Num 22:2-24:25 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Num 22:2-24:25: 22:2–24:25 The narrative of Balak and Balaam describes a pivotal moment in Israel’s history and contains humor, drama, and profound theological insights. The Lord’s will must be accomplished—nothing could thwart his plan for Israel. Summary for Num 22:2-3: 22:2-3 Balak is unknown outside of this incident (Josh 24:9 ; Judg 11:25 ; Mic 6:5 ; Rev 2:14 ). His territory had been seized by Sihon, the Amorite king (Num 21:26 ), whom Israel had just defeated (21:21-31 ). Balak may have imagined that his tiny kingdom was next.

Summary for Num 22:2-24:25: 22:2–24:25 ^a The narrative of Balak and Balaam describes a pivotal moment in Israel’s history and contains humor, drama, and profound theological insights. The Lord’s will must be accomplished—nothing could thwart his plan for Israel.
Summary for Num 22:2-3: 22:2-3 ^b Balak is unknown outside of this incident (Josh 24:9 ^c; Judg 11:25 ^d; Mic 6:5 ^e; Rev 2:14 ^f). His territory had been seized by Sihon, the Amorite king (Num 21:26 ^g), whom Israel had just defeated (21:21-31 ^h). Balak may have imagined that his tiny kingdom was next.
22:4 ⁱ Midian: This desert people was descended from Abraham (Gen 25:1-2 ^j; Exod 2:15-16 ^k). Their alliance with Moab was the beginning of their conflicts with Israel (Num 22:7 ^l; see 25:6 ^m, 14-18 ⁿ; 31:2-10 ^o; Judg 6–8 ^p).
Summary for Num 22:5-6: 22:5-6 ^q Balaam was a pagan religious specialist (a diviner) from northwest Mesopotamia (see profile for Balaam at end of chapter). Like other ancient peoples, Moab and Midian believed that the spoken word—in the form of a blessing or curse—was powerful when uttered by a skilled diviner. Members of this trained profession claimed to possess special powers to learn about and manipulate the future course of events (see Deut 18:14 ^r; 1 Sam 6:2 ^s; 2 Kgs 21:6 ^t; Isa 44:25 ^u; Dan 2:1-12 ^v, 27-28 ^w; Mic 5:12 ^x; Zech 10:2 ^y). Israel’s enemies appealed to Balaam to pronounce curses upon the Hebrews, for they believed that such spoken words would be effective against them. Ancient armies pronounced such curses on their enemies before they entered battle. Belief in the power of the spoken word was common in ancient Israel even when not linked with divination (e.g., Gen 27:1-40 ^z; Deut 27:15-26 ^aa; 1 Sam 14:24-28 ^ab; cp. Matt 21:18-22 ^ac).

• Pethor (Num 22:5 ^ad) is probably ancient Pitru, located on the west side of the Euphrates River south of Carchemish, 400 miles from Moab.
22:7 ^ae set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel: As a professional diviner, Balaam could command considerable payment for his services (22:7 ^af, 17-18 ^ag; cp. 1 Sam 9:7-8 ^ah; 2 Kgs 8:7-9 ^ai).
22:8 ^aj Stay here overnight: Balaam expected to receive a message from God at night (22:9 ^ak, 19-20 ^al; cp. Job 4:12-16 ^am; Zech 1:8 ^an).

