23:1–12 The scene is set for the first two discourses with “seven altars . . . seven bulls . . . seven rams” (v. 1). Seven represents wholeness and perfection, intrinsic qualities of sacredness. Bulls and rams are the costliest of sacrifices. Each is a “burnt offering” (vv. 3, 6, 15, 17). By presiding over these rituals, Balaam colludes in Balak’s scheme rather than dissuading him. However, when he states, “Whatever he shows me I will tell you” (v. 3), Balaam implicitly reiterates that he can do and say only what God orders (22:20, 35; cf. 23:5, 12, 26; 24:13). The Lord is the one who reveals his word to Balaam and opens his eyes to see visions (24:3, 15). The angel of the Lord had put his word in the donkey’s mouth and opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel (22:28, 31). His order remains unchanged: “Thus you shall speak” (23:5), which serves as an introductory refrain to the first discourse (cf. discussion on v. 12 below).

“Discourse” (v. 7) renders a term also translated “proverb” (Hb. mashal; e.g., Prov. 1:1), belonging to the wisdom genre. Balaam’s discourses are more like the instances of mashal found in the prophets (Isa. 14:4; Ezek. 12:22, 23; 16:44; 18:2, 3). Given the prophetic genre of Balaam’s discourses, the term is well suited. Like the proverbs, these too are robed in poetical garb.

“Aram” (Num. 23:7) is north-northeast of Canaan. It extends from northern Transjordan to the upper Tigris-Euphrates valleys (cf. comment on 22:1–21 [at v. 5]).195 “The eastern mountains” (harrey-qedem, 23:7; also rendered “ancient mountains,” Deut. 33:15) may be those traversing northeastern Syria.

Balaam first restates Balak’s wish: “Come, curse Jacob for me” (Num. 23:7). “Curse” (ʾarar) also describes the action directed at the Serpent and those who ill-treat Abraham’s descendants (Gen. 3:14; 12:3). The parallel “denounce” (zaʿam; Num. 23:7, 8) is the rarer of the word pair. Balaam then reiterates God’s restraining order: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?” (v. 8), which employs a different verb (qabab). “A people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations!” (v. 9) underscores the uniqueness of Israel, having the Lord as God and his law as their own (Deut. 4:7–8; 33:29; Ps. 147:19–20).

“Who can count the dust of Jacob?” (Num. 23:10) recalls God’s promise to Abraham, “I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted” (Gen. 13:16; cf. Gen. 28:14). Since blessing brings increase, Balaam’s rhetorical question is an implicit blessing, just as Balak understands: “I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them” (Num. 23:11). “Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?” (v. 12) forms an inclusio, an end frame of the first oracle (cf. discussion on v. 5 above; cf. vv. 16, 26).

23:13–30 The scene shifts “to another place” (v. 13), “to the field of Zophim [“Watchers”], to the top of Pisgah” (v. 14). As before, a total of fourteen burnt offerings are made on seven altars (v. 14; cf. v. 4). Pisgah, the summit of Mount Nebo, overlooks the southern Jordan Valley and the northern end of the Dead Sea from opposite Jericho (Deut. 3:17; 34:1). From there Moses will survey the Promised Land (Deut. 34:1–4), but Balaam can see only a “fraction” of the Israelites, albeit one sufficiently large to “curse them . . . from there” (Num. 23:13).

“Thus shall you speak” (v. 16) introduces the discourse (cf. discussion on the inclusio below, v. 26). Balak’s anticipatory query (“What has the Lord spoken?”; v. 17) is answered in two ways by Balaam. First, he affirms God’s immutability: “God is not man, that he should lie, or . . . change his mind” (v. 19). Consequently, “Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (v. 19). Second, Balaam confirms, “Behold, I received a command to bless” (v. 20; lit., “I received to bless”), that is, a word of blessing from the Lord. Balaam can transmit only what he receives. God forbids Balaam to curse Israel, for God has blessed them (22:12). Consequently, “[God] has blessed, and I cannot revoke it” (23:20); “I cannot make it return” to the one who pronounced it. As the prophet later declares,

    So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

    it shall not return to me empty,

    but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isa. 55:11)

Balaam’s powers are bridled. He can neither curse Israel nor revoke God’s blessing. In fact, there is no trace of curse. On the contrary, “He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor . . . trouble in Israel” (Num. 23:21).

