22:1 Moab A region due east of the Dead Sea. See note on 21:11.

Jericho beyond the Jordan The city of Jericho is not in the plains of Moab, but the hill country of Canaan. Furthermore, Moses is not permitted to cross the Jordan with the people, but spends his last days in Moab, on the east of the river. The Hebrew phrase used here, yarden yericho (which may be literally rendered “Jordan of Jericho”), probably refers to a seasonal river on both sides of the Jordan in the vicinity of Jericho.

22:2 Israel did to the Amorites Refers to the people of the kingdoms of Sihon and Og (see Num 21:21, 25–26, 31–35).

22:4 the elders of Midian The clans of Midan were somehow allied with the Moabite king, perhaps because many Midianites lived in Moabite territory (Gen 36:35).

22:5 Balaam son of Beor Refers to a seer from Pethor, a place located near a river, although it is not clear from the biblical text which river is intended. The same name appears outside the Bible (Bil’am the son of Be’or) in the Deir ʿAlla inscription, which was uncovered about 3 miles east of the Jordan River. The inscription dates to the first half of the eighth century (800–750) bc, several centuries after the events described in Num 22–25.

Old Testament Theology and Divination

at Pethor Often identified as Pitru, located on a tributary of the Euphrates, roughly 12 miles south of Carchemish. Ancient Near Eastern texts connect Pitru with Arameans, but the Bible is ambiguous about its location.

22:6 curse this people for me Balak seeks a man who could pronounce a powerful curse on his enemies at will. It was widely believed in the ancient Near East that uttered blessings or curses could literally accomplish blessing or cursing (see Gen 27; 48). However, Balaam was likely a baru, “seer” or “diviner,” which means that he could only do the bidding of the divine.

whoever you cursed is cursed Echoes the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12:3).

22:7 a fee for divination in their hand Balaam was only paid for his services later (Num 24:11).

22:8 I will return word to you Balak’s messengers spend the night while Balaam seeks an answer from Yahweh.

the princes of The Hebrew word used here, sar, (“official”) broadly refers to “dignitaries”; the phrase here is consistent with “elders” (see vv. 4, 7).

22:9 Who are these men with you Through this question, God allows Balaam to tell the truth, since Israel is the object of the requested curse. God already knows who the men are.

22:12 they are blessed The language of Israel as a blessed people evokes the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12:1–3; 27:33). Now that the Israelites are close to the promised land, the promise God made to Abraham (Gen 12; 15) has almost come to fruition.

22:13 Balaam got up in the morning This precise sentence also occurs in the Deir ʿAlla inscription; see Num 22:5.

Yahweh Here and in v. 18, Balaam uses the divine name Yahweh. The ot contains other examples of a non-Israelite using this name (see Gen 26:28).

22:18 Yahweh my God Here, Balaam calls Yahweh his God. Balak may have specifically sought out Balaam because he was a follower of Yahweh, believing that Yahweh would listen to one of His own prophets.

22:20 only the word that I will speak to you, you will do A directive that Balaam apparently obeys without wavering (Num 22:35; compare 23:12, 26).

22:22 God became angry because he was going It is unknown why God is angry with Balaam for going on a trip which He told him to make (v. 20). Perhaps Balaam’s attitude or motivation angered God.

the angel of Yahweh Regarding Yahweh’s use of angels to protect Israel in His stead, see Gen 16:7; Exod 3:1–3; 23:20–23; compare Josh 5:13–15.

Angels in the Bible Table

an adversary The Hebrew here uses the noun satan (“adversary”), the same noun used in Job 1–2 for Job’s accuser, the figure in God’s heavenly court. The noun is never used for a specific nonhuman enemy of God in the ot, though that understanding becomes common in later Jewish literature and the nt.

Satan in the Old Testament and the Serpent of Genesis 3

donkey The Hebrew word used here, athon, is a common term for a donkey. The point of humor or satire in what follows is that Balaam, a professional seer, cannot see the angel, but his donkey can.

22:23 sword drawn in his hand The phrase appears only three times in the ot. Here and in 1 Chr 21:16, the figure is clearly the angel of Yahweh. The third occurrence is Josh 5:13–15, where it is used of the captain of Yahweh’s host.

22:28 the mouth of the donkey While Balaam has the reputation as a great prophetic seer, God can use anyone—human or beast—to speak His word (Num 22:38; 23:5, 12, 16).

22:31 Yahweh exposed the eyes of Balaam The wording used here serves as a deliberate, sarcastic contrast to Balaam’s own later claim—that his own eyes are open to God’s revelation (24:4, 16).

22:32 your conduct is perverse Likely meaning that the purpose of the errand (cursing Israel) was repugnant to God (compare vv. 20, 22, 34).

22:34 it is displeasing to you Balaam readily admits he has sinned, possibly indicating that God was angered by Balaam’s internal motive (see note on v. 22), or he may be referring to the three times he struck his donkey (vv. 28–30, 32).

22:35 speak only the word that I will speak to you The same instruction God gave Balaam in v. 20 before allowing him to make the trip.

22:36 the city of Moab The Hebrew name used here, ir mo'av, suggests the city is Ar of Moab (21:15, 28). Another possibility is that ir mo’av refers to the capital city of Moab.

22:38 I came to you Balaam ignores Balak’s barrage of questions. He has arrived now, and that is all that matters.

the word that God puts in my mouth Balaam clearly asserts that he will speak only the words God gives to him. After the confrontation with the angel of Yahweh and his conversation with his donkey, Balaam likely means what he says.

22:39 to Kiriath-Huzoth The name means “city of villages.” It is often considered synonymous with Kiriathaim in eastern Jordan (Gen 14:5; Num 32:37; Deut 2:9–10; 1 Chr 6:76; Jer 48:1, 23; Ezek 25:9).

22:41 to Bamoth-Baal The Hebrew text here may be literally rendered “the high-places of Baal”—referring to a place where altars for the Canaanite deity Baal would have been located.