Numbers23

Balaam, hired by Balak to curse Israel, repeatedly attempts to do so by building altars and offering sacrifices. However, each time the LORD puts words in Balaam's mouth, compelling him to utter blessings and prophecies of Israel's strength and unique status, much to Balak's frustration. Balaam consistently affirms he can only speak what God commands.

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Balaam Prepares the First Altar

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,

and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”

Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there beside his burnt offering, with all the princes of Moab.

Balaam’s First Oracle: Israel Blessed

And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’

How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?

For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!”

Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”

But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

The Second Attempt to Curse Israel

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”

And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”

So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.

Balaam’s Second Oracle: God’s Faithfulness

Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.

God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.

For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’

Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”

Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”

Preparation for the Third Oracle

“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”

And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”

So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Study Notes for Numbers 23

Verse 1

The requirement for seven altars and sacrifices suggests an attempt at thorough religious preparation, utilizing numbers associated with completeness, common in ancient Near Eastern rituals.

Verse 3

Balaam’s method involves separating himself to receive revelation, indicating he is a genuine, though morally compromised, recipient of divine communication from Yahweh.

Verse 5

This highlights that Balaam is merely a conduit for the word of the LORD, which overrules his own intentions or Balak’s desires to curse Israel.

Verse 7

The term 'parable' (Heb. *mashal*) refers here not to a simple story, but to an authoritative, poetic, and prophetic pronouncement or oracle.

Verse 8

This rhetorical question establishes the central theological theme: the divine decree cannot be reversed by human effort or sorcery. God’s protection of Israel is immutable.

Verse 9

"Dwell alone" signifies Israel's unique status as a chosen people, divinely separated and distinct from the surrounding nations, reinforcing the covenant identity.

Verse 10

The comparison to 'dust' echoes the Abrahamic promise (Gen 13:16) regarding countless descendants, emphasizing the irrevocable nature of the blessing.

Verse 11

Balak’s distress reveals the failure of his enterprise and underscores the powerlessness of human kings against the divine will.

Verse 13

Balak believes the problem might be geographical, thinking that seeing the vast multitude of Israel (a sign of God's blessing) is hindering the curse.

Verse 14

Pisgah, part of the Abarim range, offered a clear view of the plains of Moab where Israel was camped, making it a strategically important and high vantage point.

Verse 16

God’s intervention is direct and repeated, ensuring that Balaam cannot deviate from the divine message, reinforcing the theme of divine control over prophecy.

Verse 18

Balaam commands Balak to listen, emphasizing that this is a formal, divinely inspired decree, not a personal opinion or magical spell.

Verse 19

This is a crucial theological statement emphasizing God's immutability and reliability. Unlike humans, God does not change his mind (*repent*) regarding his promises or decrees.

Verse 21

This verse means God is not currently focused on Israel's sin, but on their covenant relationship, ensuring that the blessing remains active despite temporary failings. The 'shout of a king' refers to the presence of Yahweh among them.

Verse 22

The 'strength of an unicorn' (Heb. *re'em*, likely a wild ox or aurochs) symbolizes the immense, untamable power God used in the foundational act of the Exodus.

Verse 23

This direct affirmation establishes that no human magic, enchantment, or sorcery can counteract God’s planned work for Israel. The resulting proclamation is awe and wonder at divine providence.

Verse 24

Israel is compared to a powerful, victorious lion, symbolizing their strength, conquest, and dominance over enemies, fulfilling the promises of protection and land.

Verse 25

Balak, defeated, attempts to salvage the situation by asking Balaam to simply remain silent, recognizing that Balaam cannot be compelled to curse.

Verse 27

Balak remains stubbornly determined, believing a change of location will alter God's disposition or provide a sightline that allows the curse to take effect.

Verse 28

Peor is significant because it overlooks Jeshimon (the desolate wilderness) and is the place where Israel later falls into grievous sin through Baal worship (Num 25).

Verse 29

Balaam, despite knowing his words are controlled by God, continues the ritualistic preparation, perhaps maintaining the facade for Balak or hoping God might yet grant him the requested curse.

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Numbers23

Balaam Prepares the First Altar

Balaam’s First Oracle: Israel Blessed

The Second Attempt to Curse Israel

Balaam’s Second Oracle: God’s Faithfulness

Preparation for the Third Oracle

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