“Their God is with them” (v. 21) is a salvific promise, as are all “Immanuel” (ʿimmanu ʾel, “God with us”) promises (e.g., 2 Chron. 13:12; Isa. 7:14; 8:8, 10; Matt. 1:21, 23). If “God [is] with us,” there is victory.196 Joshua and Caleb exhorted the people to enter the Promised Land and not to fear their adversaries, for “the Lord is with us” (yhwh ʾittanu; Num. 14:9). “Shout” (teruʿah) may refer to a war-trumpet alarm (Num. 31:6; Jer. 4:19) or a war cry (Josh. 6:5; Jer. 49:2). The king who is among them is “the Lord their God,” who will swiftly triumph over the “king of Moab,” Balak (Num. 22:4; cf. 21:1; 1 Chron. 1:43). This is the same God who “brings them out of Egypt,” the greatest evidence of his ability to deliver Israel from an international power, one far greater than Moab (Num. 23:22). It irrefutably demonstrates his supremacy over all nations (Ex. 9:14, 16) and their gods (Ex. 12:12; Jer. 43:12–13). In fulfillment of his covenant promise he purposed to bring Israel out of Egypt and lead the nation to the Promised Land (e.g., Gen. 15:13–14; Ex. 3:8; 32:13; Deut. 19:8; 31:7). This epitomizes his redemptive grace (hesed, “steadfast love”; e.g., Ex. 15:13; Ps. 136:11), which is incarnated ultimately in Christ (John 1:14, 17).

Here and in the third discourse the simile “Like the horns of the wild ox” is joined with “God brings them out of Egypt” (Num. 23:22; 24:8). He is “for them like the horns” (23:22). In ancient Near Eastern iconography gods are portrayed with horns. A “horn” is a royal image (Pss. 89:17–18; 132:17) symbolizing power (1 Kings 22:11; Dan. 8:6–7). This is tantamount to saying that if Egypt’s magicians and diviners were no match for God, how could Balak expect Balaam to thwart him? No enchantment or divination is efficacious against God’s power and blessing (Num. 23:23).

Another simile appears here and in the following discourse: “As a lioness . . . lion” (v. 24; 24:9 in inverted order). This applies not to God but to “a people” and recalls Jacob’s blessing on Judah.

    Judah is a lion’s cub;

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He stooped down; he crouched as a lion

and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (Gen. 49:9–10; cf. Deut. 33:20 in Moses’ blessing, where Gad crouches like a lion)

“It does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain” (Num. 23:24) depicts the power of a people blessed by God their King, as well as the fate of anyone who curses them. The prophetic imagery is royal and messianic, ultimately delineated as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, [who] has conquered” (Rev. 5:5).

Balak understands—temporarily at least—Balaam’s impotence and asks, if Balaam cannot curse Israel, that he should at least not bless them even further (Num. 23:25). Balaam’s discourse drives home the point that disaster awaits those who curse the people whom God has blessed. “All that the Lord says” (v. 26) forms an inclusio (cf. v. 16; cf. vv. 5, 12).

Balak’s acquiescence, like Pharaoh’s, is short lived. He again enjoins Balaam to come “to another place . . . that you may curse them for me from there” (v. 27; cf. v. 13). The location is portentous, “the top of Peor” (v. 28), anticipating the calamitous Baal of Peor incident (25:3). “Overlooks the desert” (yeshimon) refers here perhaps not to the Jeshimon in Judah west of the Dead Sea but to the Jeshimon east of the Jordan and north of the Dead Sea (cf. 21:20).197 Balaam can now see all the Israelite encampments (24:2).