Numbers 23 Study Notes
General
How does Balaam describe Israel as he looks at them from the rocky heights (Numbers 23:9)?
Answer: As a people who live apart, not counted among the nations
Looking down from the cliffs and hills, Balaam sees Israel as a people who live by themselves and do not think of themselves as one more nation among the rest (23:9). What made Israel different was not their size or strength but the LORD's choice of them and His presence with them. Moses said Israel was set apart from every other people only because God went with them (Exodus 33:16). God had chosen them as His own treasured people, a holy nation, which means a nation set apart for Him (Deuteronomy 7:6; Exodus 19:5-6).
- Numbers 23:9 (BSB)“For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.”From the heights Balaam sees Israel as a people living apart and not counting themselves among the nations.
- Exodus 33:16 (BSB)“For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?””Moses says Israel is distinguished from every other people only by God going with them.
- Deuteronomy 7:6 (BSB)“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.”Israel is holy to the LORD, chosen as His prized possession out of all peoples, which is why they stand apart.
- Exodus 19:5-6 (BSB)“Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.””God calls Israel His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation set apart for Him.
Theological
What does Balaam's description of Israel in Numbers 23:9 emphasize?
Answer: Their separateness as a people not reckoned among nations
From the heights Balaam beholds a people living in separation, who do not count themselves one of the nations (23:9). Israel's distinctiveness rests on divine election and presence, not on ethnic or military superiority. Moses saw that only the LORD's going with them distinguished them from all other peoples (Exodus 33:16), and the covenant made them God's treasured possession, a holy nation and kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 7:6). The hired seer is compelled to confess the very separateness that God's choice had created.
- Numbers 23:9 (BSB)“For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, not reckoning themselves among the nations.”From the heights Balaam sees Israel as a people living apart and not counting themselves among the nations.
- Exodus 33:16 (BSB)“For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight, unless You go with us? How else will we be distinguished from all the other people on the face of the earth?””Moses says Israel is distinguished from every other people only by God going with them.
- Deuteronomy 7:6 (BSB)“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.”Israel is holy to the LORD, chosen as His prized possession out of all peoples, which is why they stand apart.
- Exodus 19:5-6 (BSB)“Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.””God calls Israel His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation set apart for Him.
General
True or False: After the first oracle, Balak thanked Balaam for doing exactly what he had been hired to do.
Answer: False
This is false. Balak was upset. He had brought Balaam to curse his enemies, and instead Balaam had done nothing but bless them (23:11). Balak had hired Balaam because he believed Balaam's curses always came true (22:6). Balaam answered that he had to say precisely what the LORD gave him to say (23:12). No human plan can succeed against the LORD (Proverbs 21:30), and Balak's plan was already falling apart.
- Numbers 23:11-12 (BSB)“Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!” But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?””Balak protests that Balaam has only blessed his enemies, and Balaam replies that he can only voice what the LORD gives him.
- Numbers 22:6 (BSB)“So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.””Balak had hired Balaam believing that whoever Balaam cursed would be cursed.
- Proverbs 21:30 (BSB)“There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.”No counsel or plan can prevail against the LORD, as Balak's scheme is proving.
Theological
True or False: Balak responds to the first oracle with satisfaction, since it accomplished his purpose.
Answer: False
This is false. Balak protests that he summoned Balaam to curse his enemies, yet Balaam has done nothing but bless them (23:11). He had hired the seer on the premise that Balaam's curses were effective (22:6). Balaam's reply places the outcome beyond his control: he can only voice what the LORD gives him (23:12). The episode illustrates that no human counsel can stand against the LORD (Proverbs 21:30).
- Numbers 23:11-12 (BSB)“Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!” But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?””Balak protests that Balaam has only blessed his enemies, and Balaam replies that he can only voice what the LORD gives him.
- Numbers 22:6 (BSB)“So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.””Balak had hired Balaam believing that whoever Balaam cursed would be cursed.
- Proverbs 21:30 (BSB)“There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.”No counsel or plan can prevail against the LORD, as Balak's scheme is proving.
General
In his first oracle, what question does Balaam ask about cursing Israel (Numbers 23:8)?
