Numberschapter 22
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An Angel Appears to Balaam — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
A.Balak sends money to hire a cursevv. 1-14
1 Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho. 2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites. 4 So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time, 5 he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.” 7 The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak. 8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam replied, “and I will give you the answer that the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?” 10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’” 12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.” 13 So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” 14 And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
B.More honorable princes, and a house full of silvervv. 15-21
15 Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers. 16 They came to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17 for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on this people for me!’” 18 But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God. 19 So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.” 20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.” 21 So in the morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
C.A donkey sees what the prophet cannotvv. 22-35
22 Then God’s anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side. 25 And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat her once again. 26 And the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” 30 But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied. 31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown. 32 The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live.” 34 “I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.” 35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
D.Only the word God puts in my mouthvv. 36-41
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. 37 And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to richly reward you?” 38 “See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.” 39 So Balaam accompanied Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him. 41 The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.
Chapter summary
Balak and Balaam.
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Chapter summary
Balak and Balaam.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Balak and Balaam. Balak king of Moab, seeing what Israel has done to the Amorites, sends for Balaam son of Beor to curse Israel. The LORD says go not; Balak sends more honourable princes with higher fees; Balaam is told, ‘if the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do’. God's anger is kindled because he goes; the angel of the LORD stands in the way with sword drawn; the ass sees the angel three times, pressing Balaam's foot against a wall, turning aside, lying down. Balaam strikes the ass; the LORD opens her mouth. The angel opens Balaam's eyes.
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
Law · Moses — Numbers overview
- A. 1–14 Balak sends money to hire a curse
- B. 15–21 More honorable princes, and a house full of silver
- C. 22–35 A donkey sees what the prophet cannot
- D. 36–41 Only the word God puts in my mouth
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Numbers 229 verses
- Numbers 22:7The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak.
- Numbers 22:13So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
- Numbers 22:14And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
- Numbers 22:18But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
- Numbers 22:19So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.”
- Numbers 22:20That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”
- Read Numbers 22: 3 more there →
Numbers 236 verses
- Numbers 23:7And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
- Numbers 23:12But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
- Numbers 23:13Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”
- Numbers 23:14So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
- Numbers 23:16And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”
- Numbers 23:26But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
- Read Numbers 23 →
Numbers 243 verses
- Numbers 24:9He crouches, he lies down like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”
- Numbers 24:11Therefore, flee at once to your home! I said I would richly reward you, but instead the LORD has denied your reward.”
- Numbers 24:13that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD? I will speak whatever the LORD says.
- Read Numbers 24 →
2 Peter 23 verses
- 2 Peter 2:3In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
- 2 Peter 2:15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
- 2 Peter 2:16But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
- Read 2 Peter 2 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Numbers 213 verses
- Numbers 21:3And the LORD heard Israel’s plea and delivered up the Canaanites. Israel devoted them and their cities to destruction; so they named the place Hormah.
- Numbers 21:20and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.
- Numbers 21:28For a fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the rulers of Arnon’s heights.
- Read Numbers 21 →
Deuteronomy 232 verses
- Deuteronomy 23:4For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.
- Deuteronomy 23:5Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.
- Read Deuteronomy 23 →
Proverbs 12 verses
- Proverbs 1:15my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
- Proverbs 1:16For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
- Read Proverbs 1 →
Exodus 42 verses
- Exodus 4:11And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
- Exodus 4:24Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.
- Read Exodus 4 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.