^22:4So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this mass of people⁵ will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time. ^22:5And he sent messengers to Balaam⁶ son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River⁷ in the land of Amaw,⁸ to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face⁹ of the earth, and they are settling next to me. ^22:6So¹⁰ now, please come and curse this nation¹¹ for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them¹² and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed,¹³ and whoever you curse is cursed.”

^22:7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported¹⁴ to him the words of Balak. ^22:8He replied to them, “Stay¹⁵ here tonight, and I will bring back to you whatever word the Lord may speak to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ^22:9And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” ^22:10Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying, ^22:11“Look, a nation has come out¹⁶ of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them¹⁷ and drive them out.”¹⁸

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Footnotes

5 The word is simply “company,” but in the context he must mean a vast company—a horde of people.
6 There is much literature on pagan diviners and especially prophecy in places in the east like Mari (see, for example, H. B. Huffmon, “Prophecy in the Mari Letters,” 31 [1968]: 101–24). Balaam appears to be a pagan diviner who was of some reputation; he was called to curse the Israelites, but God intervened and gave him blessings only. The passage forms a nice complement to texts that deal with blessings and curses. It shows that no one can curse someone whom God has blessed.
7 Heb “by the river”; in most contexts this expression refers to the Euphrates River (cf. , , , , , ).
8 Heb “in the land of Amaw” (cf. , , ); traditionally “in the land of the sons of his people.” The has “by the river of the land.”
9 Heb “eye.” So also in v. 11.
10 The two lines before this verse begin with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), and so they lay the foundation for these imperatives. In view of those circumstances, this is what should happen.
11 Heb “people.” So also in vv. 10, 17, 41.
12 The construction uses the imperfect tense אוּכַל (’ukhal, “I will be able”) followed by the imperfect tense נַכֶּה (nakkeh, “we will smite/attack/defeat”). The second verb is clearly the purpose or the result of the first, even though there is no conjunction or particle.
13 The verb is the Piel imperfect of בָּרַךְ (barakh), with the nuance of possibility: “whomever you may bless.” The Pual participle מְבֹרָךְ (mévorakh) serves as the predicate.
14 Heb “spoke.”
15 The verb לִין (lin) means “to lodge, spend the night.” The related noun is “a lodge”—a hotel of sorts. Balaam needed to consider the offer. And after darkness was considered the best time for diviners to consult with their deities. Balaam apparently knows of the Lord; he testifies to this effect in 22:18.
16 In this passage the text differs slightly; here it is “the nation that comes out,” using the article on the noun, and the active participle in the attributive adjective usage.
17 Here the infinitive construct is used to express the object or complement of the verb “to be able” (it answers the question of what he will be able to do).
18 The verb is the Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. It either carries the force of an imperfect tense, or it may be subordinated to the preceding verbs.