Numbers 22:39-41
Summary for Num 22:39-41: 22:39-41 a Balak attempted to secure Balaam’s curse on Israel, first through a ritual offering and meal that would invoke the gods and Balaam, and second by taking Balaam to see the Israelite camp.• Kiriath-huzoth is an unknown location.
22:41 b Bamoth-baal (“high places of Baal”) was along the ridge of hills that overlooks the plains of Moab northeast of the Dead Sea (cp. “Bamoth” in 21:19 c; Josh 13:17 d). It was the first of three locations to which the Moabite king took Balaam so that he could see the sprawling Israelite camp (also Num 22:41 e; 23:14 f, 28 g). From such a high point he could see the Israelites (22:11 h) and perform the ceremonies that Balak hoped would lead to a powerful imprecation (curse) against them.
Profile: Balaam
Balaam was a diviner—a person who read signs and omens to determine the future and performed rituals to change future events (see study note on Num 22:5-6; cp. Josh 13:22 i). He was a diviner for hire, so when Balak, king of Moab, wanted to hire him to curse Israel, he was eager to get started. Even when God told him not to go, he hoped God would change his mind because he was very interested in the money (2 Pet 2:15 j).
Finally, God allowed Balaam to go, but only if Balaam agreed to say what God told him to say, and only to frustrate Balak’s purposes (Deut 23:4-5 k). On the road, Balaam’s donkey stopped and refused to move because the angel of the Lord was blocking the way. The donkey could see the angel, but Balaam was blind and foolish. Still, Balaam was smart enough not to curse the Israelites when God told him to bless them, and to Balak’s great frustration, that was all Balaam could do.
Recently, an inscription was found that mentions Balaam son of Beor, a diviner who had visions at night (cp. Num 22:9-12 l, 20 m). The inscription was written on a plaster wall at Deir ‘Alla, eight miles east of the Jordan River, not far north of where the Hebrews were camped at the time of the Balaam incident. This nonbiblical text, dated 800–750 BC, identifies Balaam as a “seer of the gods” and reports that the gods, whose names in the inscription are similar to Shaddai (“Almighty”; cp. Num 24:4 n, 16 o), delivered a message to Balaam and announced judgment upon the world (cp. Num 24:15-25 p). The inscription provides rare extrabiblical evidence about a Bible character.
While Balaam’s character and motives appear somewhat mixed in Numbers 22–24 q, chapter 25 r describes how the men of Israel sinned by sleeping with Moabite women and worshiping their gods, which made God angry with his people. While Balaam is not mentioned here, Numbers 31:16 s names him as the originator of this plot. After his visions were finished, Balaam apparently remained in Moab and kept working the angles until he found a way to damage Israel and get the money. The Israelites killed him a short time later (Num 31:8 t). Balaam became known as a magician with bad motives (see Deut 23:4-5 u; Josh 13:22 v), a false teacher who was only interested in pay (see Neh 13:2 w; 2 Pet 2:15 x; Jude 1:11 y), and someone who led Israel into idolatry and immorality (Num 31:16 z; see Rev 2:14 aa).
Passages for Further Study
Num 22:1–25:18 ab; 31:8 ac, 16 ad; Josh 13:22 ae; 2 Pet 2:15-16 af; Jude 1:11 ag; Rev 2:14 ah
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