He did not seek to defeat israel through military strategy or new weapons. This is the exact same place where the israelites have been hanging out since god freed them from slavery back in exodus. Balaam, son of beor, was a seer from aram, internationally famous for the effectiveness of his blessings and curses. Balak, the infamous king in the book of numbers who attempted to curse the jewish people in the desert of moab, may have actually existed, new research by tel aviv university tau suggests. When king balak heard of balaams arrival, he went out to meet him and took the prophet up to the heights sacred to baal. Numbers 22 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. The torah records how, after being thoroughly humiliated by his talking donkey, balaam, the nonjewish sorcerer and prophet commissioned by balak king of moab to curse the jews, found himself incapable of cursing them. The hebrew title of the book bemidbar, in the desert is more descriptive of its contents. The lord instructs moses concerning the arrangement of the tribal camps around the tabernacle. Balaam, a sorcerer, was summoned by king balak of the moabites to curse the israelites as moses was leading them toward canaan. Numbers 2225 niv balak summons balaam then the bible. According to the lengthy account in the biblical book of numbers chapters 2224, which likely consists of two or more combined literary traditions, balak, the king of moab, is frightened by reports of the approaching israelites and decides to hire balaam to pronounce a curse upon israel so that he will be able to defeat them in war.
According to the lengthy account in the biblical book of numbers chapters 2224, which likely consists of two or more combined literary traditions, balak, the king of moab, is frightened by reports of the approaching. Numbers 22 consists of balaks delegation, balaams response, the trip to moabduring which the angel of the lord blocks his path three times and balaams donkey speaksand balaks reception of. His story is in the context of the time of the israelites journey to the promised land. Moses witnessed most of the events recorded in the book of numbers. Balak definition, a moabite king who sent for balaam to come and curse the israelites.
The book draws its name from the census made of the people, a necessary step toward their organization and future government. Balak, king of moab, fears an advancing israelthen the children of israel moved, and camped in the plains of moab on the side of the jordan across from jericho. Balak aka yves bigerelgraduated from the gobelins school of animation in 2006, balak works as a storyboard artists, 2d animator and tv show director in france. Balak hebrew for balak, a name, the second word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah is the 40th weekly torah portion, parashah in the annual jewish cycle of torah reading and the seventh in the book of numbers. They then make their way from sinai to kadesh barnea. The almighty flat out tells balaam that he cant curse the israelites for they are blessed 22. Dec 22, 2018 balaam, a sorcerer, was summoned by king balak of the moabites to curse the israelites as moses was leading them toward canaan. Balak was a king of moab who appears in the old testament in numbers 2224. Balak was a king of moab described in the book of numbers in the hebrew bible for his dealings with balaam.
A celebrated diviner, of the city pethor, on the euphrates, numbers 22. Numbers 22 then the people of israel set out and camped. Before the book of numbers ends, moses again conducts a census, and joshua assumes the leadership of israel in place of moses who is banned from the promise land, due to his disobedience. After the children of israel received the laws at mount sinai, they began the journey as described in the book of exodus, and they were ready to. For the right fee, hell bless or curse whomever you want. Balaam sacrificed another fourteen animals and met with the lord. Information and translations of balak in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Numbers 2224 new king james version nkjv balak sends for balaam. King balak was upset that balaam had pronounced a blessing on israel rather than a curse, but he had him try again, this time from the top of pisgah numbers 23.
He works with marvel comics on the new digital infinite comics brand, under his real name yves bigerel, as a storyboard artist avengers vs xmen with mark waid, guardians of the galaxy with brian m. The bull and ram are the prime animals to offer because of their value, and the number seven has a long history of being especially propitious. Commentary on numbers 22 and the story of the prophet balaam. Then the children of israel moved, and camped in the plains of moab on the side of the jordan across from jericho. On his journey to meet the princes of moab, balaam is stopped by an angel of the lord after beating his d. Jan 02, 2020 king balak was upset that balaam had pronounced a blessing on israel rather than a curse, but he had him try again, this time from the top of pisgah numbers 23. They are preparing to move out in military fashion, ready to possess the promised land numbers 1. Balak, king of moab, afraid of the invading israelites who vastly outnumbered moab, asked balaam to come and curse the people of israel. Moab, the land that balak ruled, lay on the east side of the dead sea. And according to balak, the king of moab whod really like to defeat and destroy the israelites, balaams work really does the tricki know that whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed 22.
Balak promised to pay balaam handsomely for bringing evil upon the hebrews, whom he feared. Balaq was a king of moab described in the book of numbers in the hebrew bible, where his dealings with the prophet balaam are recounted. Commentary on numbers 2223 balak hires balaam tough. In the night god came to balaam, telling him not to curse the israelites. The new analysis of the squeeze suggests that balak, a moabite ruler who is a key character in a biblical parable in the book of numbers chapters 2224, may be mentioned in the stele as a rival to mesha for supremacy over moab. Balak tried to engage balaam for the purpose of cursing the migrating israelite community. Balak, king of moab, having seen the multitudes of israel, and fearing they would attack his country, sent for balaam, who was famous for his supposed supernatural powers, to come and curse them. Balak tries to hire balaam for the purpose of cursing israel. King balak sends for his prophet twice and balaam barely responds. This summary of the book of numbers provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of numbers. In the bible, balak appears much earlier in the story of the hebrews, ostensibly centuries before the time of mesha.
