CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Numbers 22
Chapter 22 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in Numbers 22
King Balak of Moab is terrified of Israel and sends for Balaam, a well-known prophet, to curse them. God tells Balaam not to go, but when Balak sends more important officials, God lets him go with a warning. On the way, Balaam's donkey sees an angel blocking the road and speaks to Balaam. Balaam arrives but tells Balak he can only say what God tells him.
Scripture
Numbers 22
Balak Sends for Balaam
Study note
After Israel's victories over Sihon and Og, they camped on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River. King Balak of Moab was terrified. He sent messengers with payment to Balaam, a famous prophet, asking him to come and curse Israel. God told Balaam not to go because Israel was blessed. Balaam refused the invitation.
1 The Israelites kept traveling and camped on the plains of Moab. They were east of the Jordan River, across from Jericho. And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 Balak son of Zippor was well aware of everything Israel had done to the Amorites. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 The people of Moab were terrified of Israel because of their enormous numbers. Moab was filled with dread. And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 The Moabites warned the elders of Midian, "This massive group is going to consume everything around us, the way an ox strips a field bare." Balak son of Zippor was Moab's king at the time. 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.
5 He sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor near the Euphrates River in his homeland. His message said, "A whole nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the landscape and have settled right next to me." He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
6 "Please come and pronounce a curse on these people for me, because they are too powerful for me to handle. Maybe then I can beat them and drive them away. I know that whoever you bless ends up blessed, and whoever you curse ends up cursed." Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 The elders of Moab and Midian went to Balaam. They brought payment for his services. They arrived and gave him Balak's message. 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.
8 Balaam told them, "Stay here tonight. I will tell you whatever answer the Lord gives me." So the Moabite officials spent the night there. And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men staying with you?" And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10 Balaam answered God, "Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, sent me this message:" And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11 "'An entire nation has come from Egypt and spread across the land. Come and curse them for me. Then maybe I can fight them and drive them off.'" Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 God told Balaam, "Do not go with them. Do not curse those people, because I have blessed them." And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 The next morning, Balaam told Balak's officials, "Go back home. The Lord has refused to let me go with you." 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.
14 The Moabite officials went back and reported to Balak, "Balaam would not come with us." And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
Balak Sends Again
Study note
Balak sent more important officials with promises of great riches. Balaam said he could not go beyond God's command even for a palace full of gold. But God told Balaam he could go with them as long as he spoke only what God commanded.
15 So Balak sent a second group of officials -- more of them and more prestigious than the first. And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16 They came to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor pleads with you: Please do not let anything stop you from coming to me." And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17 "I will pay you extremely well and do whatever you ask. Please come and curse these people for me." For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18 Balaam answered, "Even if Balak filled his entire palace with silver and gold and offered it all to me, I could not go against what the Lord my God says. It does not matter whether the thing is big or small." And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
19 "But stay the night, just as the first group did, and let me find out if the Lord has anything more to say." Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
20 That night God came to Balaam and said, "Since these men have come for you, go ahead and go with them. But you may only say what I tell you to say." And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
21 So in the morning Balaam saddled up his donkey and left with the Moabite officials. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
The Donkey and the Angel
Study note
God was angry that Balaam went, and his angel blocked the road with a drawn sword. The donkey saw the angel three times and tried to avoid him, but Balaam could not see the angel and beat the donkey. Then God opened the donkey's mouth and it spoke. Finally God opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel. He confessed his sin and offered to turn back, but the angel told him to continue, speaking only God's words.
22 But God was angry that Balaam went. The angel of the Lord positioned himself on the road to block Balaam's path. Balaam was riding his donkey, and two servants walked with him. And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 The donkey spotted the angel of the Lord standing in the road, holding a drawn sword. The donkey veered off the road into a field. Balaam beat the donkey to force it back onto the road. And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
24 Then the angel of the Lord moved to a narrow path between vineyard walls on both sides. But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25 When the donkey saw the angel, it squeezed against the wall, crushing Balaam's foot. Balaam beat the donkey again. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26 The angel of the Lord moved farther ahead to a spot so tight there was no room to pass on either side. And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 When the donkey saw the angel, it simply lay down under Balaam. Balaam was furious and beat the donkey with his staff. And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
28 Then the Lord made the donkey speak. It said to Balaam, "What have I done to deserve you beating me three times?" And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29 Balaam snapped back, "You made me look like a fool! If I had a sword, I would kill you right here!" And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30 The donkey replied, "Am I not your own donkey that you have ridden your whole life? Have I ever acted this way before?" Balaam admitted, "No, you have not." And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes. He saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword. Balaam dropped to his knees and fell flat on his face. Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
32 The angel asked him, "Why did you beat your donkey three times? I came here to block your path because you are heading in a dangerous direction." And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
33 "Your donkey saw me and turned aside all three times. If she had not turned away, I would have killed you by now and let her live." And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned. I had no idea you were blocking the road. If this journey displeases you, I will turn back." And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
35 The angel told Balaam, "Go ahead with the men, but you may speak only the words I give you." So Balaam continued on with Balak's officials. And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Balaam Meets Balak
Study note
Balak met Balaam at the border. Balaam immediately told the king that he had no power to say anything on his own. He could only speak what God put in his mouth. Balak took him to a high place where he could see part of the Israelite camp.
36 When Balak heard Balaam was on his way, he went out to meet him. They met at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the far edge of his land. And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
37 Balak said to Balaam, "I sent you an urgent invitation. Why did you not come sooner? Did you think I could not pay you well enough?" And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
38 Balaam replied, "Well, I am here now. But I have no power to say anything on my own. I can only speak the words God puts in my mouth." And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-huzoth. And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath-huzoth.
40 Balak killed cattle and sheep as offerings. He shared some of the meat with Balaam and the officials with him. And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41 The next morning, Balak brought Balaam up to Bamoth-baal, where he could see part of the Israelite camp spread out below. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.
Key Themes
Themes in Numbers 22
God's sovereignty over those who oppose his peopleThe danger of greed in spiritual mattersGod speaks through unexpected meansNo one can curse what God has blessed
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Numbers 22:18-19 2 Peter 2:15-16
Peter warns about those who follow 'the way of Balaam,' who loved the wages of wickedness, using Balaam as the defining example of corrupt spiritual leadership motivated by greed.
Apply This Today
Living Numbers 22
Balaam's story reveals that spiritual gifts and genuine encounters with God do not guarantee a faithful heart. His donkey saw the angel before the prophet did, reminding us that pride and greed can blind us to what is right in front of us. No human power can override God's purposes for His people.
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