Balaam and the Donkey
Balak, king of Moab, alarmed by the Israelites camped on his border, sends for the seer Balaam to curse them, and raises his offer when the first delegation is refused. Balaam sets out.
On the road his donkey sees an armed angel blocking the way and turns aside three times; Balaam, who cannot see it, beats her. Then the donkey speaks, and asks what she has done to deserve it — a scene played for its irony, the professional visionary corrected by his own animal.
Standing over the Israelite camp, Balaam is made to bless instead of curse, four times over, while Balak moves him from ridge to ridge and grows angrier at each attempt. The oracles are among the finest poetry in Numbers. Later texts remember Balaam far less kindly, as the man who took the fee.
Where in scripture
[1] The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. [2] Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. [3] Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many. Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. [4] Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. [5] He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. …
Numbers 22:1–41 — opening verses
[1] Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.” [2] Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. [3] Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps Yahweh will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.” He went to a bare height. [4] God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.” [5] Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” [6] He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. …
Numbers 23:1–24:25 — opening verses
[15] forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing; [16] but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.
2 Peter 2:15–16
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
