Balaam Series

Balaam

Balaam (Fast Facts)

• Stories about Balaam occur in Numbers 22-24.

• He is the son of Beor and a prophet in Pethor near the Euphrates River.

• Scholars are not sure of the meaning of his name.

• Some think it might mean either “glutton” or “foreigner.”

• Others see a compound of “Bel” and “Am.” Both are names of deities.

• It could mean “lord.”

• The king of Moab, Balak, sends messengers to Balaam asking him to pronounce a curse upon the Israelites as they are moving toward settling in the Promised Land.

• The messengers take money to pay Balaam a divination fee.

• Balaam invites them to spend the night; he intends to consult with the Lord and will give them his answer in the morning.

• God comes to Balaam and asks about the men with him.

• Balaam tells God about the request from Balak, the king of Moab.

• God tells Balaam not to go back with them. He tells Balaam not to curse the Israelites “because they are blessed.”

• The following day, Balaam tells the messengers to go home and that the Lord has refused to let him accompany them.

• Balak sends more important messengers in an attempt to change Balaam’s mind.

• Balaam says, “Even if Balak gives me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything…beyond the command of the Lord my God.”

• Nonetheless, he invites them to spend the night while he again talks to the Lord.

• God tells him he can go that night, but he must only do what God instructs.

• The following day Balaam saddles his donkey and goes with the officials.

• God, however, is upset with his decision.

• On the way, Balaam’s donkey sees an angel of the Lord standing in the road with its sword drawn.

• The donkey turns off the road, and Balaam beats it to get it back on the road.

• Then the angel appears in a narrow passageway.

• In order to avoid the angel, the donkey presses close to one side, crushing Balaam’s foot.

• Balaam again beats the donkey.

• The angel appears again, wholly blocking their path.

• The donkey lies down.

• Balaam beats it again.

• Then the Lord opens the donkey’s mouth, and it speaks to Balaam, “Why have you beat me three times?”

• Balaam answers the donkey, saying he has made a fool of him, and threatens to kill him.

• The donkey asks Balaam if he has ever done this before.

• Balaam says “no,” and sees the angel standing before them at that moment.

• The angel tells Balaam that the donkey has saved his life.

• Balaam offers to return home, but the angel repeats the words of the Lord.

• “Go with these men, but speak only what you are told.”

• When he arrives, Balaam asks Balak to build seven altars. They sacrifice a bull and a ram on each altar.

• Then Balaam goes off to await a message from the Lord.

• The Lord meets with him and gives him a message for Balak: “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?”

• Balak is very angry.

• They go to another spot where they can see the Israelites camped.

• Balak again asks him to curse them, and they build more altars and make more sacrifices.

• Balaam goes aside to await word from the Lord.

• The Lord tells him, “There can be no divination against Jacob, no evil omens.”

• Everything is repeated a third time.

• Balaam received the spirit of the Lord and pronounced a blessing upon Jacob.

• Then Balak’s anger burns against Balaam; he tells him to go home and refuses to pay him.

• Balaam speaks more prophecies, prophesying that the Israelites will defeat the Canaanite nations.

Introduction

Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet described in chapters 22–24 of the Book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), as a mystic who is pestered by Balak, king of Moab, to place a curse on the people of Israel, who are camped menacingly on the plains of Moab. Balaam states that he will utter only what God, Yahweh, inspires, but he is willing to accompany the Moabite messengers to Balak. He is met en route by an angel of Yahweh, who is recognized only by Balaam’s donkey, which refuses to continue. Then Balaam’s eyes are opened, and the angel permits him to go to Balak but commands him not to curse but to bless Israel. Despite pressure from Balak, Balaam remains faithful to Yahweh and blesses the people of Israel. In later literature (specifically, the Second Letter of Peter 2:15), however, Balaam is held up as an example of one who apostatized for the sake of material gain.