Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a
Chapter 24
and he uttered his song:
“Word of Balaam, son of Beor,
the seer, the one
who hears the words of God,
and beholds
the vision of the Almighty,
in ecstasy, with eyes unveiled.
How goodly are your tents,
Jacob, your encampments, Israel!
Like valleys stretching far,
like gardens beside a stream,
like aloes planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters.
His buckets are overflowing,
and his seeds are always watered.
His king becomes stronger than Agag,
and his kingdom grows.
Then Balaam pronounced his oracle:
“Word of Balaam, son of Beor, the seer,
the one who hears the words of God,
who knows the Most High,
and sees the vision of the Almighty,
in ecstasy, with eyes unveiled.
I see a figure, but not really.
I behold him, but not near.
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
he rises with a staff in his hand;
he shatters the forehead of Moab
and tears down all the sons of Seth.
Commentaries
Prophecies of Balaam.
The stories about the desert keep this tale alive, which, when read again during exile in Babylon or at other key moments in Israel’s history, gives hope and keeps the people’s faith strong. The king of Moab, seeing Israel’s progress, becomes scared and calls for Balaam, a respected and well-known figure who, it seems, lives in Mesopotamian territory far from Moab. According to the text, he is a man of God who, based on the beliefs of that time, had the power to curse or bless, and his curse or blessing would have come true. What stands out about the story is that, even though he’s a “man of God,” his donkey seems to have more insight than he does. The story is set up like a kind of fable or tale, showing the process of understanding that someone like Balaam must go through to know exactly which god he serves.
Balak’s repeated attempts to curse Israel through Balaam, which ultimately failed, highlight the self-awareness the Israelite people developed compared to other nations. This acts as support during tough times when both faith and national identity were at risk.
The priestly school (P) relies on these traditions, reworking and updating them to the time of the Babylonian exile to inspire hope and show that, despite the might of Israel’s enemies, God will not abandon them.