The incident with the donkey and the angel left balaam without any excuse for continuing to compromise with balaks wishes numbers 22. Balak wanted israel defeated, and balaam wanted balaks money, but each wanted israel spiritually cursed as a way to get it, and god would not curse israel. The lord commands moses to take a census of the whole israelite community. Balak, the newly elected king of moab, had been put in charge of the plans. Frightened by the fall of the lands of the amorites and bashan, the kings of moab and midian, implacable foes for many generations, united for the purpose of a common attack upon the children of israel. Finally, the structure of these three chapters in numbers is important. According to the lengthy account in the biblical book of numbers chapters 2224, which likely consists of two or more combined literary traditions, balak, the king of moab, is. Its style is like a slapstick comedy, deliberately funny in its depiction of talking donkeys, angels unaware and the inevitable humor of mere mortals trying to subvert the will of the divine. The israelites disobedience and lack of faith caused god to make them wander in the desert until all the people of that generation had diedwith a few important exceptions. This weeks portion demonstrates the scope of the israelites reputation during their desert travels.
Aug 26, 2016 39 then balaam went with balak to kiriath huzoth. Balak confers with the midianites, another group of people living nearby, and they decide to send for balaam, an internationally known expert in divination. May 03, 2019 balak, the infamous king in the book of numbers who attempted to curse the jewish people in the desert of moab, may have actually existed, new research by tel aviv university tau suggests. Now balak the son of zippor saw all that israel had done to the amorites. And balak the son of zippor saw all that israel had done to the amorites. May 31, 2016 commentary on numbers 22 and the story of the prophet balaam. The fascinating story of balak and balaam s failed attempts to curse the jewish people is found in numbers 2224. Balak wanted israel defeated, and balaam wanted balak s money, but each wanted israel spiritually cursed as a way to get it, and god would not curse israel. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed numbers 22. In the parashah, balak son of zippor, king of moab, tries to hire balaam to curse israel, balaams donkey speaks to balaam, and balaam blesses israel instead.
It may help to get the lay of the land of the book of numbers before we take up the story of balaam. Balak, the infamous king in the book of numbers who attempted to curse the jewish people in the desert of moab, may have actually existed, new research by. Numbers 22 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Balaam states that he will utter only what his god yahweh inspires. Balaam son of beor is known to us not only from the hebrew bible but also from an inscription, found in 1967 in jordan, that can be dated to the eighth century b. Balak, the king of moab, hears what befell the amorites when they stood up to gods people and decides he does not want to meet a similar fate.
He may have relied on other witnesses, written sources, or revelation for information concerning events he did not see, such as the interactions between baalam and balak see numbers 2224. Numbers 22 balaams donkey 15 then balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. The bull and ram are the prime animals to offer because of their value, and the number seven. Numbers begins with the israelites at mount sinai, after the giving of the law. Theyve been in this same spot for about a year and now theyre getting ready to start out on their journey to this land flowing with milk and honey that god keeps talking about. The english name of the book comes from the septuagint the prechristian greek translation of the ot and is based on the census lists found in. Balak uses his prophet balaam to learn to seduce the israelites to worship baal. Balaam, a nonisraelite prophet described in the old testament num. May 11, 2015 commentary on numbers 2223 balak hires balaam may 11, 2015 bill pratt 2 comments the israelites have traveled around the borders of edom and have arrived in the land of moab, across the jordan river from the city of jericho. After a run in with a talking donkey 1500 years before shrek and lots of tries, balak manages to get balaam to bless israel and curse moab not once, but seven times. King balak from book of numbers may have existed, tau. Balak of moab, is extremely concerned after seeing what the israelites have accomplished against sihon and og. On his journey to meet the princes of moab, balaam is stopped by an angel of the lord after beating his donkey. Then balaam went alone to a solitary place, hoping to receive the word of the lrd.
In parashat balak, king balak and the people of moab, central characters in the weekly torah portion, are afraid of the children of israel. The story of balaam and balak takes up three chapters of the book of numbers 2224. Numbers presents an account of the 38year period of israels wandering in the desert following the establishment of the covenant of sinai compare 1. Balak tries to recruit the prophet balaam to curse the children of israel in order to weaken them and save moab from impending defeat. This is part of a larger series on the pentateuch to be found at th. Gods people are long afterwards told to remember what balak the king of moab consulted, and what balaam the son of beor answered him, that they might know the righteousness of the lord, mic. In numbers 2224, we find the story about balaam and the king of moab, a man called balak. Then the people of israel set out and camped in the plains of moab beyond the jordan at jericho.
The last chapters of numbers, from 2036, the new generation of israelites again attempt to enter the land to take it as god promised. The book of numbers seems to follow naturally after the book of leviticus in the order of the books of moses in the old testament. King balak wanted to weaken the children of israel, who on their way to canaan had moved in on his territory. God told balaam, in a vision, that he should not go with balaks emissaries. Every ancient reference to balaam considers him a nonisraelite, a prophet, and the son of beor, though beor is not clearly identified.
Balak sent to balaam, who lived in mesopotamia along the euphrates river numbers 22. There they built seven altars, upon each of which they sacrificed an ox and a ram. After the children of israel received the laws at mount sinai, they began the journey as described in the book of exodus, and they were ready to march directly into the land of canaan. This time they easily destroy two nations that confront them as they are entering. The reason was that balaam still insisted on going to balak.