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Numbers 22

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Israel Encamped; Moab’s Fear 1–4

1
And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. ​
2
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3
And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. ​
4
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. ​

Balak Summons Balaam 5–14

5
And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. ​
6
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. ​
7
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8
And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Jehovah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. ​
9
And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10
And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11
Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.
12
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed. ​
13
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

Balak Sends More Honorable Princes 15–21

15
And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
16
And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17
for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. ​
18
And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah my God, to do less or more.
19
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Jehovah will speak unto me more.
20
And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do. ​
21
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. ​

Balaam's Donkey 22–35

22
And God’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of Jehovah placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. ​
23
And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
24
Then the angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25
And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
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And the angel of Jehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27
And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff.
28
And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? ​
29
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.
30
And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.
31
Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.
32
And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me: ​
33
and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive.
34
And Balaam said unto the angel of Jehovah, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
35
And the angel of Jehovah said unto Balaam, Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. ​

Balaam Arrives in Moab 36–41

36
And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.
37
And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?
38
And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak. ​
39
And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-huzoth.
40
And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41
And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Numbers 22

Verse 1

the plains of Moab — Arabah is the dry, sterile valley of the Jordan; the camp lies 'on this side Jordan by Jericho'. Here Moses began 'to declare this law' (Deut 1:5), and from these plains he 'went up… unto the mountain of Nebo' (Deut 34:1).

Verse 3

sore afraid — Gur here means to shrink in fear; 'distressed' is quts, to be filled with dread or loathing. The cause is Israel's numbers, 'because they were many'. Rahab later reports the same dread: 'our hearts did melt' (Josh 2:11); see Ex 15:15 on Moab's trembling.

Verse 4

lick up — Lachak, to lick, occurs twice in this verse: the company will 'lick up' all around, 'as the ox licketh up the grass'. Moab speaks to 'the elders of Midian'; Midian's women later beguile Israel 'in the matter of Peor' (Num 25:18).

Verse 5

Pethor, which is by the river — Pethor is the city of Balaam the son of Beor, and 'the river' (nahar) marks its location. Balaam himself says Balak 'hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east' (Num 23:7). The messengers' words, 'they cover the face of the earth', are repeated in v.11.

Verse 6

he whom thou blessest is blessed — Balak's confidence rests on Balaam's reputed power; 'curse' here is arar, to execrate. The LORD overturns it: 'How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?' (Num 23:8), and 'Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee' (Num 24:9).

Verse 8

as the LORD shall speak unto me — Balaam uses the divine name (Jehovah, in the KJV 'the LORD'), and in v.9 'God came unto Balaam'. 'Lodge' is lun, to stay the night. He promises to bring word again only as the LORD speaks, and the princes 'abode with Balaam'.

Verse 12

they are blessed — The Hebrew is a passive participle of barak: a people already blessed, so the curse has nothing to take hold of. Both commands, 'Thou shalt not go' and 'thou shalt not curse', stand. Moses recalls the outcome: 'the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee' (Deut 23:5).

Verse 17

very great honour — Kabad, to be heavy, hence honourable, is the word here, in the narrative of v.15 ('more honourable'), and in Balak's own words in v.37 ('promote thee to honour'). He ends by saying, 'I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour' (Num 24:11); see 2 Pet 2:15 on 'the wages of unrighteousness'.

Verse 20

but yet the word which I shall say — Ak, 'but yet' or only, limits the permission: Balaam may go if the men come, and must speak only what is said to him. The same condition returns in v.35. Compare 'So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust' (Ps 81:12).

Verse 21

saddled his ass — Chabash is to bind on, to saddle; the animal is athon, a she-ass, the beast of vv.23–33. He goes 'with the princes of Moab', after the earlier word, 'Thou shalt not go with them' (v.12). Peter calls it 'the madness of the prophet' (2 Pet 2:16).

Verse 22

for an adversary — Satan is here a common noun meaning an opponent, and the same word is rendered 'to withstand thee' in v.32. 'God's anger was kindled' (charah, to burn) 'because he went', and the angel of the LORD takes his stand in the way, with Balaam's 'two servants' present.

Verse 28

the LORD opened the mouth of the ass — Pathach, to open: the LORD himself gives the speech, as he made 'man's mouth' (Ex 4:11). Peter records it: 'the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet' (2 Pet 2:16). 'Times' is literally regel, feet, the idiom for occasions.

Verse 32

thy way is perverse before me — Yarat means to hurl headlong, to be rash. The angel declares he 'went out to withstand' (satan, as in v.22) Balaam. The ass, which had seen the angel three times (v.33), is spared, while Balaam's own course is the thing opposed.

Verse 35

only the word — Epes, meaning only or no further, restates the limit of v.20: Balaam goes, but speaks nothing except what is given him. He keeps it before Balak: 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?' (Num 23:12).

Verse 38

have I now any power at all — Yakol is doubled in the Hebrew, a strong denial of ability. It answers v.18, 'I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD'. 'Putteth' is sum, to set; so 'the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth' (Num 23:16).

Verse 41

the high places of Baal — Bamoth-Baal, meaning heights of Baal, is a place east of the Jordan, the first of Balak's vantage points. From there Balaam sees only 'the utmost part of the people' (see Num 23:13). Israel later 'joined himself unto Baalpeor' (Num 25:3).