, “to moan, murmur”). See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:508.

⁴ tn Heb “(For) the dead mourning you shall not conduct.” In the Hebrew text the word translated “dead” is plural, indicating that mourning rites are in view. Such rites would involve outward demonstrations of one’s sorrow, including wailing and weeping.

⁵ sn The turban would normally be removed for mourning (Josh 7:6; 1 Sam 4:12).

⁶ sn Mourning rites included covering the lower part of the face. See Lev 13:45.

⁷ tn Heb “the bread of men.” The translation follows the suggestion accepted by M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 2:509) that this refers to a meal brought by comforters to the one mourning. Some repoint the consonantal text to read “the bread of despair” (see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:56), while others, with support from the Targum and Vulgate, emend the consonantal text to read “the bread of mourners” (see D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:784).