Answer: How he could curse a people that God Himself had not cursed
In his first oracle (a solemn prophetic message), Balaam begins by retelling how Balak brought him from Aram to curse Jacob, and then he asks how he could possibly curse or condemn a people God Himself has left uncursed and uncondemned (23:7-8). A curse is a spoken wish for harm; Balak believed Balaam's words had real power. But Balaam's words could do nothing against God's will. Moses later explained that the LORD refused to heed Balaam and changed the intended curse into blessing because He loved His people (Deuteronomy 23:5). Joshua and Nehemiah remember the same thing (Joshua 24:10; Nehemiah 13:2).
- Numbers 23:7-8 (BSB)“And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’ How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?”Balaam recalls Balak's summons to curse Jacob and asks how he can curse those God has not cursed.
- Deuteronomy 23:4-5 (BSB)“For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you. Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”Moses later explains that the LORD refused to listen to Balaam and turned the curse into a blessing because He loved Israel.
- Nehemiah 13:2 (BSB)“because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).”Centuries later Israel still remembers that God turned Balaam's hired curse into a blessing.
- Joshua 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.”The LORD says He would not listen to Balaam, so Balaam blessed Israel again and again.
Theological
What does Balaam's rhetorical question in Numbers 23:8 reveal about the limits of his power?
Answer: He cannot curse a people God Himself has left uncursed
Having rehearsed Balak's commission to curse Jacob, Balaam confesses that he cannot curse or denounce those God has not (23:7-8). The seer's reputed power is shown to be nothing apart from God's will. Scripture repeatedly interprets the episode as the LORD's sovereign reversal: He refused to heed Balaam and transformed the intended curse into blessing out of covenant love (Deuteronomy 23:4-5), blessing Israel again and again through the very man hired against them (Joshua 24:9-10; Nehemiah 13:2). God's gracious purpose for His people could not be overturned by a hired enemy.
- Numbers 23:7-8 (BSB)“And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’ How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?”Balaam recalls Balak's summons to curse Jacob and asks how he can curse those God has not cursed.
- Deuteronomy 23:4-5 (BSB)“For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you. Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”Moses later explains that the LORD refused to listen to Balaam and turned the curse into a blessing because He loved Israel.
- Nehemiah 13:2 (BSB)“because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).”Centuries later Israel still remembers that God turned Balaam's hired curse into a blessing.
- Joshua 24:9-10 (BSB)“Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.”The LORD says He would not listen to Balaam, so Balaam blessed Israel again and again.
General
What wish does Balaam express at the close of his first oracle (Numbers 23:10)?
Answer: To die as the righteous die, with an end like Israel's
Balaam finishes his first oracle by wishing that he might die as the upright die and that his end might be like Israel's (23:10). Sadly, his life did not match his wish. Balaam's counsel later lay behind Israel's fall into unfaithfulness at Peor (31:16), and he was killed with the sword among the kings of Midian (31:8). The apostle Peter explains why: Balaam loved the money that wrongdoing could earn (2 Peter 2:15). Wanting a righteous end is not the same as walking with God.
- Numbers 23:10 (BSB)“Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!””Balaam ends his first oracle wishing to die the death of the righteous and that his end would be like Israel's.
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”Balaam was later killed with the sword along with the five kings of Midian, Israel's enemies.
- Numbers 31:16 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses says Balaam's counsel led Israel into unfaithfulness at Peor, showing where his loyalties truly lay.
- 2 Peter 2:15 (BSB)“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.”Peter says Balaam loved the wages of wickedness, the reason his wish never matched his life.
Theological
What desire does Balaam voice at the end of his first oracle (Numbers 23:10)?
Answer: To die as the upright die and share Israel's final end
Balaam closes the oracle longing to die as the righteous die and to share Israel's end (23:10). The irony is severe. His later counsel led Israel into unfaithfulness at Peor (31:16), and he died by the sword among Midian's kings as an enemy of God's people (31:8). The New Testament diagnoses the root: he loved the pay that unrighteousness earns (2 Peter 2:15). A wish for the destiny of the righteous, without a heart turned to God, did not make Balaam one of them.
- Numbers 23:10 (BSB)“Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!””Balaam ends his first oracle wishing to die the death of the righteous and that his end would be like Israel's.
- Numbers 31:8 (BSB)“Among the slain were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.”Balaam was later killed with the sword along with the five kings of Midian, Israel's enemies.
