1When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3He took up his parable, and said,
“Balaam the son of Beor says,
the man whose eyes are open says;
4he says, who hears the words of God,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down, and having his eyes open:
5How goodly are your tents, Jacob,
and your dwellings, Israel!
6As valleys they are spread out,
as gardens by the riverside,
as aloes which Yahweh has planted,
as cedar trees beside the waters.
7Water shall flow from his buckets.
His seed shall be in many waters.
His king shall be higher than Agag.
His kingdom shall be exalted.
8God brings him out of Egypt.
He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
He shall consume the nations his adversaries,
shall break their bones in pieces,
and pierce them with his arrows.
9He couched, he lay down as a lion,
as a lioness;
who shall rouse him up?
Everyone who blesses you is blessed.
Everyone who curses you is cursed.”
10Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times. 11Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.”
12Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’? 14Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”
15He took up his parable, and said,
“Balaam the son of Beor says,
the man whose eyes are open says;
16he says, who hears the words of God,
knows the knowledge of the Most High,
and who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down, and having his eyes open:
17I see him, but not now.
I see him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob.
A scepter will rise out of Israel,
and shall strike through the corners of Moab,
and crush all the sons of Sheth.
18Edom shall be a possession.
Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession,
while Israel does valiantly.
19Out of Jacob shall one have dominion,
and shall destroy the remnant from the city.”
20He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said,
“Amalek was the first of the nations,
but his latter end shall come to destruction.”
21He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said,
“Your dwelling place is strong.
Your nest is set in the rock.
22Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted,
until Asshur carries you away captive.”
23He took up his parable, and said,
“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim.
They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber.
He also shall come to destruction.”
25Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
The story of Balaam in the Book of Numbers (chs. 22-24) is breathtaking. Who was this individual and what are we to make of his unusual account in Torah?
Here are some particulars:
- Numbers 22-24 describe the only narrative in Torah (excluding Genesis, of course) in which Moses is neither a participant nor even an observer.
- Names are so very important in narratives in Hebrew Scripture, Balaam’s name is one of a handful that does not have a positive meaning; “Balaam” (בִּלְעָם bil‘am) means “devourer of the people.” It is likely that his original name meant “The divine uncle brought forth” (W.F. Albright).
- Balaam is also one of a few Bible characters whose name is found in texts outside of the Bible; An inscription dated 880-770 b.c was discovered in 1967 at Deir ‘Alla, Jordan, that is attributed to “Balaam, son of Beor”—showing that he still had followers many hundreds of years following his death. Balaam was the true counter to Moses; God used this famous pagan to attest to His wonder and to validate Moses.
- One wonders if Balaam is a good prophet who went bad, or a bad prophet who went good. His seven oracles, each beginning with the words, “And he took up his oracle and said, . . .” (Num 23, 24), present some of the most beautiful poetry in praise of Yahweh and Israel in all of Torah; yet actually he did all he could to destroy Israel (Num 25; 31:16); observe his evaluation in the New Testament (2 Pet 2:15; Jude 1:11; Rev 2:14).
- In point of fact, Balaam should not be thought of in these terms. He was not a true prophet nor a false prophet in Israel; Balaam was a pagan mantic, completely outside the concepts of prophets in Israel. He was a baru prophet who used the liver of a newly slaughtered sheep to discover the will of the gods. Liver divination (hepatoscopy) was a practice of some diviners in the ancient Near East.
- Balaam was a pagan mantic whom Yahweh used to present His blessings on Israel. Balak the King of Moab hired this famous person to bring a curse on Israel. In a riveting account, this poser was given God’s words of blessing, to the chagrin of Balak and to his own shame. At one point he even expresses a bit of regret, “Oh that my latter end might be his” (Num 23:10).
- Thus the story of Balaam presents the height of divine inspiration. When one speaks truly for God, we would expect he speaks from deep, personal faith. But God can cause even an enemy to give voice to His praise!
See Ronald B. Allen, “The Theology of the Balaam Oracles,” in John S. and Paul D. Feinberg, Tradition and Testament: Essays in Honor of Charles Lee Feinberg (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981), 79-119.
Dr. Ronald Allen is Senior Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Allen wrote his massive study on Numbers 22-24 on the Balaam Oracles under Dr. Bruce Waltke at Dallas Seminary.