Tafsiran Bilangan 25:2: Rashi, Midrash Lekach Tov, Or HaChaim & Rabbeinu Bahya

וישתחוו לאלהיהן AND THEY PROSTRATED THEMSELVES BEFORE THEIR GODS — When anyone’s passions overpowered him and he said to her, “Submit to me”, she took out for him an image of Peor from her bosom, saying to him, “First prostrate yourself before this" (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 18).

And they called the people." It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said, "Regarding the Israelites who were outside the land [of Israel], how were they allowed to interact with idolaters in a state of purity? For example, a Canaanite who made a feast for his son and invited the Jews in his city, although they ate and drank from their own [kosher food], and their own servant stood and poured for them as if they had eaten from the sacrifices of the dead, as it is stated, 'They joined themselves to Baal Peor and ate sacrifices to the dead.' But if you say that they only ate, why does it say 'and you shall eat'? What does the verse mean by 'and you shall eat'? From the moment of the invitation. 'And the people ate and bowed down to their gods.' Since he [the idolater] would entice her [the Jewish woman] with Ammonite wine, which is beautiful and entices the body to immorality, he would say to her, 'Listen to me,' and she would take out idolatry from her bosom and say to him, 'Bow down to this [idol],' and I will listen to you.

ותקראן לעם, They called to the people. The reason the Torah had to repeat the word לעם having previously described the people involved as העם is that not all of these people went for strolls so that they encountered the Moabite women. Our verse indicates that the Moabite women went out to seek out Israelites who had not gone strolling in the neighbourhood around their camp. An alternative explanation could be that they wanted to involve the Israelites in a group activity thus breaking down each Israelite's inhibition against committing sinful acts. They were invited to partake of the meals prepared by the Moabite women in honour of their idols.