So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor: As in verse 14 (see the comments there), it may be better to render took as “led.” Peor was a mountain, probably located about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) east of the northern end of the Dead Sea. This place becomes important in the book of Numbers (see 25.3, 18; 31.16).

That overlooks the desert: In some languages it may be helpful to translate the verb overlooks as “dominates” (La Nouvelle Bible Segond) or “looks toward” (NET Bible). As in 21.20 (see the comments there), the Hebrew word for desert is yeshimon. As there, we recommend the place name “Jeshimon” (Revised English Bible, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling, Swedish Bible).

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .