Naravist

Person in the Old and New Testaments

Balaam

Balaam: blessings, opposition and later warnings

Portrait of Balaam. An AI-generated artistic interpretation, not a historical likeness.

Portrait: an AI-generated artistic interpretation, not evidence of how Balaam looked.

Who Balaam is

Balaam son of Beor is summoned by Balak to curse Israel. God first forbids him to go because the people are blessed. After another delegation he receives qualified permission, yet encounters divine opposition on the road. His donkey sees the angel before he does, suffers his repeated blows and speaks when the Lord opens her mouth. Once his eyes are opened, Balaam is allowed to continue under a limit on what he may say. At Balak's successive viewpoints he blesses Israel instead of producing the requested curse. Numbers later records his death in the war against Midian and has Moses attribute the Peor offense to his counsel.

Cited passages: Numbers 22:5, Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:7, Numbers 22:8, Numbers 22:9, Numbers 22:10, Numbers 22:11, Numbers 22:12, Numbers 22:15, Numbers 22:16, Numbers 22:17, Numbers 22:18, Numbers 22:19, Numbers 22:20, Numbers 22:21, Numbers 22:22, Numbers 22:23, Numbers 22:24, Numbers 22:25, Numbers 22:26, Numbers 22:27, Numbers 22:28, Numbers 22:29, Numbers 22:30, Numbers 22:31, Numbers 22:32, Numbers 22:33, Numbers 22:34, Numbers 22:35, Numbers 23:5, Numbers 23:6, Numbers 23:7, Numbers 23:8, Numbers 23:9, Numbers 23:10, Numbers 23:11, Numbers 23:12, Numbers 23:16, Numbers 23:17, Numbers 23:18, Numbers 23:19, Numbers 23:20, Numbers 24:1, Numbers 24:2, Numbers 24:3, Numbers 24:4, Numbers 24:5, Numbers 24:6, Numbers 24:7, Numbers 24:8, Numbers 24:9, Numbers 24:10, Numbers 24:11, Numbers 24:12, Numbers 24:13, Numbers 24:14, Numbers 31:8, Numbers 31:15, Numbers 31:16

Historical setting

Numbers places Balaam at Pethor by the river, and Deuteronomy identifies Pethor with Mesopotamia. Joshua calls him a soothsayer when recalling his death by the sword. The father named Beor in Numbers appears as Bosor in the KJV of 2 Peter 2:15; ASV and BBE use Beor there. These forms belong to the texts' references to Balaam. Numbers records offers of reward and Balaam's statements limiting his speech, while later writings explicitly associate his example with wrongful gain. Those later judgments should retain their stated sources.

Cited passages: Numbers 22:5, Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:7, Numbers 22:17, Numbers 22:18, Deuteronomy 23:4, Deuteronomy 23:5, Joshua 13:21, Joshua 13:22, 2 Peter 2:15, 2 Peter 2:16, Jude 1:11

How the story is told

The road scene gives perception and speech first to the donkey, exposing what Balaam has failed to see. Deuteronomy and Nehemiah remember the curse turned to blessing as God's protection of Israel, and Micah calls the people to remember Balak's plan and Balaam's answer. Second Peter and Jude use Balaam as a warning about pursuing wrongful reward. Revelation says he taught Balak to place a stumbling block before Israel through idol food and sexual wrongdoing. These later uses stand beside the blessings in Numbers; the earlier oracle scenes do not themselves narrate the counsel about Peor.

Cited passages: Numbers 22:23, Numbers 22:24, Numbers 22:25, Numbers 22:26, Numbers 22:27, Numbers 22:28, Numbers 22:29, Numbers 22:30, Numbers 22:31, Numbers 22:32, Numbers 22:33, Numbers 22:34, Numbers 22:35, Numbers 24:1, Numbers 24:2, Numbers 24:3, Numbers 24:4, Numbers 24:5, Numbers 24:6, Numbers 24:7, Numbers 24:8, Numbers 24:9, Numbers 24:10, Numbers 24:11, Numbers 24:12, Numbers 24:13, Numbers 24:14, Deuteronomy 23:4, Deuteronomy 23:5, Nehemiah 13:1, Nehemiah 13:2, Nehemiah 13:3, Micah 6:3, Micah 6:4, Micah 6:5, 2 Peter 2:15, 2 Peter 2:16, Jude 1:11, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:15, Revelation 2:16, Numbers 31:16

Story moments

  1. Balaam is summoned (Numbers 22:5). Balak sends messengers to Balaam at Pethor.
  2. His eyes are opened (Numbers 22:31). Balaam sees the angel after his donkey has repeatedly avoided the danger.
  3. Blessing beyond Balak's control (Numbers 23:20). Balaam declares that he has received a command to bless and cannot reverse it.
  4. Death in the Midian campaign (Numbers 31:8). The battle account names Balaam among those killed with the sword.

Key passages

Numbers 22:5

He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

Numbers 22:7

And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

Numbers 22:8

And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

Numbers 22:9

And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?

Numbers 22:10

And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

Numbers 22:12

And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

King James Version. 59 indexed passages in total.

For reflection

How do the blessings Balaam speaks and the later warnings about his conduct affect one another in your reading? Why is it useful to keep each passage's speaker and purpose visible?

Books Balaam appears in

Related people

Names and references are adapted from STEPBible TIPNR. A person listed with a verse is named or indexed there; it does not mean they wrote or spoke it.