TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then the people of Isra'el traveled on and camped in the plains of Mo'av beyond the Yarden River, opposite Yericho.
Berean Standard Bible
Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho.
American Standard Version
And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
World English Bible Messianic
The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
Geneva Bible (1599)
After, the children of Israel departed and pitched in the plaine of Moab on the other side of Iorden from Iericho.
Young's Literal Translation
And the sons of Israel journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, by Jericho.
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Commentary on Numbers 22 verses 1–14
1 ¶ And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by 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 shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of 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 wot 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 the LORD 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, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and 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 the LORD 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.
The children of Israel have at length finished their wanderings in the wilderness, out of which they went up (Num 21:18), and are now encamped in the plains of Moab near Jordan, where they continued till they passed through Jordan under Joshua, after the death of Moses. Now we have here,
I. The fright which the Moabites were in upon the approach of Israel, Num 22:2-4. They needed not to fear any harm from them if they knew (and it is probable that Moses let them know) the orders God had given to Israel not to contend with the Moabites, nor to use any hostility against them, Deu 2:9. But, if they had any notice of this, they were jealous that it was but a sham, to make them secure, that they might be the more easily conquered. Notwithstanding the old friendship between Abraham and Lot, the Moabites resolved to ruin Israel if they could, and therefore they will take it for granted, without any ground for the suspicion, that Israel resolves to ruin them. Thus it is common for those that design mischief to pretend that mischief is designed against them; and their groundless jealousies must be the colour of their causeless malice. They hear of their triumphs over the Amorites (Num 22:2), and think that their own house is in danger when their neighbour's is on fire. They observe their multitudes (Num 22:3): They were many; and hence infer how easily they would conquer their country, and all about them if some speedy and effectual course were not taken to stop the progress of their victorious arms: "They shall lick up or devour us, and all that are round about us, as speedily and irresistibly as the ox eats up the grass" (Num 22:4), owning themselves to be an unequal match for so formidable an enemy. Therefore they were sorely afraid and distressed themselves; thus were the wicked in great fear where no fear was, Psa 53:5. These fears they communicated to their neighbours, the elders of Midian, that some measures might be concerted between them for their common safety; for, if the kingdom of Moab fall, the republic of Midian cannot stand long. The Moabites, if they had pleased, might have made a good use of the advances of Israel, and their successes against the Amorites. They had reason to rejoice, and give God and Israel thanks for freeing them from the threatening power of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had taken from them part of their country, and was likely to overrun the rest. They had reason likewise to court Israel's friendship, and to come in to their assistance; but having forsaken the religion of their father Lot, and being sunk into idolatry, they hated the people of the God of Abraham, and were justly infatuated in their counsels and given up to distress.
II. The project which the king of Moab formed to get the people of Israel cursed, that is, to set God against them, who, he perceived, hitherto fought for them. He trusted more to his arts than to his arms, and had a notion that if he could but get some prophet or other, with his powerful charms, to imprecate evil upon them, and to pronounce a blessing upon himself and his forces, then, though otherwise too weak, he should be able to deal with them. This notion arose, 1. Out of the remains of some religion; for it owns a dependence upon some visible sovereign powers that rule in the affairs of the children of men and determine them, and an obligation upon us to make application to these powers. 2. Out of the ruins of the true religion; for if the Midianites and Moabites had not wretchedly degenerated from the faith and worship of their pious ancestors, Abraham and Lot, they could not have imagined it possible to do any mischief with their curses to a people who alone adhered to the service of the true God, from whose service they had themselves revolted.
