At the request of balak, king of moab, he tries to curse israel, but at each. Balak, the king of moab, is frightened by reports of the approaching israelites and. They are preparing to move out in military fashion, ready to possess the promised land numbers 1. Balak summons balaam 9 then god came to balaam and asked, who are these men with you. Rabbinic literature uses the name chumash hapekudim which means the chronicles of the censuses or the chronicles of the conscriptions. 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. Moab was a kingdom that laid to the east of the dead sea and the jordan river. Moses, miriam, aaron, god, korah, balaak, balaam, and joshua. 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. 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. The prophet was balaam, and the story of his interactions with balak, israel, and his donkey take up a full three chapters of the book of numbers.
The first ten chapters portray the collection of the fighting men of israel. Balak was a king of moab who appears in the old testament in numbers 2224. Now balak the son of zippor saw all that israel had done to the amorites. And of course this story of a talking animal fits into the larger context of the book of numbers where the people of israel are acting like animals.
Numbers 22 niv balak summons balaam then the bible gateway. A man named balaam suddenly appears in the book of numbers. The story of balak starts with the king of moab expressing alarm and dread of the israelites. Balaam states that he will utter only what his god yahweh inspires. See, the moabites are worried that the israelites are going to destroy their land, so balak plans to drive them out of moab using military force. It may help to get the lay of the land of the book of numbers before we take up the story of balaam. Balak, king of moab, called on balaam to curse the israelites.
He knows theyve got a pretty mighty army going though, so first he needs a little help. 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 parsha 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. The samaritan chronicle book of joshua has a number of interesting features, one of which we will explore here. Balak sent to balaam, who lived in mesopotamia along the euphrates river numbers 22. The traditional reason for his story being in the book of numbers is because of the blessings on israel that poured out of balaams mouth noth 1968. The jewhaters in the book of numbers israel national news. The story of balaam and balak takes up three chapters of the book of numbers 2224. They then make their way from sinai to kadesh barnea. When the donkey saw the angel of the lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a.
Balaam and the blessing a sermon for control freaks st. Balak summons balaam then the israelites traveled to the plains of moab and camped along the jordan across from jericho. Dec 22, 2018 balak promised to pay balaam handsomely for bringing evil upon the hebrews, whom he feared. If balak can get balaam to turn israels god against her, then israel will be taken care of and balak and the moabites will escape unharmed. The diviner has balak build seven altars, on each of which he offers a bull and a ram numbers 23. Jul 08, 2015 when king balak sends a delegation to the prophet bilam to ask him to curse the israelites, it consists of the elders of moab and the elders of midian. There is a problem with the mention of a certain balak spelled in most english translations as balac in revelation 21. Hebrew for balak, a name, the second word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah is the 40th weekly torah portion. God responds with shortterm severity and longterm generosity as he leads them. Balaams place in the book of numbers swarthmore moodle.
Jan 02, 2020 in numbers 2224, we find the story about balaam and the king of moab, a man called balak. Numbers 22 nkjv balak sends for balaam then the bible. 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. Balaq was a king of moab described in the book of numbers in the hebrew bible, where his dealings with the prophet balaam are.
Balaam, a nonisraelite prophet described in the old testament num. You may recall that at the opening of the book of numbers, we discussed the newly. The mesha stele may have just proven the existence of king balak from the book of numbers in the old testament. Balaam states that he will utter only what his god yahweh inspires, but he is willing to accompany the moabite messengers to balak. So balak son of zippor, who was king of moab at that time. Numbers chapter 23 explained discover books of the bible. In chapter 21, israel defeats the canaanites and king arad, after they had started the battle.
Moses witnessed most of the events recorded in the book of numbers. In the night god came to balaam, telling him not to curse the israelites. Balak puts balaam to work almost immediately upon arriving. The story of the hiring of the prophet balaam by king balak to curse the children of israel is found in the book of numbers, chapter 22. Numbers begins with the israelites at mount sinai, after the giving of the law. In his excellent commentary on the book of numbers, gordon j. We will detail the practice of the worship of baal when we reach chapter 25. Verse 3 says that the lord listened to the voice of israel and delivered up the canaanites, and they israel utterly destroyed them and their cities. Aug 01, 2004 written by moses in the wilderness and on the plains of moab, the book of numbers covers a period of 38 years and 9 months from 1512 b.
Numbers is a historical book, whose name refers to the two censuses which were taken to number the people. Thus, he recruits balaam the prophet to come and curse israel. Jan 02, 2020 balak s anger burned against balaam numbers 24. 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. However, aside from this objection, this choice makes perfect sense as the tribes, families, and individuals are counted several times throughout the book, most notably at the beginning.