• the Lord (Hebrew Yahweh): Balaam knew about Yahweh, the God of Israel, and expected a message from him as to what he could or could not do.
Summary for Num 22:9-18: 22:9-18 ^ao God prohibited Balaam from going with Balak’s messengers.
22:18 ^ap Some have read Balaam’s reply to this second delegation as his attempt to prompt a more lucrative offer, but his refusal (24:13 ^aq) weighs against this view. Instead, Balaam seemed determined to obey the Lord and called him my God.
Summary for Num 22:19-20: 22:19-20 ^ar Balaam agreed to inquire about the Lord’s wishes one more time. God allowed him to accompany Balak’s representatives but admonished him to do exactly what God commanded (cp. 22:35 ^as).
Summary for Num 22:21-41: 22:21-41 ^at The passage is clearly making fun of this professional seer, whose spiritual insights and obedience to God are not equal to those of his donkey.
22:22 ^au God’s anger is puzzling in light of the permission he granted to Balaam in 22:20 ^av. The Lord knew that the diviner’s intentions and character were not as honorable as he claimed in conversation with Balak’s messengers. Balaam’s foolish beating of the donkey demonstrates his ungodly character (Prov 12:10 ^aw; cp. 1 Sam 25 ^ax).
Summary for Num 22:28-31: 22:28-31 ^ay The only scriptural parallel to this phenomenon of a talking animal is the serpent who spoke with Eve (Gen 3:1-5 ^az). God used the donkey to rebuke the foolish diviner (2 Pet 2:15-16 ^ba).
22:34 ^bb I have sinned: Balaam admitted his mistake in not perceiving the angel of the Lord or his intention and offered to go back.
22:35 ^bc The Lord ensured that Balaam would say only what God commanded (cp. 22:20 ^bd).
22:36 ^be It is likely that this meeting place was in the northeastern corner of Balak’s small kingdom.
22:37 ^bf Balak thought Balaam did not understand how urgent the situation was nor how great the offered payment.
22:38 ^bg Balaam’s reply reflected the lesson he had learned in the donkey incident (cp. 22:20 ^bh, 35 ^bi).
Summary for Num 22:39-41: 22:39-41 ^bj 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 ^bk 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 ^bl; Josh 13:17 ^bm). 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 ^bn; 23:14 ^bo, 28 ^bp). From such a high point he could see the Israelites (22:11 ^bq) 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 ^br). 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 ^bs).
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 ^bt). 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 ^bu, 20 ^bv). 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 ^bw, 16 ^bx), delivered a message to Balaam and announced judgment upon the world (cp. Num 24:15-25 ^by). The inscription provides rare extrabiblical evidence about a Bible character.
While Balaam’s character and motives appear somewhat mixed in Numbers 22–24 ^bz, chapter 25 ^ca 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 ^cb 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 ^cc). Balaam became known as a magician with bad motives (see Deut 23:4-5 ^cd; Josh 13:22 ^ce), a false teacher who was only interested in pay (see Neh 13:2 ^cf; 2 Pet 2:15 ^cg; Jude 1:11 ^ch), and someone who led Israel into idolatry and immorality (Num 31:16 ^ci; see Rev 2:14 ^cj).

Passages for Further Study
Num 22:1–25:18 ^ck; 31:8 ^cl, 16 ^cm; Josh 13:22 ^cn; 2 Pet 2:15-16 ^co; Jude 1:11 ^cp; Rev 2:14 ^cq

‏ Numbers 23

Summary for Num 23:1-30: 23:1-30 ^cr As a diviner, Balaam performed rituals to interpret omens and ascertain Israel’s future (cp. 23:23 ^cs; 24:1 ^ct). Balak had summoned him to pronounce imprecations, but God repeatedly prohibited him from doing so.

• It is possible that these sacrifices were connected with the practice of extispicy—the examination of animal livers or other organs for an omen concerning the future. According to ancient Near Eastern texts, this form of fortune-telling was a widely practiced and highly developed art. Such practices were banned from Israel (see Deut 18:9-14 ^cu; cp. Ezek 21:21 ^cv). 23:1 ^cw The number seven was a sacred symbol (also 23:4 ^cx, 14 ^cy, 29 ^cz; cp. Job 42:8 ^da; see thematic note for Symbolic Numbers at end of chapter).
Summary for Num 23:7-10: 23:7-10 ^db In his first oracle from God (23:5 ^dc, 16 ^dd), Balaam rehearsed the circumstances that brought him to Moab, emphasized God’s special relation with Israel, and declared his intention of protecting them from harm.

• These poetic oracles illustrate the parallelism of Hebrew poetry. Parallel lines reinforce the content by repeating important concepts in a highly structured pattern.

• Aram: Aram-naharaim (Gen 24:10 ^de) is another name for North Mesopotamia, where Balaam’s home of Pethor was located (Num 22:5 ^df).

• The eastern hills are a line of mountains in North Syria.
Summary for Num 23:7-8: 23:7-8 ^dg Instead of cursing Israel, the seer noted their special status (cp. Exod 19:5-6 ^dh; Deut 7:6-9 ^di) and observed that God’s blessing had turned a humble people into a great nation (cp. Gen 12:2-3 ^dj; 13:16 ^dk; 28:14 ^dl). Balaam wished for similar good fortune to come his way (Num 23:10 ^dm).
Summary for Num 23:13-26: 23:13-26 ^dn Balak hoped that he would get different results if he changed the venue. The precise location of the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak is unknown, though Pisgah is part of the ridgeline that overlooks the plains of Moab (Deut 34:1 ^do) in the vicinity of Bamoth-baal (Num 22:41 ^dp) and Mount Peor (23:28 ^dq).
Summary for Num 23:18-24: 23:18-24 ^dr This oracle emphasizes God’s faithfulness to his people—he would stay with them and keep all of his promises.
23:19 ^ds Because of God’s reliable character, Balaam could do nothing but bless Israel.
Summary for Num 23:20-21: 23:20-21 ^dt Since the Lord would follow through on his promises to bless his people (bringing them no misfortune or trouble), Balaam was in no position to reverse God’s intentions. Though God punished the Hebrews for acts of disobedience, his advocacy of Israel’s cause was evident from the time he delivered them from Egypt.
Summary for Num 23:23-24: 23:23-24 ^du No curse could succeed against Israel because they had been blessed (22:12 ^dv; cp. Gen 12:2-3 ^dw; 22:17-18 ^dx). Israel was safe from the harm that Moab and Midian sought to inflict through divination (cp. Num 24:1 ^dy); Israel would become famous because God protected them from harm (see Josh 2:9-11 ^dz; cp. Num 14:13-19 ^ea).
Summary for Num 23:27-24:14: 23:27–24:14 ^eb Disappointed with Balaam’s blessing, Balak hoped that yet another change of location would produce different results. Though the location of Mount Peor is unknown, this place was probably near a worship site of Baal of Peor (cp. 25:3 ^ec, 5 ^ed) and the Beth-peor of Deut 3:29 ^ee; 34:6 ^ef, where Moses was buried.

