Balaam and the Donkey

Balak, the son of Zippor and king of Moab, sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, at Pethor to request that he curse the Israelites because they were too numerous for Moab to defeat. Balaam initially refused to go after God told him not to accompany the men, but after a second, more distinguished delegation arrived, God permitted Balaam to go with the condition that he only speak what God commanded (Numbers 22:12-20). As Balaam rode his donkey toward Moab, the angel of the Lord stood in the path with a drawn sword, but only the donkey could see the figure. The donkey turned into a field, crushed Balaam’s foot against a wall, and finally lay down, causing Balaam to strike the animal three times.

The text records that the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, which asked Balaam why he had beaten it. Balaam replied that the donkey had mocked him, and if he had a sword, he would kill it. The Lord then opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel, who stated that the donkey had saved Balaam’s life by turning away (Numbers 22:28-33). The angel reiterated that Balaam must only speak the word God provided. Upon meeting Balak at the border of Moab, Balaam insisted that he had no power to say anything except what God put in his mouth.

Balak took Balaam to Kiriath-huzoth, and later to Bamoth-baal, Pisgah, and Peor, offering sacrifices at each location in an attempt to secure a curse against Israel. Instead of curses, Balaam delivered four oracles blessing the Israelites and prophesying their future dominance, including the mention of a star coming out of Jacob (Numbers 24:17). The text does not say why Balak believed Balaam’s specific curses would be effective, nor does it provide the specific physical appearance of the angel. Balak became angry and told Balaam to flee to his own place, as the Lord had kept him from honor (Numbers 24:10-11). Balaam then departed and returned to his home, while Balak also went his way.