- Numbers 31:16 (BSB)““Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.”Moses says Balaam's counsel led Israel into unfaithfulness at Peor, showing where his loyalties truly lay.
- 2 Peter 2:15 (BSB)“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.”Peter says Balaam loved the wages of wickedness, the reason his wish never matched his life.
General
In Numbers 23:19, what does Balaam say about God that makes a curse on Israel impossible?
Answer: God never deceives or reverses Himself, and He keeps His word
In his second oracle Balaam tells Balak that God is not like a human being, who might deceive or reverse his decisions. When God speaks, He acts; when He promises, He carries it out (23:19). Balak thought he could get God to change His mind by moving to a new place and offering more sacrifices, but God is completely faithful and never changes. Samuel says the same thing (1 Samuel 15:29). The New Testament builds on this: God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), He confirmed His promise with an oath so that His people can hold on to hope (Hebrews 6:17-18), and He never varies at all (James 1:17).
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”In his second oracle Balaam declares that God is not a man who lies or a son of man who changes His mind; what He promises He fulfills.
- 1 Samuel 15:29 (BSB)“Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.””Samuel echoes this truth: the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, because He is not a man.
- Titus 1:2 (BSB)“in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”Paul calls God the One who cannot lie, and grounds the hope of eternal life in His promise.
- Hebrews 6:17-18 (BSB)“So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.”God confirmed His unchanging purpose with an oath, since it is impossible for Him to lie, to encourage those who hope in Him.
- James 1:17 (BSB)“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.”With the Father there is no change or shifting shadow, the same unchangeableness Balaam confesses.
Theological
What attribute of God does Balaam set against Balak's hope of a changed verdict in Numbers 23:19?
Answer: His truthfulness and immutability in word and promise
Balak hoped a new site and fresh sacrifices would change the outcome. Balaam answers that God is no human being who lies, no mortal who reverses his decisions; He speaks and acts, promises and fulfills (23:19). This is a clear confession of God's veracity and immutability. Samuel restates it almost word for word (1 Samuel 15:29). The New Testament grounds the believer's hope on the same attribute: God, incapable of lying, promised eternal life (Titus 1:2), confirmed His unchangeable purpose with an oath for those who inherit the promise (Hebrews 6:17-18), and is without variation (James 1:17). What God has purposed for His people stands.
- Numbers 23:19 (BSB)“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”In his second oracle Balaam declares that God is not a man who lies or a son of man who changes His mind; what He promises He fulfills.
- 1 Samuel 15:29 (BSB)“Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.””Samuel echoes this truth: the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, because He is not a man.
- Titus 1:2 (BSB)“in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”Paul calls God the One who cannot lie, and grounds the hope of eternal life in His promise.
- Hebrews 6:17-18 (BSB)“So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.”God confirmed His unchanging purpose with an oath, since it is impossible for Him to lie, to encourage those who hope in Him.
- James 1:17 (BSB)“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.”With the Father there is no change or shifting shadow, the same unchangeableness Balaam confesses.
General
True or False: In Numbers 23:20 Balaam admits that once God has blessed Israel, he has no power to reverse it.
Answer: True
This is true. Balaam says he was commanded to bless, and since God has blessed, he cannot undo it (23:20). A blessing from God is not like a human promise that can be taken back. God's word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8), and no one can stop His hand (Daniel 4:35). Paul says God never takes back His gifts or His calling (Romans 11:29). Balaam, who was paid to curse, could only confirm what God had already decided.
- Numbers 23:20 (BSB)“I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.”Balaam says he has received a command to bless; God has blessed, and Balaam cannot change it.
- Romans 11:29 (BSB)“For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.”God's gifts and His call are irrevocable, the same permanence Balaam confesses about God's blessing.
- Isaiah 40:8 (BSB)“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.””The word of God stands forever, so what He has spoken cannot be undone.
- Daniel 4:35 (BSB)“All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””No one can restrain God's hand or challenge what He does.
Theological
True or False: Balaam confesses in Numbers 23:20 that he is powerless to revoke the blessing God has pronounced on Israel.
Answer: True
This is true. Balaam was commanded to bless; God has blessed, and he cannot reverse it (23:20). The divine blessing is effectual and irreversible, not a proposal awaiting human ratification. God's word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8), no one can hold back His hand (Daniel 4:35), and His gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). The episode is a vivid demonstration that God's gracious purpose toward His people cannot be overturned by any hostile agent.