Thematic note: Symbolic Numbers
Numbers used in Scripture have often inspired wild speculation. An understanding of the symbolism of numbers in the ancient world can help ground our interpretation. Such symbolism, however, is not rigid or exact, so great care must be exercised when numbers are used in interpretation, so as not to push fanciful predictions about future events.
The number one can refer to God’s oneness (Deut 6:4 ^eg; Gal 3:20 ^eh; Jas 2:19 ^ei). Two is the minimum number required to give a legitimate witness (Deut 17:6 ^ej; Rev 11:3 ^ek), and three can imply divine representation (Gen 18:1-2 ^el; 2 Cor 13:14 ^em; Rev 1:4-5 ^en). Four can stand for the known world, represented in Revelation by living creatures, horsemen, winds, and angels (Rev 4:6-8 ^eo; 6:1-8 ^ep; 7:1 ^eq) and in Genesis ^er by four rivers (Gen 2:10-14 ^es). When three and four are added to make seven, they represent perfection or divine fulfillment, indicating that God and the world are in harmony. The multiplication of three by four yields twelve, the number associated with God’s people (Gen 35:22-26 ^et; Exod 24:4 ^eu; 28:21 ^ev; Num 17:2 ^ew; Josh 4:3-8 ^ex; 1 Kgs 18:31 ^ey; Matt 10:1-4 ^ez; 19:28 ^fa; Jas 1:1 ^fb; Rev 12:1 ^fc; 21:12–22:2 ^fd. The number five and its multiples, such as ten, represent human completeness (e.g., five fingers per hand); and six carries a negative sense or implication of evil, being neither humanly complete (five) nor divinely complete (seven).
Multiples of ten (e.g., forty) are a symbolic way to indicate many, whereas three sixes (666) imply supreme evil (Rev 13:18 ^fe). One thousand is regarded as the foundational large number; 12,000 indicates a large number of God’s people (Rev 7:5-8 ^ff); and 144,000 represents the complete people of God (Rev 7:4 ^fg; 14:1 ^fh). The number 10,000 and its multiples are probably best transliterated from Greek as myriads, since they really mean “a huge number” rather than a precise count.
While some of the numbers in the Bible have symbolic meanings, using numbers to speculate on the time of Christ’s return or of the end of the world is highly dubious—only God possesses that knowledge (Mark 13:32 ^fi). God did not intend for the symbolic numbers in Revelation to help us predict the future; rather, their symbolic meanings help to explain the significance of the visions. Because the numbers are symbolic, sometimes when we translate them into contemporary sizes, distances, and numbers for our ease of reading, it can result in the loss of theological significance. The use of these symbolic numbers can illuminate a vision’s relationship to the world or to the people of God.

Passages for Further Study
Gen 2:2-3 ^fj; 4:15 ^fk; 15:13 ^fl; 41:53-54 ^fm; Exod 20:6 ^fn; 25:31-37 ^fo; 32:15 ^fp; Lev 16:14 ^fq; 23:16 ^fr; 2 Sam 24:13 ^fs; 1 Kgs 4:26 ^ft; 17:21 ^fu; 18:31 ^fv, 43-44 ^fw; Job 1:2 ^fx; Ps 90:4 ^fy; Jer 15:3 ^fz; 49:36 ^ga; Ezek 14:21 ^gb; Dan 4:16 ^gc, 23-25 ^gd; 7:3 ^ge, 17 ^gf, 24 ^gg; Zech 4:2 ^gh; 6:1 ^gi; Matt 10:1-5 ^gj; 12:40 ^gk; 18:21-22 ^gl; Mark 6:7 ^gm; Luke 15:8 ^gn; Acts 6:3 ^go; 10:16 ^gp; 1 Cor 8:6 ^gq; Eph 4:4-6 ^gr; 2 Pet 3:8 ^gs; Rev 1:16 ^gt; 2:10 ^gu; 4:4 ^gv; 6:1 ^gw; 7:1 ^gx, 4-8 ^gy; 12:1 ^gz, 3 ^ha; 13:1 ^hb; 17:3-14 ^hc; 20:2-7 ^hd; 21:12-21 ^he

