Numbers-Chapter-22
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Remember the following truth from our
beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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“Numbers Chapter 22”
With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
In
this chapter, the narrative shift moves from the military conquests of Israel
to the spiritual arena. As the Israelites camp on the plains of Moab,
the local leadership enters a state of panic. Rather than relying on swords and
shields, King Balak of Moab seeks to employ metaphysical
warfare by hiring a renowned non-Israelite seer, Balaam. This chapter
introduces a profound irony: a man famous for his “vision” is shown to be
spiritually blinder than his own beast of burden. It establishes the
theological principle that no human agency or occult power can reverse a
blessing established by the Divine.
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Let us read Numbers
Chapter 22, verses 1 to 41: (JPS-1917 version of
the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my commentary for this study.
1 “And the
children of Israel
journeyed, and pitched in the plains of Moab
beyond the Jordan at Jericho. 2 And
Balak the son of Zippor saw
all that Israel
had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they
were many; and Moab was
overcome with dread because of the children of Israel. 4 And
Moab
said unto the elders of Midian: “Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as
the ox licketh up the grass of the field”. And Balak the son of Zippor was king
of Moab
at that time. 5 And he sent messengers unto
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 come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face
of the earth, and they abide over against me. 6 Come
now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for
me; peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive
them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest
is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is
cursed’. 7 And the elders of Moab and the
elders of Midian departed with the rewards of
divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spoke unto him the
words of Balak. 8 And
he said unto them: ‘Lodge here this night, and I will bring you back word, as יְהוָה - the LORD may speak unto me’; and the princes of Moab abode with
Balaam. 9 And אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) came unto Balaam, and said: 'What men are these with
thee?' 10 And Balaam said unto אֱלֹהִים - Elohim: ‘Balak the son of Zippor,
king of Moab, hath sent unto me (saying) 11 Behold
the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the
face of the earth; now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to
fight against them, and shall drive them out’. 12 And
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim said unto Balaam: ‘Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not
curse the people; for they are blessed’. 13 And
Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak:
‘Get you into your land; for יְהוָה - the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go
with you’. 14 And the princes of Moab rose up,
and they went unto Balak, and said: ‘Balaam refuseth to come with us’. 15 And
Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more
honourable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam,
and said to him: ‘Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor: Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming
unto me; 17 for I will promote thee unto very
great honour, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I
will do; come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.' 18 And
Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak:
‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and
gold, I cannot go beyond the word of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהָי - the LORD my Elochai to do any thing, small or great. 19 Now
therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that
I may know what יְהוָה - the LORD will speak unto me more’. 20 And
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him: ‘If the men are come
to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee,
that shalt thou do’. 21 And Balaam rose up in the
morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 And אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now
he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23 And
the ass saw the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and
the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote
the ass, to turn her into the way. 24 Then the
angel of יְהוָה - the LORD stood in a hollow way between the vineyards, a fence being
on this side, and a fence on that side. 25 And
the ass saw the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s
foot against the wall; and he smote her again. 26 And
the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way
to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And
the ass saw the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD, and she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was
kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff. 28 And
יְהוָה - the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam:
‘What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me
these three times?’ 29 And Balaam said unto the
ass: ‘Because thou hast mocked me; I would there were a sword in my hand, for
now I had killed thee’. 30 And the ass said
unto Balaam: ‘Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long
unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee?’
And he said: ‘Nay’. 31 Then יְהוָה - the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and
he bowed his head, and fell on his face. 32 And
the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD said unto him: 'Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these
three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is
contrary unto me; 33 and the ass saw me, and
turned aside before me these three times; unless she had turned aside from me,
surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive’. 34 And
Balaam said unto the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD: ‘I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me; now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back’. 35 And
the angel of יְהוָה - the LORD said unto Balaam: ‘Go with the men; but only the word that
I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak’. So Balaam went with the
princes of Balak. 36 And
when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to
meet him unto Ir-moab, which is on the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border. 37 And Balak said unto
Balaam: ‘Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore
camest thou not unto me? am
I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?’ 38 And
Balaam said unto Balak: ‘Lo, I am come unto thee;
have I now any power at all to speak any thing? the
word that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim putteth in my mouth, that shall I
speak’. 39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed oxen
and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. 41 And it came to pass in the morning that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into Bamoth-baal, and he saw from thence the utmost part of the
people’”.
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Below is my Commentary
on Numbers Chapter 22:
Verses 1-4: The Moabites are overcome
with a sense of “dread”. Balak, the king of Moab, realizes
that conventional warfare is insufficient against a nation that has defeated
the Amorites. He forms a strategic alliance with the elders of Midian, characterizing Israel as a swarm that will “lick
up all that is round about us”.
Verses 5-7: Balak
sends a delegation to Pethor to recruit Balaam. The
request is based on the reputation of Balaam’s efficacy: “for I know that he
whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed”. The messengers carry “the rewards of
divination”, attempting to turn the prophetic office into a hired service.
Verses 8-14: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim appears to Balaam in the
night. The question "Who are these men with thee?" serves as a moral
confrontation. When Balaam explains the request, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s
response is definitive: “Thou shalt not go with them;
thou shalt not curse the people; for they are
blessed”. Balaam initially obeys, sending the messengers away.
Verses 15-20: Balak
refuses to take no for an answer, sending a larger and more prestigious group
of officials with promises of “very great honour”.
Balaam’s inner conflict is visible; while he claims he cannot cross the word of
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim for a “house full of
silver and gold”, he asks the men to stay, hoping for a different answer. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim grants him permission to
go but strictly restricts his speech.
Verses 21-27: The journey begins, and
the “anger of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim” is kindled because
Balaam goes with a heart inclined toward the reward. The Angel of יְהוָה - the LORD blocks the path
with a drawn sword. In a sharp reversal of roles, the donkey sees the spiritual
reality while the “seer” remains oblivious, striking the animal three times as
it tries to save his life.
Verses 28-30: The donkey is
miraculously given the power of speech to protest Balaam’s cruelty. This moment
serves to humiliate Balaam; the great prophet is reduced to arguing with his livestock,
failing to realize the absurdity of the situation because of his blind rage.
Verses 31-35: Only after the donkey
speaks does אֱלֹהִים - Elohim “open the eyes of
Balaam”. He sees the Angel and falls on his face. The Angel rebukes him, noting
that the donkey showed more wisdom than the master. Balaam offers to return
home, but he is told to proceed not as a free agent, but as a vessel who can
only speak what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim dictates.
Verses 36-41: Balak
meets Balaam at the border, frustrated by the delay. They travel to Kiriath-huzoth and perform ritual sacrifices. The chapter
ends with Balak taking Balaam up to Bamoth-baal, where they look out over the camp of Israel, preparing
to attempt the curse that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim has already forbidden.
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My Closing Message:
Numbers
22 reminds us that the integrity of one’s purpose is more important than the
prestige of one’s position. Balaam’s struggle illustrates the danger of trying
to negotiate with a clear moral or Divine mandate for
personal gain. Ultimately, the narrative provides comfort by demonstrating that
the protection surrounding the people is not dependent on their own awareness
of the threat, but on the unwavering commitment of the Divine to uphold the
blessing He has bestowed.
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Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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