Balaam
בִּלְעָם · bil.am · H1109AΒαλαάμ · Balaam · G0903“the ancient of the people; the destruction of the people” Hitchcock's 186959 mentions in 8 books, most in Numbers (49)
Who he was
Balaam was a pagan prophet from Pethor near the Euphrates River (Numbers 22:5). Balak, king of Moab, hired him to curse the Israelites as they approached Moabite territory (Numbers 22:6). Despite initial resistance, Balaam agreed to go with Balak's messengers after God permitted him, but only to speak what God told him (Numbers 22:7–21). On the way, Balaam's donkey saw the Angel of the Lord and saved Balaam from being killed (Numbers 22:22–35). In three oracles, Balaam blessed Israel instead of cursing them (Numbers 23-24). Later, Balaam was killed in Israel's battle against Midian (Numbers 31:8). He had advised the Midianites to entice Israel into idolatry and immorality (Numbers 31:16; Revelation 2:14). Balaam's story is remembered as an example of God's sovereignty (Deuteronomy 23:4–5; Joshua 24:9–10; Nehemiah 13:2; Micah 6:5) and as a warning against greed and false teaching (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11).
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Family
FatherBeor
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
59 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Numbers49 mentions
Numbers 22:5He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of…Numbers 22:7The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand. They came to Balaam, and spoke to him the words of Balak.Numbers 22:8He said to them, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Yahweh shall speak to me.” The princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.Numbers 22:9God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?”Numbers 22:10Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has said to me,Numbers 22:12God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”Numbers 22:13Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land; for Yahweh refuses to permit me to go with you.”Numbers 22:14The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”Numbers 22:16They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Balak the son of Zippor says, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,Numbers 22:18Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond the word of Yahweh my God, to do less or more.Numbers 22:20God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.”Numbers 22:21Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.Numbers 22:23The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned out of the path, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her…Numbers 22:25The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. He struck her again.Numbers 22:27The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel, and she lay down under Balaam. Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with his staff.Numbers 22:28Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”Numbers 22:29Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.”Numbers 22:30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long until today? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you?” He said, “No.”Numbers 22:31Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.Numbers 22:34Balaam said to Yahweh’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.”Numbers 22:35Yahweh’s angel said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but you shall only speak the word that I shall speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.Numbers 22:36When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.Numbers 22:37Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send for you to summon you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?”Numbers 22:38Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? I will speak the word that God puts in my mouth.”Numbers 22:39Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth.Numbers 22:40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.Numbers 22:41In the morning, Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from there part of the people.Numbers 23:1Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”Numbers 23:2Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.Numbers 23:3Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height.Numbers 23:4God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”Numbers 23:5Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”Numbers 23:11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”Numbers 23:16Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”Numbers 23:25Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”Numbers 23:26But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do’?”Numbers 23:27Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”Numbers 23:28Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.Numbers 23:29Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”Numbers 23:30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.Numbers 24:1When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness.Numbers 24:2Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.Numbers 24:3He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;Numbers 24:10Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three…Numbers 24:12Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,Numbers 24:15He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;Numbers 24:25Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.Numbers 31:8They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.Numbers 31:16Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh.
Deuteronomy2 mentions
Deuteronomy 23:4because they didn’t meet you with bread and with water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse…Deuteronomy 23:5Nevertheless Yahweh your God wouldn’t listen to Balaam, but Yahweh your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because Yahweh your God loved you.
Joshua3 mentions
Joshua 13:22The children of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, with the sword, among the rest of their slain.Joshua 24:9Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. He sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you,Joshua 24:10but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.
2 Peter1 mention
What the dictionary says
Lord of the people; foreigner or glutton, as interpreted by others, the son of Beor, was a man of some rank among the Midianites (Num. 31:8; comp. 16).
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain