Numbers 22:1-24
Balaam Refuses to Curse Israel
1 ▼▼sn The fifth section of the book (22:1-33:56) traces the Israelite activities in Transjordan. It is hard to determine how long they were in Transjordan, but a good amount of time must have elapsed for the number of moves they made and the wars they fought. There is a considerable amount of information available on this section of the book. Some of the most helpful works include: H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS); E. Burrows, The Oracles of Jacob and Balaam; G. W. Coats, “Balaam, Sinner or Saint?” BR 18 (1973): 21-29; P. C. Craigie, “The Conquest and Early Hebrew Poetry,” TynBul 20 (1969): 76-94; I. Parker, “The Way of God and the Way of Balaam,” ExpTim 17 (1905): 45; and J. A. Wharton, “The Command to Bless: An Exposition of Numbers 22:41-23:25,” Int 13 (1959): 37-48. This first part introduces the characters and sets the stage for the oracles. It can be divided into four sections: the invitation declined (vv. 1-14), the second invitation extended (vv. 15-21), God opposes Balaam (vv. 22-35), and Balaam meets Balak (vv. 36-41).
The Israelites traveled on ▼▼tn The verse begins with the vav (ו) consecutive.
and camped in the rift valley plains ▼▼tn The singular form of the word עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah) refers to the rift valley, which extends from Mt. Hermon to the Gulf of Aqaba. In the Bible it most often refers to sections of the rift valley, such as the Jordan valley, the region around the Dead Sea, or the portion south of the Dead Sea. The plural form עַרְבוֹת (ʿarevot) refers to that section of the rift valley which is just north of the Dead Sea. The region is divided by the Jordan river and referred to as the עַרְבוֹת (ʿarevot) of Jericho on the west and the עַרְבוֹת of Moab on the east. Each side has gently sloping plains that go down to the Jordan and the Dead Sea. Jericho’s side descends about 450 feet over five miles, while Moab’s side is steeper. Many versions translate the עַרְבוֹת of Moab simply as “plains of Moab,” but this might be misunderstood as Moab’s tableland above and east of the rift valley.
of Moab on the side of the Jordan River ▼▼tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
across from Jericho. 2Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites. 3And the Moabites were greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. The Moabites were sick with fear because of the Israelites. 4 So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this mass of people ▼▼tn The word is simply “company,” but in the context he must mean a vast company—a horde of people.
will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time. 5And he sent messengers to Balaam ▼▼sn There is much literature on pagan diviners and especially prophecy in places in the east like Mari (see, for example, H. B. Huffmon, “Prophecy in the Mari Letters,” BA 31 [1968]: 101-24). Balaam appears to be a pagan diviner who was of some reputation; he was called to curse the Israelites, but God intervened and gave him blessings only. The passage forms a nice complement to texts that deal with blessings and curses. It shows that no one can curse someone whom God has blessed.
son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River ▼▼tn Heb “by the river”; in most contexts this expression refers to the Euphrates River (cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
in the land of Amaw, ▼▼tn Heb “in the land of Amaw” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV); traditionally “in the land of the sons of his people.” The LXX has “by the river of the land.”
to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face ▼ of the earth, and they are settling next to me. 6So ▼▼tn The two lines before this verse begin with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), and so they lay the foundation for these imperatives. In view of those circumstances, this is what should happen.
now, please come and curse this nation ▼ for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them ▼▼tn The construction uses the imperfect tense אוּכַל (ʾukhal, “I will be able”) followed by the imperfect tense נַכֶּה (nakkeh, “we will smite/attack/defeat”). The second verb is clearly the purpose or the result of the first, even though there is no conjunction or particle.
and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, ▼▼tn The verb is the Piel imperfect of בָּרַךְ (barakh), with the nuance of possibility: “whomever you may bless.” The Pual participle מְבֹרָךְ (mevorakh) serves as the predicate.
and whoever you curse is cursed.” 7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hands. They came to Balaam and reported ▼▼tn Heb “spoke.”
