במדבר, פרק ל״ב, פסוק ל״ח

During the settlement of the eastern side of the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuben and Gad rebuilt ruined cities, leaving their spiritual and historical mark on the region through the act of naming them. A significant part of this process involved cities like Nebo and Baal Meon, which had their names deliberately altered. The primary approach among commentators suggests a spiritual motive for this change. Nebo and Baal Meon were originally the names of Amorite idols. To eradicate the mention of idolatry from their lips, the tribe of Reuben changed these names immediately upon conquest, even before the physical rebuilding began, ensuring the new settlers would not have to utter them [רש״י, שפתי חכמים, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מזרחי, גור אריה].

This raises a natural question: if the names were changed to avoid idolatrous references, why are the original names still recorded? One explanation is that the prohibition against mentioning idols applies only to those not recorded in the Torah. The Israelites initially changed the names, but once the Torah was finalized and included them, they became permissible to say and reverted to everyday use [העמק דבר]. Alternatively, the alteration was merely a subtle modification to obscure the idolatrous reference while keeping the city recognizable [גור אריה].

Contrasting the spiritual motive, a historical and geopolitical perspective argues that if the goal was to erase idolatrous names, the newly assigned pure names would have been documented instead. Rather, the changing of names reflects the region's turbulent history. These cities originally belonged to Moab before being conquered and renamed by Sihon, the Amorite king. Upon capturing the territory from Sihon, the Israelites restored the ancient Moabite names as a calculated move to shame and humiliate the Moabites [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך, רש״ר הירש]. Expanding on this, the region's cities constantly changed hands, being named first by Ammon and Moab, then by the Amorite kings, and finally by the Israelites [דעת זקנים, חזקוני, פענח רזא, בכור שור].

A completely different interpretation suggests that the names were not replaced at all. Instead, the phrasing indicates that the names of the conquering heroes and builders were engraved upon the surrounding walls of the cities [הכתב והקבלה].

Not all cities underwent a renaming process. Shibmah, for instance, was simply rebuilt and retained its original name without alteration [רש״י, הטור הארוך, שפתי חכמים, מזרחי, גור אריה]. For the rest of the newly established territory, the Israelites employed a variety of naming conventions. Some cities kept their old names, others received entirely new ones [ביאור שטיינזלץ, רש״ר הירש], and some integrated the ancient city name with the names of the individuals who rebuilt them [העמק דבר, הכתב והקבלה].

Finally, the city of Nebo carries profound historical weight, as it is identified with Mount Nebo, the burial place of Moses [אבן עזרא, הדר זקנים]. There is deep symbolism in the fact that Moses died and was buried in a location bearing an idolatrous name, situated directly across from Beth Peor. His burial in this specific location served to atone for the Israelites' severe sin of worshipping the idol Baal Peor [ברכת אשר].