Balak sends for balaam then the children of israel moved, and camped in the plains of moab on the side of the jordan across from jericho. The book of numbers lesson 14 chapters 23 24 at the conclusion of chapter 22, balak had taken balaam to the top of a mountain that was used to worship baal in order to show him the part of the camp of the nation of israel viewable from that location. And the princes of moab rose and went to balak, and said, balaam refuses to come with us. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. The book of numbers picks up where the book of exodus left off, with their departure from sinai to their arrival at the edge of the promised land namely the plains of moab. According to the lengthy account in the biblical book of numbers chapters. Otherwise, balak s emissaries could simply have been loaded up with gold and silver, taken it up to carchemish where balaam lived, and balaam perform his ritual right from home. Chapters 14, 26 the narrative is divided into three sections. The very first verse says, god spoke to moses in the sinai desert. And balak the son of zippor was king of the moabites at that time. When bilam arrives at the mountaintop overlooking the israelite camp, king balak is there with all the nobles of moab numbers 23.
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. 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. And balak the son of zippor saw all that israel had done to the amorites. The number 7 as a divine number of great significance was neither the invention nor the sole province of israel.
The fascinating story of balak and balaam s failed attempts to curse the jewish people is found in numbers 2224. Then balak s anger burned against balaam, and he struck his hands together. A celebrated diviner, of the city pethor, on the euphrates, numbers 22. 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. And balaam went with balak, and they came unto kirjathhuzoth. In english, the book of bamidbar is called numbers, a somewhat surprising translation given that bamidbar means in the desert. Later, the men of israel were judged by god for idolatry and committing fornication with moabite women numbers 25.
Balaam is a diviner in the torah pentateuch whose story begins in chapter 22 of the book of numbers numbers 22. The story is about balaams encounter with the god of israel, when the king. Balaams donkey balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the moabite officials. In the wilderness the gospel in the book of numbers. Balak sends moabite emissaries to hire him, but it takes some convincing because god has told balaam not to agree to curse israel.
Then the children of israel moved, and camped in the plains of moab on the side of the jordan across from jericho. Most of the events of the book of numbers take place in the wilderness, between the second and fortieth years of the wandering of the israelites. King balak wanted to weaken the children of israel, who on their way to canaan had moved in on his territory. 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. However, aside from this objection, this choice makes perfect sense as the tribes, families, and individuals are counted several times throughout the book, most notably at. In chapters 2224, balak, the king of moab, employs balaam, a diviner from. But god was very angry when he went, and the angel of the lord stood in the road to oppose him. Jul 05, 2017 balak, king of the moabites, is afraid that the jews might now make war with him and slaughter his people. In hebrew, the name of numbers is bmidbar which means in the wilderness. Balaam schemes and israel sins so in numbers 23, the prophet for hire finally meets up with the king and gives the first 2 of 4 prophecies. 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. Balak the king of moav was afraid of the israelites and he sent messengers to balaam.
And balaam said to god, balak the son of zippor, king of moab, has sent to me, saying, numbers 22. And moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and moab was sick with dread because of the children of israel. A look at the life of balaam, part 7 revive our hearts. Balak, aware that the children of israel have been blessed by god. Instead, he bestowed on the jews four tremendous blessings. The israelites are hanging in moab when they manage to catch the attention of the moabite king, balak. Web kjv jps asv bbe dby wbs ylt nas rsv niv numbers 23. Balak, king of moab, afraid of the invading israelites who vastly outnumbered moab, asked balaam to come and curse the people of israel. In the book of jeremiah, it is said that prophets, diviners, and soothsayers were in the neighbouring countries of. He sent messengers to balaam the son of beor at pethor. 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. 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. Balaam did, however, go with the second set of balak s messengers after being warned by god to only do what i tell you.
Balak s plot to curse israel through a hired prophet failed, but that was not the end of moabite opposition. For the right fee, hell bless or curse whomever you want. Later in the book of numbers, the israelites defeat a number of kings and their people. Dont forget, balak is offering a reward to curse israel, but the prophet is only allowed to speak as god leads.
In numbers 2224, we find the story about balaam and the king of moab, a man called balak. King balak from book of numbers may have existed, tau. Balak tried to engage balaam for the purpose of cursing the migrating israelite community. The book of numbers lesson 14 chapters 23 24 at the conclusion of chapter 22, balak had taken balaam to the top of a mountain that was used.
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