- Numbers 23:20 (BSB)“I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.”Balaam says he has received a command to bless; God has blessed, and Balaam cannot change it.
- Romans 11:29 (BSB)“For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.”God's gifts and His call are irrevocable, the same permanence Balaam confesses about God's blessing.
- Isaiah 40:8 (BSB)“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.””The word of God stands forever, so what He has spoken cannot be undone.
- Daniel 4:35 (BSB)“All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’””No one can restrain God's hand or challenge what He does.
General
What reason does Balaam give for saying God intends no harm to come on Israel (Numbers 23:21)?
Answer: Their God, the LORD, was present as their King
Balaam says God does not intend disaster or trouble for Israel, and he explains why: their God, the LORD, is present with them, and they raise a shout for Him as their King (23:21). This speaks of God's favor and protection over the people He had chosen. It does not mean the Israelites were sinless; only a few chapters later they fall into idolatry at Peor and anger the LORD (25:3). The point is that no enemy could bring ruin on the people God was determined to protect. As Paul says, when God is on His people's side, no opponent can prevail against them (Romans 8:31). God is among His people as a mighty Savior (Zephaniah 3:17).
- Numbers 23:21 (BSB)“He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.”Balaam says God considers no disaster for Jacob and sees no trouble for Israel, because the LORD their God is with them as King.
- Numbers 25:3 (BSB)“So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.”Soon afterward Israel joins in the worship of Baal of Peor and provokes the LORD's anger, showing the oracle did not mean Israel was without sin.
- Zephaniah 3:17 (BSB)“The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.””The LORD is among His people as a mighty Savior who rejoices over them, the same presence Balaam describes.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”If God is for His people, no one can succeed against them, the heart of Balaam's point.
Theological
On what basis does Balaam declare that God intends no calamity for Jacob (Numbers 23:21)?
Answer: The LORD's presence among them, acclaimed as their King
Balaam grounds the statement that God intends no calamity for Jacob in the LORD's presence with Israel: their God is present among them, and they acclaim Him with shouts as King (23:21). The verse expresses God's covenant favor and protection, not a claim that Israel was without sin; in chapter 25 Israel worships Baal of Peor, provoking the LORD's wrath (25:3). The oracle declares that no external curse can overcome the people whom God has resolved to keep. The same logic appears in Romans 8:31 and in the picture of the LORD as a mighty Savior in the midst of His people (Zephaniah 3:17).
- Numbers 23:21 (BSB)“He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.”Balaam says God considers no disaster for Jacob and sees no trouble for Israel, because the LORD their God is with them as King.
- Numbers 25:3 (BSB)“So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them.”Soon afterward Israel joins in the worship of Baal of Peor and provokes the LORD's anger, showing the oracle did not mean Israel was without sin.
- Zephaniah 3:17 (BSB)“The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.””The LORD is among His people as a mighty Savior who rejoices over them, the same presence Balaam describes.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”If God is for His people, no one can succeed against them, the heart of Balaam's point.
General
What does Balaam say about sorcery and divination used against Israel (Numbers 23:23)?
Answer: They are powerless against Jacob and Israel
Balaam declares that no spell or divination can work against Israel (23:23). Divination means trying to learn or control the future through omens and magic, the very service Balak had paid for. Instead, people will marvel at what God has done for His people, the God who led them from Egypt with great strength (23:22-23). Balaam ends by picturing Israel rising like a lion (23:24). God had forbidden His own people to use divination (Deuteronomy 18:10), and He turns diviners into fools (Isaiah 44:25).
- Numbers 23:22-24 (BSB)“God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox. For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’ Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.””Balaam declares that God brought Israel out of Egypt, that no spell or divination works against them, and that they rise like a lion.
- Isaiah 44:25 (BSB)“who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,”The LORD frustrates the signs of false prophets and turns diviners into fools.
- Deuteronomy 18:10 (BSB)“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,”God forbade Israel to practice divination or interpret omens, the very craft Balak had hired.
- Genesis 49:9 (BSB)“Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?”Jacob had pictured Judah as a crouching lion no one dares rouse, an image Balaam's oracles take up.
Theological
What does Numbers 23:23 declare about the efficacy of occult practice against Israel?