to him the words of Balak. 8He replied to them, “Stay ▼▼tn The verb לִין (lin) means “to lodge, spend the night.” The related noun is “a lodge”—a hotel of sorts. Balaam needed to consider the offer. And after darkness was considered the best time for diviners to consult with their deities. Balaam apparently knows of the Lord; he testifies to this effect in 22:18.
here tonight, and I will bring back to you whatever word the Lord may speak to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying, 11‘Look, a nation has come out ▼▼tn In this passage the text differs slightly; here it is “the nation that comes out,” using the article on the noun, and the active participle in the attributive adjective usage.
of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them ▼▼tn Here the infinitive construct is used to express the object or complement of the verb “to be able” (it answers the question of what he will be able to do).
and drive them out.’” ▼▼tn The verb is the Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. It either carries the force of an imperfect tense, or it may be subordinated to the preceding verbs.
12But God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, ▼▼tn The two verbs are negated imperfects; they have the nuance of prohibition: You must not go and you must not curse.
for they are blessed.” ▼▼tn The word בָּרוּךְ (barukh) is the Qal passive participle, serving here as the predicate adjective after the supplied verb “to be.” The verb means “enrich,” in any way, materially, spiritually, physically. But the indication here is that the blessing includes the promised blessing of the patriarchs, a blessing that gave Israel the land. See further, C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).
13 So Balaam got up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, ▼▼tc The LXX adds “to your lord.”
for the Lord has refused to permit me to go ▼▼tn The main verb is the Piel perfect, “he has refused.” This is followed by two infinitives. The first (לְתִתִּי, letitti) serves as a complement or direct object of the verb, answering the question of what he refused to do—“to give me.” The second infinitive (לַהֲלֹךְ, lahalokh) provides the object for the preceding infinitive: “to grant me to go.”
with you.” 14So the princes of Moab departed ▼▼tn Heb “rose up.”
and went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” Balaam Accompanies the Moabite Princes
15 Balak again sent princes, ▼▼tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys. It uses the Hiphil preterite of the verb “to add” followed by the Qal infinitive “to send.” The infinitive becomes the main verb, and the preterite an adverb: “he added to send” means “he sent again.”
more numerous and more distinguished than the first. ▼▼tn Heb “than these.”
16And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: ‘Please do not let anything hinder you from coming ▼▼tn The infinitive construct is the object of the preposition.
to me. 17For I will honor you greatly, ▼▼tn The construction uses the Piel infinitive כַּבֵּד (kabbed) to intensify the verb, which is the Piel imperfect/cohortative אֲכַבֶּדְךָ (ʾakhabbedekha). The great honor could have been wealth, prestige, or position.
and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.’” 18 Balaam replied ▼▼tn Heb “answered and said.”
to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment ▼▼tn Heb “mouth.”
of the Lord my God ▼▼sn In the light of subsequent events one should not take too seriously that Balaam referred to Yahweh as his God. He is referring properly to the deity for which he is acting as the agent.
to do less or more. 19Now therefore, please stay ▼▼tn In this case “lodge” is not used, but “remain, reside” (שְׁבוּ, shevu).
the night here also, that I may know what more the Lord might say to me.” ▼▼tn This clause is also a verbal hendiadys: “what the Lord might add to speak,” meaning, “what more the Lord might say.”
20God came to Balaam that night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them, but the word that I will say to you, that you must do.” 21So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. God Opposes Balaam
22 Then God’s anger was kindled ▼▼sn God’s anger now seems to contradict the permission he gave Balaam just before this. Some commentators argue that God’s anger is a response to Balaam’s character in setting out—which the Bible does not explain. God saw in him greed and pleasure for the riches, which is why he was so willing to go.
because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose ▼▼tn The word is שָׂטָן (satan, “to be an adversary, to oppose”).
him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. 23And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with ▼▼tn The word has the conjunction “and” on the noun, indicating this is a disjunctive vav (ו), here serving as a circumstantial clause.
his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a path ▼▼tn The word means a “narrow place,” having the root meaning “to be deep.” The Greek thought it was in a field in a narrow furrow.
among the vineyards, where there was a wall on either side. ▼▼tn Heb “a wall on this side, and a wall on that side.”
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