The plains of Moab at dusk: a vast camp of low black tents spreading to the green thickets of the Jordan, and across the river the dark palms of Jericho's oasis under the hills.

The Book of

Numbers 22

A king hires the most famous seer money can buy to curse Israel. A donkey sees more than he does.

41 verses≈ 8 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

1–10Ready at SinaiCounted and ordered
11–14GrumblingTo Kadesh and refusal
15–21Forty yearsRebellion and mercy
22–25BalaamA curse turned to blessingChapter 22
26–36A new generationReady for the land

Balak Summons Balaam

Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho.

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Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

The plains of Moab

Israel camped on the plains north-east of the Dead Sea, across the Jordan from Jericho, below the heights of Pisgah. Balak sent his messengers far to the north-east, to Pethor “by the Euphrates,” about 400 miles away and off this map. Pethor is probably near Carchemish on the upper Euphrates; the plains and Pisgah are placed approximately.

Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites.

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.”

A town of flat-roofed mud-brick houses among poplars and willows on the bank of the broad Euphrates at dusk, a walled courtyard house nearest the river.

Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,

he sent messengers to summon 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.

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.”

0:38

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

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.

Balaam

“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.

God

Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”

Balaam

And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: ‘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.’”

God

But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

Balaam

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.”

Moab's elders and officials

And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.

Numbers 22:12

Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers.

Moab's elders and officials

They came to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on this people for me!’”

Balaam

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. So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.”

God

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.”

Reflect

The price of a word

God’s first answer was plain: “Do not go with them.” Balaam said all the right things, “I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God,” and still asked the men to stay another night, to “find out what else the LORD has to tell me.” Is there something God has already made clear to you that you keep bringing back to Him, hoping for a different answer? Write it down, and what His word has already said about it.

The Angel and Balaam’s Donkey

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.

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.

Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side. 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.

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. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff.

Balaam's donkey

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?”

Balaam

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!”

Balaam's donkey

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?”

Balaam

“No,” he replied.

Question

Quick question

The donkey saw what her rider could not, and she paid for it.

How many times did Balaam beat his donkey on the road?

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.

The angel of the LORD

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. 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.”

Balaam

“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.”

The angel of the LORD

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.

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.

Balak

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 reward you richly?”

Balaam

“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.”

Pray

Only Your word

Balaam said, “I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth,” and then the LORD opened his eyes to see what had stood in his road all along. Ask God for both. Lord, guard my mouth, so that I speak what is true and what You give me, not what pays. Open my eyes to see what You are doing, and to turn when You stand in my way. Amen.

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Numbers 22

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A verse to carry with you

But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”

Numbers 22:12

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