Naravist

Person in the Old and New Testaments

Balak

Balak: the king seeking a curse on Israel

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

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

Who Balak is

Balak son of Zippor is king of Moab when Israel camps nearby after defeating the Amorites. Moab fears the size of the people, and Balak sends for Balaam to curse them so he may overcome or expel them. When the first delegation returns without Balaam, he sends more distinguished envoys with promises of honor. Once Balaam arrives, Balak participates in repeated altar offerings and takes him to different viewpoints. Each of the three hoped-for curses is answered by a blessing. After three blessings, Balak angrily dismisses him and blames the Lord for withholding the honor he had intended to give. The account ends with the two men departing.

Cited passages: Numbers 22:1, Numbers 22:2, Numbers 22:3, Numbers 22:4, Numbers 22:5, Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:7, Numbers 22:13, Numbers 22:14, Numbers 22:15, Numbers 22:16, Numbers 22:17, Numbers 22:18, Numbers 22:36, Numbers 22:37, Numbers 22:38, Numbers 22:39, Numbers 22:40, Numbers 22:41, Numbers 23:1, Numbers 23:2, Numbers 23:3, Numbers 23:4, 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 23:13, Numbers 23:14, Numbers 23:15, Numbers 23:16, Numbers 23:17, Numbers 23:18, Numbers 23:19, Numbers 23:20, Numbers 23:21, Numbers 23:22, Numbers 23:23, Numbers 23:24, Numbers 23:25, Numbers 23:26, Numbers 23:27, Numbers 23:28, Numbers 23:29, Numbers 23:30, Numbers 24:10, Numbers 24:11, Numbers 24:12, Numbers 24:13, Numbers 24:14, Numbers 24:25

Historical setting

Balak's Moabite kingship and parentage distinguish him from Balaam son of Beor, whom he summons. His delegation includes elders of Midian as well as Moab. Later accounts describe his hostility in different settings: Joshua's farewell speech says Balak arose and warred against Israel, while Jephthah's message in Judges asks rhetorically whether Balak ever fought them. Numbers 22-24 narrates his effort to obtain a curse. These passages are retained in their own voices without inventing a separate battle to reconcile them. Revelation uses the KJV spelling Balac; ASV and BBE use Balak.

Cited passages: Numbers 22:2, Numbers 22:3, Numbers 22:4, Numbers 22:5, Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:7, Joshua 24:8, Joshua 24:9, Joshua 24:10, Judges 11:23, Judges 11:24, Judges 11:25, Judges 11:26, Judges 11:27, Judges 11:28, Revelation 2:14

How the story is told

Balak's repeated requests, offerings and changes of place keep the desired curse before the reader, while Balaam repeatedly states a limit on his speech. The king's rising frustration makes the unchanged blessing conspicuous. Micah later pairs Balak's consultation with Balaam's answer in a call to remember the Lord's righteousness. Revelation gives a further hostile role, saying Balaam taught Balak to draw Israel into idol food and sexual wrongdoing. That later statement is distinguished from the earlier oracle narrative, which does not show that instruction taking place.

Cited passages: 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 23:13, Numbers 23:20, Numbers 23:21, Numbers 23:22, Numbers 23:23, Numbers 23:24, Numbers 23:25, Numbers 23:26, Numbers 23:27, Numbers 23:28, Numbers 23:29, Numbers 23:30, Numbers 24:10, Numbers 24:11, Numbers 24:12, Numbers 24:13, Numbers 24:14, Micah 6:3, Micah 6:4, Micah 6:5, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:13, Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:15, Revelation 2:16

Story moments

  1. The request for a curse (Numbers 22:6). Balak asks Balaam to curse the people so that he may defeat or drive them out.
  2. Another location (Numbers 23:27). Balak proposes another viewpoint in hope of obtaining the curse.
  3. Three blessings provoke anger (Numbers 24:10). Balak protests that Balaam has blessed the very people he wanted cursed.

Key passages

Numbers 22:2

And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

Numbers 22:4

And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

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 22:10

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

Numbers 22:13

And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

Numbers 22:14

And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

King James Version. 41 indexed passages in total.

For reflection

What changes during Balak's repeated attempts, and what remains beyond his control? How does hearing his story recalled by later speakers affect the questions you bring to Numbers?

Books Balak 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.