Balaam

Biblical Account

Balaam, "the son of Beor," lived at Pethor near the Euphrates River (Numbers 22:5; Deuteronomy 23:4). According to Numbers 22–24, when Israel encamped on the plains of Moab, Balak, king of Moab, sent messengers offering Balaam payment to curse Israel.

God at first forbade Balaam to go. When a second delegation arrived, however, God permitted him to go on the condition that "the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do" (Numbers 22:20). Along the way, the angel of the LORD stood in the road with a drawn sword. Balaam did not see him, but his donkey did and stopped three times; after Balaam struck it, the donkey opened its mouth and spoke (Numbers 22:21–35). Balaam built altars with Balak on several occasions, yet each time, instead of cursing Israel, he uttered prophecies of blessing upon it. Among them is the passage "there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17). A scepter is a staff symbolizing royal authority.

In chapter 25, Israel commits whoredom with Moabite women at Peor and worships Baal. Chapter 31 reveals that this came about "through the counsel of Balaam" (Numbers 31:16). Balaam was killed along with the kings of Midian in the war against Midian (Numbers 31:8). Joshua 13:22 calls him "the soothsayer."

Significance Within Scripture

The Old Testament repeatedly recalls the Balaam episode as an occasion when God turned a curse into a blessing (Deuteronomy 23:5; Joshua 24:9–10; Nehemiah 13:2; Micah 6:5).

The New Testament refers to Balaam as a negative example. 2 Peter 2:15–16 portrays him as one "who loved the wages of unrighteousness" and was rebuked by a donkey, and Jude 1:11 depicts him as one who went astray for reward. Revelation 2:14 rebukes the church in Pergamos for having among its members those who hold "the doctrine of Balaam." Here the doctrine of Balaam refers to the teaching that led people to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication (see Seven Churches of Asia).

Interpretations and Issues

• Was Balaam a true prophet? He received and delivered the word of God, yet he was a Gentile who practiced divination. Interpreters therefore hold differing views, some regarding him as a "fallen prophet" and others as a "pagan diviner."
• God's anger after granting permission: Immediately after permitting Balaam to go (22:20), God was angry because he went (22:22). Various interpretations address this tension; a common explanation is that Balaam's heart was set on the reward.
• The star prophecy: Christian tradition often reads Numbers 24:17 as a messianic prophecy. Some interpreters also link this verse to the star seen by the Magi, although the New Testament text does not explicitly connect the two.
• Distinguishing the main narrative from supplementary accounts: The claim that Balaam devised the incident at Peor comes not from Numbers 22–24 but from chapter 31 and Revelation 2.
• Extrabiblical sources: In the 1960s, an inscription was discovered at Deir Alla in Jordan that mentions "Balaam son of Beor" as a seer of the gods. The inscription is reported to date from around the eighth century BC.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, Balaam is frequently presented as a warning against ministers whose hearts are captivated by material gain and reward, and expressions such as "the way of Balaam" and "the wages of Balaam" are used in this context. In Sunday school, the story of the talking donkey is commonly told as a children's Bible story.