Answer: It has no power at all against Jacob and Israel
The second oracle announces that no enchantment or divination can touch Jacob or Israel (23:23). The God who rescued Israel from Egypt with the strength of a wild ox (23:22) renders the diviner's craft void, and the nations will speak instead of His mighty works (23:23). The closing lion imagery (23:24) anticipates the language of Jacob's blessing on Judah (Genesis 49:9). Israel itself was forbidden divination and omen-reading (Deuteronomy 18:10), and the LORD is the One who frustrates the signs of diviners (Isaiah 44:25).
- Numbers 23:22-24 (BSB)“God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox. For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’ Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.””Balaam declares that God brought Israel out of Egypt, that no spell or divination works against them, and that they rise like a lion.
- Isaiah 44:25 (BSB)“who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,”The LORD frustrates the signs of false prophets and turns diviners into fools.
- Deuteronomy 18:10 (BSB)“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,”God forbade Israel to practice divination or interpret omens, the very craft Balak had hired.
- Genesis 49:9 (BSB)“Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?”Jacob had pictured Judah as a crouching lion no one dares rouse, an image Balaam's oracles take up.
General
Where did Balak take Balaam for the second attempt at a curse (Numbers 23:13-14)?
Answer: To a field called Zophim on Pisgah's summit
Balak decided to try a different spot. He led Balaam to a field called Zophim, high on Pisgah, telling him that from there he would see only the edges of Israel's camp (23:13). There he again erected seven altars and sacrificed one bull and one ram per altar (23:14). Pisgah was a high ridge mentioned along Israel's route (21:20); later Moses would climb it to view the whole Promised Land (Deuteronomy 34:1). Changing places did not change God's word.
- Numbers 23:13-14 (BSB)“Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.” So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”Balak takes Balaam to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, where only part of the camp is visible, and builds seven more altars.
- Numbers 21:20 (BSB)“and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.”Pisgah is named earlier in Israel's route as a summit overlooking the wasteland.
- Deuteronomy 34:1 (BSB)“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho. And the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead as far as Dan,”Moses later climbs to the top of Pisgah, where the LORD shows him the whole land.
Theological
What was the second site of Balak's attempt to secure a curse (Numbers 23:13-14)?
Answer: The field called Zophim, at the summit of Pisgah
Balak moves Balaam to a field called Zophim at the summit of Pisgah, from which only the outskirts of Israel's camp can be seen, and repeats the ritual of seven altars with one bull and one ram per altar (23:13-14). He seems to hope that a new vantage point might yield a different result. Pisgah, a summit overlooking the wasteland on Israel's route (21:20), is where Moses would later view the land before his death (Deuteronomy 34:1). But the problem was not geography; it was the unchanging will of God.
- Numbers 23:13-14 (BSB)“Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.” So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”Balak takes Balaam to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, where only part of the camp is visible, and builds seven more altars.
- Numbers 21:20 (BSB)“and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.”Pisgah is named earlier in Israel's route as a summit overlooking the wasteland.
- Deuteronomy 34:1 (BSB)“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho. And the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead as far as Dan,”Moses later climbs to the top of Pisgah, where the LORD shows him the whole land.
General
At the first site (Bamoth-baal), what did Balaam tell Balak to build and prepare (Numbers 23:1-2)?
Answer: Seven altars, with seven bulls plus seven rams to offer
On the heights of Bamoth-baal, where Balak could look down on the edge of Israel's camp (22:41), Balaam had the king build seven altars and provide seven bulls plus seven rams. The two of them then offered one bull and one ram on every altar (23:1-2). A burnt offering was an animal completely burned up on an altar as a gift to God. Balak hoped the lavish offerings would win a curse, but Scripture teaches that God cares more about obedience than about sacrifices, and that an offering made with an evil aim is hateful to Him.
- Numbers 23:1-2 (BSB)“Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”At the first site Balaam has Balak build seven altars and supply seven bulls and seven rams, one bull and one ram offered on each altar.
- Numbers 22:41 (BSB)“The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.”Identifies the first site as Bamoth-baal, where Balak brought Balaam the morning after his arrival.
- 1 Samuel 15:22 (BSB)“But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.”God values obedience to His voice above burnt offerings, so no quantity of sacrifice could bend His will.
