The story of Balaam and Balak is also made reference to in chapter 10 of 2 Meqabyan, a book considered canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Revelation also states that Balaam "taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel." Joshua 13:22 records that Balaam died "by the sword" during a battle for the Reubenite occupation of Moabite land. With God's protection taken from him, Balaam is later listed among the Midianites who were killed in revenge for the "matter of Peor". Joshua, in his farewell speech, also makes reference to it. Numbers 31:16 blames this on Balaam's advice and because of his culpability in the incident, which resulted in deadly divine judgements against the Israelites who participated, he was eventually killed in a retaliatory battle against Midian in Numbers 31:8.ĭeuteronomy 23:3–6 summarises these incidents, and further states that the Ammonites were associated with the Moabites. Later, Numbers 25:1-9 describes how Israel engaged in the Heresy of Peor. Balak and Balaam then go to their respective homes. Balaam then looks upon the Kenites, and Amalekites and offers two more predictions of their fates. Balak's anger rises to the point where he threatens Balaam, but Balaam merely offers a prediction of fate.
The Spirit of God comes upon Balaam and he delivers a third positive prophecy concerning Israel. Building another seven altars here, and making sacrifices on each, Balaam provides another prophecy blessing Israel.īalaam finally gets taken by a now very frustrated Balak to Peor, and, after the seven sacrifices there, decides not to "seek enchantments" but instead looks upon the Israelites from the peak. However, the prophecy blesses Israel Balak remonstrates, but Balaam reminds him that he can only speak the words put in his mouth, so Balak takes him to another "high place" at Pisgah, to try again.
Balaam immediately repents, but is told to go on.īalak meets with Balaam at Kirjat Huzoth, and they go to the "high places of Baal", and offer sacrifices on seven altars, leading to Balaam being given a prophecy by Yahweh, which He speaks to Balak. At this point, Balaam is allowed to see the angel, who informs him that the donkey's turning away from the messenger is the only reason the angel did not kill Balaam. After Balaam starts punishing the donkey for refusing to move, it is miraculously given the power to speak to Balaam (Numbers 22:28), and it complains about Balaam's treatment. At first, the angel is seen only by the donkey Balaam is riding, which tries to avoid the angel. God becomes angry that he went, implying that he only used Balaam as a tool to further his will, and sends the Angel of the Lord (Numbers 22:22) to prevent him. Balaam then sets out in the morning with the princes of Moab. Balak consequently sends higher-ranking priests and offers Balaam honours Balaam continues to press God, and God finally permits him to go but with instructions to say only what He commands. The Prophet Balaam and the Angel by John Linnell (1859)īalaam sends back word that he can only do what YHWH commands, and God has, via a nocturnal dream, told him not to go. Balaam's location, Pethor, is simply given as "which is by the river of the land of the children of his people" in the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint, though the Samaritan Pentateuch, Vulgate, and Peshitta all identify his land as Ammon. Balak, king of Moab, consequently becomes alarmed, and sends elders of Midian and his Moabite messengers, to Balaam, son of Beor, to induce him to come and curse Israel. The Israelites have already defeated two kings in Transjordan: Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. The main story of Balaam occurs during the sojourn of the Israelites in the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, at the close of forty years of wandering, shortly before the death of Moses and the crossing of the Jordan. 4 Balaam in the New Testament, Josephus, and Philo.
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