Balaam

About Balaam

Balaam was a pagan prophet from Pethor near the Euphrates River (Num.22.5). Balak, king of Moab, hired him to curse the Israelites as they approached Moabite territory (Num.22.6). Despite initial resistance, Balaam agreed to go with Balak's messengers after God permitted him, but only to speak what God told him (Num.22.7-21). On the way, Balaam's donkey saw the Angel of the Lord and saved Balaam from being killed (Num.22.22-35). In three oracles, Balaam blessed Israel instead of cursing them (Numbers 23-24). Later, Balaam was killed in Israel's battle against Midian (Num.31.8). He had advised the Midianites to entice Israel into idolatry and immorality (Num.31.16; Rev.2.14). Balaam's story is remembered as an example of God's sovereignty (Deu.23.4-5; Jos.24.9-10; Neh.13.2; Mic.6.5) and as a warning against greed and false teaching (2Pe.2.15; Jud.1.11).

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.