- Proverbs 15:8 (BSB)“The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.”Sacrifice offered with a wicked aim is detestable to the LORD, which describes an offering meant to buy a curse on His people.
Theological
What sacrificial preparation did Balaam require at Bamoth-baal before seeking the LORD (Numbers 23:1-2)?
Answer: Seven altars, with seven bulls plus seven rams, a pair on each
From Bamoth-baal the outskirts of Israel's camp were in view (22:41). Balaam prescribed seven altars with seven bulls plus seven rams, and he and Balak sacrificed one bull and one ram per altar (23:1-2). The number and scale suggest an attempt to secure a favorable word, as if the deity could be induced by costly offerings. But the LORD is not manipulated by ritual: He prizes obedience over sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22), and offerings brought with a wicked purpose are an abomination to Him (Proverbs 15:8). What followed showed that the outcome lay wholly with Him.
- Numbers 23:1-2 (BSB)“Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”At the first site Balaam has Balak build seven altars and supply seven bulls and seven rams, one bull and one ram offered on each altar.
- Numbers 22:41 (BSB)“The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.”Identifies the first site as Bamoth-baal, where Balak brought Balaam the morning after his arrival.
- 1 Samuel 15:22 (BSB)“But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.”God values obedience to His voice above burnt offerings, so no quantity of sacrifice could bend His will.
- Proverbs 15:8 (BSB)“The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.”Sacrifice offered with a wicked aim is detestable to the LORD, which describes an offering meant to buy a curse on His people.
General
When God met Balaam at the first site, what happened before Balaam went back to Balak (Numbers 23:4-5)?
Answer: The LORD gave Balaam the exact message he was to deliver
Balaam went off alone to a bare hilltop, and God met him there. Balaam pointed to the seven altars and the offerings, but the LORD simply gave him the message to carry back to Balak (23:4-5). When Balak later complained, Balaam said he had no choice but to repeat precisely the message the LORD had given him (23:12), just as he had warned when he first arrived (22:38). God had already said that Israel must not be cursed, because He had blessed them (22:12). The words Balaam spoke were God's words, not his own.
- Numbers 23:4-5 (BSB)“and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.””God meets Balaam, who reports the altars; the LORD then puts a message in Balaam's mouth and sends him back to Balak.
- Numbers 23:12 (BSB)“But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?””When Balak objects, Balaam answers that he must speak exactly what the LORD puts in his mouth.
- Numbers 22:38 (BSB)““See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.””On arrival Balaam had already told Balak he could speak only the word God put in his mouth.
- Numbers 22:12 (BSB)“But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.””God had told Balaam from the start that Israel was not to be cursed because they were blessed.
Theological
According to Numbers 23:4-5, what is the source of Balaam's first oracle?
Answer: The LORD Himself, who gave him the words to speak
Balaam reminds God of the seven altars and offerings, but the LORD's response is not a reward for ritual; He puts His message into Balaam's mouth and sends him back (23:4-5). Balaam later defends himself to Balak on exactly this ground: he can only speak what the LORD gives (23:12; cf. 22:38). The oracles are therefore divine speech through a hired and compromised instrument. God had already declared Israel blessed and forbidden the curse (22:12), and He now overrules the hired seer to announce blessing instead.
- Numbers 23:4-5 (BSB)“and God met with him. “I have set up seven altars,” Balaam said, “and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.””God meets Balaam, who reports the altars; the LORD then puts a message in Balaam's mouth and sends him back to Balak.
- Numbers 23:12 (BSB)“But Balaam replied, “Should I not speak exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?””When Balak objects, Balaam answers that he must speak exactly what the LORD puts in his mouth.
- Numbers 22:38 (BSB)““See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.””On arrival Balaam had already told Balak he could speak only the word God put in his mouth.
- Numbers 22:12 (BSB)“But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.””God had told Balaam from the start that Israel was not to be cursed because they were blessed.
General
After the second oracle, what does Balak first demand, and where does he take Balaam next (Numbers 23:25-28)?
Answer: Neither curse nor bless; then up to Peor's summit
Frustrated, Balak told Balaam that if he could not curse Israel, he should at least stop blessing them (23:25). Balaam replied that he had to do whatever the LORD said (23:26). Still hoping God might allow a curse from another place, Balak took him up to Peor's summit, which looks out over the wasteland (23:27-28). There, for the third time, seven altars were built and one bull and one ram were sacrificed per altar (23:29-30). Balak later complains that Balaam has now blessed Israel three times (24:10). Moving from hill to hill could not change what God had said.
