The Bible

The Bible › Numbers

Numbers 22

1The sons of Israel traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho. 2Balak son of Zippor saw everything Israel had done to the Amorites. 3Moab was very afraid of the people because they were so numerous; Moab dreaded the sons of Israel. 4Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the green growth of the field.” Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5He sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is beside the River, in the land of his own people, saying, “Look, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the land and are settled opposite me. 6So please come and curse this people for me, because they are stronger than I am. Perhaps I can succeed in defeating them, so that I can drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.” 7The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with payment for divination in their hands. They came to Balaam and told him Balak's words. 8He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring you an answer according to what Yahweh tells me.” So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.

9God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: 11‘Look, the people who came out of Egypt cover the face of the land. Now come and curse them for me. Perhaps I can fight them and drive them out.’” 12God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them. You must not curse the people, for they are blessed.” 13Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak's officials, “Go back to your land, for Yahweh has refused to let me go with you.” 14The officials of Moab rose and came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15Balak again sent officials, more numerous and more distinguished than these. 16They came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please do not let anything keep you from coming to me. 17I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you tell me. Please come and curse this people for me.’” 18Balaam answered Balak's servants, “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of Yahweh my God to do anything small or great. 19But now, please stay here tonight as well, so that I may learn what more Yahweh will say to me.” 20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them. But you must do only what I tell you.” 21Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.

22God's anger burned because he was going, and Yahweh's messenger stationed himself in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23The donkey saw Yahweh's messenger standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. The donkey turned off the road and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. 24Then Yahweh's messenger stood in a narrow path between vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25The donkey saw Yahweh's messenger and pressed against the wall, pressing Balaam's foot against the wall. He struck her again. 26Yahweh's messenger went farther and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn right or left. 27The donkey saw Yahweh's messenger and lay down beneath Balaam. Balaam's anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28Yahweh opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you now!” 30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, whom you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever been accustomed to treat you this way?” He said, “No.” 31Then Yahweh uncovered Balaam's eyes, and he saw Yahweh's messenger standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand. He bowed low, face to the ground. 32Yahweh's messenger said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is reckless before me. 33The donkey saw me and turned away before me these three times. Had she not turned away from me, I would certainly have killed you by now and let her live.” 34Balaam said to Yahweh's messenger, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to meet me. Now, if this is evil in your eyes, I will turn back.” 35Yahweh's messenger said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak's officials.

36When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab on the Arnon boundary, at the edge of the territory. 37Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send urgently to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?” 38Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. But can I actually say anything on my own? I must speak the word God puts in my mouth.” 39Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and sent portions to Balaam and the officials with him. 41In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, from which he could see the edge of the people.

Translation notes 5

22:5–7 — River; divination. “The River” normally denotes the Euphrates in this setting. The difficult final location phrase is rendered “in the land of his own people”; “land of Amaw” is another construal. The elders carry what the context identifies as payment for divination; the Hebrew itself says “divinations in their hands.”

22:18–22 — Permission and anger. The account juxtaposes God's permission with his anger when Balaam goes. It does not explicitly explain that tension by stating a hidden motive at this point. “Command” represents the Hebrew image “mouth”; Balaam subsequently insists that he can speak only what God puts in his mouth.

22:22–35 — Messenger; opponent. The word translated “messenger” can also be translated “angel.” Here the messenger is visible to the donkey before he is visible to Balaam. The Hebrew word for the opposing role is satan, an opponent or adversary; it is not printed as a personal name. The donkey is female throughout the scene.

22:32–33 — Reckless way; conditional. The rare verb describing Balaam's way is uncertain; “perverse” is another possible rendering. “Had she not” adopts the conditional sense required by the contrast with the spared donkey. The written Hebrew has a difficult “perhaps” form, for which a small correction to “if not” has often been proposed.

22:36–41 — Places and portions. “The city of Moab” may be a particular border town rather than a generic designation. “Portions” is supplied as the implied object of Balak's sending after the sacrifice. Bamoth-baal means “heights of Baal.”