‏ Numbers 24

Summary for Num 24:1-2: 24:1-2 ^hf Unlike previously (23:3 ^hg, 15 ^hh), Balaam did not resort to divination this time. He already knew that auguries and omens could not harm Israel (23:23 ^hi), so he quit looking for them. Instead, Balaam was directly inspired by the Spirit of God.
Summary for Num 24:3-9: 24:3-9 ^hj The third oracle contains another description of God’s plan to bless Israel.
Summary for Num 24:5-6: 24:5-6 ^hk God’s love for his people was reflected in the blessings he showered upon them.
Summary for Num 24:6-7: 24:6-7 ^hl The Lord’s favor is emphasized by the comparison of Israel’s situation with groves and gardens that have access to abundant water. Their growing population already reflected God’s blessing (24:7 ^hm), as mentioned in 23:10 ^hn. This would also become clear in the second registration (ch 26 ^ho).
Summary for Num 24:7-9: 24:7b-9 ^hp God’s blessing would enable the Israelites to overcome their enemies (see 24:15-24 ^hq).

• Agag was an Amalekite king defeated by Saul (1 Sam 15:7-9 ^hr, 32-33 ^hs). The Amalekites, a desert people, were traditional enemies of the Hebrews (cp. Num 14:45 ^ht; Exod 17:8-16 ^hu), and it is likely that Agag was the traditional designation for their king. Since God brought Israel out of Egypt, he fought on their behalf, like a warrior and like a wild animal (ox and lion; Num 24:8-9 ^hv).

• Blessed ... cursed: See Gen 12:3 ^hw; 27:29 ^hx.
24:10 ^hy Balak clapped his hands in reproach (cp. Job 27:23 ^hz; Lam 2:15 ^ia).
24:14 ^ib let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future: Since Balak sought to curse Israel, he and his people would be cursed (24:9 ^ic). The damage that Balak hoped to inflict on Israel would fall on Moab.
Summary for Num 24:15-25: 24:15-25 ^id This prophecy provides more specific details than the first three. Based on another vision from the Almighty (24:16 ^ie), it lists some of the enemies that Israel would defeat in the future and predicts the emergence of an outstanding leader who would play a major role in these military victories (24:17 ^if).
24:17 ^ig A star was a symbol for a king (cp. Isa 14:12 ^ih; Matt 2:1-10 ⁱⁱ), and a scepter was an image of power and majesty (cp. Gen 49:10 ^ij; Ps 45:6 ^ik). King David fits the description historically. The Moabites, whose defeat is mentioned in Num 24:17 ^il, were among the many peoples conquered during his reign (2 Sam 8:2 ^im), though Moab remained a dangerous enemy of Israel after David’s time (cp. 2 Kgs 3:1-27 ⁱⁿ; Isa 15–16 ^io; Jer 48 ^ip). Many interpreters have extended the image beyond David. Christians identify Jesus of Nazareth with a star (cp. Matt 2:2 ^iq; 2 Pet 1:19 ^ir; Rev 2:28 ^is; 22:16 ^it) and a scepter (cp. Heb 1:8 ^iu).

• The people of Sheth were probably the ancient Sutu, though it might refer to Edom/Seir (also conquered by David; Num 24:18 ^iv), Ir (or Ar) of Moab (24:19 ^iw; cp. 21:28 ^ix), or Amalek, one of Israel’s earliest and most persistent enemies (24:20 ^iy).
Summary for Num 24:21-22: 24:21-22 ^iz The Kenites, a desert people who occupied some of the same regions as the Amalekites and Midianites, would be destroyed by Assyria. Moses married a Kenite (Judg 1:16 ^ja; 4:11 ^jb; cp. Num 10:29-32 ^jc), and the Kenites remained mostly friendly with Israel thereafter (e.g., 1 Sam 15:6 ^jd; 27:10 ^je; 30:27-30 ^jf).
Summary for Num 24:23-24: 24:23-24 ^jg The oracle ends with a word about the rise and fall of invaders from Cyprus (Hebrew Kittim; this term probably referred to a number of Mediterranean people groups; cp. Gen 10:4 ^jh; Jer 2:10 ^ji; Dan 11:30 ^jj). 24:23 ^jk This verse, like 22:12 ^jl, sums up the lesson of the entire incident.
24:24 ^jm Eber, spelled the same as the ancestor of the Hebrews (cp. Gen 10:21-25 ^jn; 11:10-16 ^jo), possibly refers to a people beyond the Euphrates River, a region that fits the parallel reference to Assyria (Josh 24:3 ^jp; Isa 7:20 ^jq).
24:25 ^jr Balaam did not yet go back to Pethor (31:8 ^js).