- Numbers 23:25-28 (BSB)“Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?” “Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.” And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.”Balak tells Balaam to neither curse nor bless, then takes him to the top of Peor overlooking the wasteland.
- Numbers 23:29-30 (BSB)“Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”At Peor Balaam again calls for seven altars with seven bulls and seven rams, and a bull and a ram are offered on each.
- Proverbs 21:30 (BSB)“There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.”No human counsel prevails against the LORD, however many times Balak changes location.
- Numbers 24:10 (BSB)“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times.”Balak later complains that Balaam has blessed Israel these three times, confirming the three attempts.
Theological
What does Balak demand after the second oracle, and to which third site does he take Balaam (Numbers 23:25-28)?
Answer: That Balaam neither curse nor bless; to Peor's summit
Balak, exasperated, tells Balaam to neither curse Israel nor bless them (23:25), but Balaam repeats that he must do all the LORD says (23:26). Balak tries once more, hoping it may please God to allow a curse from Peor's summit overlooking the wasteland (23:27-28), and the same ritual of seven altars with one bull and one ram per altar is performed (23:29-30). The three sites and three sets of sacrifices, followed by the three blessings Balak himself later tallies (24:10), only underline that no human counsel can stand against the LORD (Proverbs 21:30).
- Numbers 23:25-28 (BSB)“Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?” “Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.” And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.”Balak tells Balaam to neither curse nor bless, then takes him to the top of Peor overlooking the wasteland.
- Numbers 23:29-30 (BSB)“Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”At Peor Balaam again calls for seven altars with seven bulls and seven rams, and a bull and a ram are offered on each.
- Proverbs 21:30 (BSB)“There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.”No human counsel prevails against the LORD, however many times Balak changes location.
- Numbers 24:10 (BSB)“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times.”Balak later complains that Balaam has blessed Israel these three times, confirming the three attempts.
General
True or False: In Numbers 23:10 Balaam says Israel is so numerous that no one could number so much as a quarter of them.
Answer: True
This is true. Balaam asks who could tally Jacob's dust or reckon so much as a quarter of Israel (23:10). Comparing a people to dust means they are too many to count. This is the same picture God used when He promised Abram that his offspring would be as countless as the earth's dust (Genesis 13:16), and like the stars of the sky (Genesis 15:5; 22:17). Without meaning to, Balaam, the man hired to curse Israel, is announcing that God has kept His promise to Abraham.
- Numbers 23:10 (BSB)“Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!””Balaam asks who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel, then wishes to die the death of the righteous.
- Genesis 13:16 (BSB)“I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.”God promised Abram offspring as uncountable as the earth's dust, the same image Balaam uses.
- Genesis 22:17 (BSB)“I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.”The LORD swore to multiply Abraham's descendants beyond counting, a promise visibly kept in the vast camp.
- Genesis 15:5 (BSB)“And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.””Abram was told to try counting the stars, for so his offspring would be.
Theological
True or False: Balaam's question about counting Jacob's dust (Numbers 23:10) portrays Israel as so numerous that not even a quarter of them could be numbered.
Answer: True
This is true. Balaam asks who could tally Jacob's dust or reckon a quarter of Israel (23:10). The dust image deliberately echoes the patriarchal promise, where Abram's seed was to be as uncountable as the earth's dust (Genesis 13:16) and the stars (Genesis 15:5; 22:17). The hired seer thus testifies to the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant already visible in the camp spread out below him. God's faithfulness to His oath stands behind the blessing Balak cannot reverse.
- Numbers 23:10 (BSB)“Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous; let my end be like theirs!””Balaam asks who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel, then wishes to die the death of the righteous.
- Genesis 13:16 (BSB)“I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.”God promised Abram offspring as uncountable as the earth's dust, the same image Balaam uses.
- Genesis 22:17 (BSB)“I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.”The LORD swore to multiply Abraham's descendants beyond counting, a promise visibly kept in the vast camp.
- Genesis 15:5 (BSB)“And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.””Abram was told to try counting the stars, for so his offspring would be.