III. The court which he made to Balaam the son of Beor, a famous conjurer, to engage him to curse Israel. The Balaam lived a great way off, in that country whence Abraham came, and where Laban lived; but, though it was probable that there were many nearer home that were pretenders to divination, yet none had so great a reputation for success as Balaam, and Balak will employ the best he can hear of, though he send a great way for him, so much is his heart upon this project. And to gain him, 1. He makes him his friend, complaining to him, as his confidant, of the danger he was in from the numbers and neighbourhood of the camp of Israel: They cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me, Num 22:5. 2. In effect he makes him his god, by the great power he attributes to his word: He whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed, Num 22:6. The learned bishop Patrick inclines to think, with many of the Jewish writers, that Balaam had been a great prophet, who, for the accomplishment of his predictions and the answers of his prayers, both for good and evil, had been looked upon justly as a man of great interest with God; but that, growing proud and covetous, God departed from him, and then, to support his sinking credit, he betook himself to diabolical arts. He is called a prophet (Pe2 2:16,) because he had been one, or perhaps he had raised his reputation from the first by his magical charms, as Simon Magus, who bewitched the people so far that he was called the great power of God, Act 8:10. Curses pronounced by God's prophets in the name of the Lord have wonderful effects, as Noah's (Gen 9:25), and Elisha's, Kg2 2:24. But the curse causeless shall not come (Pro 26:2), no more than Goliath's, when he cursed David by his gods, Sa1 17:43. Let us desire to have the prayers of God's ministers and people for us, and dread having them against us; for they are greatly regarded by him who blesseth indeed and curseth indeed. But Balak cannot rely upon these compliments as sufficient to prevail with Balaam, the main inducement is yet behind (Num 22:7): they took the rewards of divination in their hand, the wages of unrighteousness, which he loved, Pe2 2:15.
IV. The restraint God lays upon Balaam, forbidding him to curse Israel. It is very probable that Balaam, being a curious inquisitive man, was no stranger to Israel's case and character, but had heard that God was with them of a truth, so that he ought to have given the messengers their answer immediately, that he would never curse a people whom God had blessed; but he lodges the messengers, and takes a night's time to consider what he shall do, and to receive instructions from God, Num 22:8. When we enter into a parley with temptations we are in great danger of being overcome by them. In the night God comes to him, probably in a dream, and enquires what business those strangers had with him. He knows it, but he will know it from him. Balaam gives him an account of their errand (Num 22:9-11), and God thereupon charges him not to go with them, or attempt to curse that blessed people, Num 22:12. Thus God sometimes, for the preservation of his people, was pleased to speak to bad men, as to Abimelech (Gen 20:3), and to Laban, Gen 31:24. And we read of some that were workers of iniquity, and yet in Christ's name prophesied, and did many wondrous works. Balaam is charged not only not to go to Balak, but not to offer to curse this people, which he might have attempted at a distance; and the reason is given: They are blessed. This was part of the blessing of Abraham (Gen 12:3), I will curse him that curseth thee; so that an attempt to curse them would be not only fruitless, but perilous. Israel had often provoked God in the wilderness, yet he will not suffer their enemies to curse them, for he rewards them not according to their iniquities. The blessedness of those whose sin is covered comes upon them, Rom 4:6, Rom 4:7.
V. The return of the messengers without Balaam. 1. Balaam is not faithful in returning God's answer to the messengers, Num 22:13. He only tells them, the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you. He did not tell them, as he ought to have done, that Israel was a blessed people, and must by no means be cursed; for then the design would have been crushed, and the temptation would not have been renewed: but he, in effect, desired them to give his humble service to Balak, and let him know that he applauded his project, and would have been very glad to gratify him, but that truly he had the character of a prophet, and must not go without leave from God, which he had not yet obtained, and therefore for the present he must be excused. Note, Those are a fair mark for Satan's temptation that speak diminishingly of divine prohibitions, as if they amounted to no more than the denial of a permission, and as if to go against God's law were only to go without his leave. 2. The messengers are not faithful in returning Balaam's answer to Balak. All the account they give of it is, Balaam refuseth to come with us (Num 22:14), intimating that he only wanted more courtship and higher proffers; but they are not willing Balak should know that God had signified his disallowance of the attempt. Thus are great men wretchedly abused by the flatteries of those about them, who do all they can to prevent their seeing their own faults and follies.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–14. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Numbers 22:1 marks a pivotal geographical and narrative transition in the Israelites' wilderness journey, positioning them on the eastern bank of the Jordan River in the plains of Moab, directly opposite Jericho. This verse signifies the culmination of their forty years of wandering and sets the immediate stage for the dramatic encounters with King Balak of Moab and the prophet Balaam, which dominate the subsequent chapters, as Israel stands poised at the threshold of the Promised Land.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Numbers 22:1 effectively employs Geographical Anchoring and Foreshadowing. The precise geographical details—"plains of Moab," "on this side Jordan," and "by Jericho"—serve to ground the narrative firmly in a tangible reality, allowing the reader to visualize Israel's exact position at a critical juncture. This meticulous geographical anchoring not only provides a sense of realism but also heightens the dramatic tension, as the reader understands Israel is literally on the verge of entering the Promised Land. Furthermore, the verse functions as powerful Foreshadowing. The mere mention of "Moab" immediately signals the impending conflict with King Balak and the subsequent narrative involving Balaam, which will test Israel's faith and obedience. The proximity to "Jericho" also subtly foreshadows the future military campaigns and the conquest of the land, beginning with that very city, as detailed in the book of Joshua.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 22:1 serves as a profound testament to God's unwavering faithfulness and the relentless progress of His redemptive plan. Despite Israel's repeated failures, rebellions, and the forty-year delay, God meticulously guides them to the very threshold of their promised inheritance. This verse underscores the theme of divine providence, demonstrating that God's purposes will ultimately prevail, bringing His people to the place He has prepared for them. It is a powerful reminder that God is a covenant-keeping God who brings His promises to fruition, even if the path is long and fraught with challenges. The arrival at the plains of Moab is not just a geographical marker but a theological statement about the reliability of God's word and the certainty of His kingdom coming.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Numbers 22:1 offers a powerful lesson in perseverance and the nature of God's faithfulness. Just as the Israelites, after decades of wandering, finally stood on the brink of their inheritance, we too often find ourselves on the cusp of significant breakthroughs, new seasons, or the fulfillment of long-held prayers. Yet, this verse reminds us that even at the threshold of blessing, challenges and adversaries often emerge. The plains of Moab, though a step closer to the Promised Land, immediately brought Israel into contact with new spiritual and physical conflicts. This teaches us the importance of vigilance and continued reliance on God, even when the finish line seems in sight. It encourages us to prepare spiritually for the opportunities and trials that accompany new beginnings, trusting that God's presence, which has led us thus far, will continue to guide us through every final step and into the fullness of His promises. Our journey with God is rarely without opposition, but His faithfulness ensures our ultimate arrival.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is the specific location mentioned in Numbers 22:1 so significant?
Answer: The location—"the plains of Moab on this side Jordan [by] Jericho"—is profoundly significant because it marks the culmination of Israel's forty-year wilderness journey and places them directly at the threshold of the Promised Land. This is their final major encampment before the monumental crossing of the Jordan River into Canaan. The mention of "Jericho" specifically anchors their position opposite a key Canaanite city, emphasizing their extreme proximity to the land God promised to their ancestors (Genesis 12:7). This strategic location immediately sets the stage for the dramatic events that follow, including the fear of King Balak, the Balaam narrative, and the subsequent preparations for conquest, highlighting both the fulfillment of God's promise and the imminent challenges.
What does "on this side Jordan" mean in this context?
Answer: The phrase "on this side Jordan" (Hebrew: be'ever ha-Yarden) refers to the eastern bank of the Jordan River. When used by Moses, the author of Numbers, who was himself on the east bank at this point, it consistently points to their current geographical position before crossing into the land of Canaan. It distinguishes their location from the land that lies beyond the Jordan, which is the Promised Land itself. This clarifies that while they are at the very doorstep, they have not yet entered the land of inheritance, underscoring the anticipation and the finality of their wilderness journey.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Numbers 22:1, with its depiction of Israel poised at the threshold of the Promised Land, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. The earthly inheritance of Canaan, achieved through God's faithful leading and the leadership of Joshua (whose name is the Hebrew equivalent of Jesus), foreshadows the spiritual inheritance and eternal rest believers receive in Christ. Just as Israel was led by God's presence (the pillar of cloud and fire) through the wilderness to their promised land, so too is Christ our ultimate guide and leader, who brings us into our spiritual inheritance (Hebrews 3:7-4:11). He is the true and greater Joshua, who leads His people not merely into a physical land, but into the kingdom of God and the abundant life, conquering sin and death on our behalf (Colossians 1:13-14). The "plains of Moab" represent the final, challenging steps before entering God's full provision; similarly, our Christian walk, though guaranteed by Christ's finished work, often involves spiritual battles and tests before we fully experience the "rest" and glory promised to us in Him (Ephesians 6:10-18). Ultimately, Jesus is the one who opens the way for us to cross into the true and heavenly Promised Land, securing our eternal dwelling with God (John 14:2-3).