Numbers 21:11

21:11 Then they traveled on from Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, ¹  in the wilderness that is before Moab, on the eastern side. ² 

Numbers 21:15

21:15 and the slope of the valleys ³ 

that extends to the dwelling of Ar, ⁴ 

and falls off at the border of Moab.”

Numbers 21:20

21:20 and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, near the top of Pisgah, which overlooks the wilderness. ⁵ 

Numbers 22:1

Balaam Refuses to Curse Israel

22:1 ⁶ The Israelites traveled on ⁷  and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River ⁸  across from Jericho. ⁹ 

Numbers 22:10

22:10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying,

Numbers 22:14

22:14 So the princes of Moab departed ¹⁰  and went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

Numbers 22:21

22:21 So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Numbers 23:6

23:6 So he returned to him, and he was still ¹¹  standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

Numbers 25:1

Israel’s Sin with the Moabite Women

25:1 ¹² When ¹³  Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality ¹⁴  with the daughters of Moab.

Numbers 26:3

26:3 So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River ¹⁵  across from Jericho. ¹⁶  They said,

Numbers 33:48-50

33:48 They traveled from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River ¹⁷  across from Jericho. ¹⁸  33:49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

At the Border of Canaan

33:50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. He said:

Numbers 35:1

The Levitical Cities

35:1 ¹⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Moabite plains by the Jordan near Jericho. ²⁰  He said:

¹ sn These places are uncertain. Oboth may be some 15 miles (25 km) from the south end of the Dead Sea at a place called ‘Ain el-Weiba. Iye Abarim may be the modern Mahay at the southeastern corner of Moab. See J. Simons, The Geographical and Topographical Texts of the Old Testament.

² tn Heb “the rising of the sun.”

³ tc There are many variations in this text, but the MT reading of something like “the descent of the torrents/valleys” is preferable, since it is describing the topography.

⁴ sn The place is unknown; it is apparently an important city in the region.

⁵ tn Or perhaps as a place name, “Jeshimon.”

⁷ sn The fifth section of the book (22:1-33:56) traces the Israelite activities in Transjordan. It is hard to determine how long they were in Transjordan, but a good amount of time must have elapsed for the number of moves they made and the wars they fought. There is a considerable amount of information available on this section of the book. Some of the most helpful works include: H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS); E. Burrows, The Oracles of Jacob and Balaam; G. W. Coats, “Balaam, Sinner or Saint?” BR 18 (1973): 21-29; P. C. Craigie, “The Conquest and Early Hebrew Poetry,” TynBul 20 (1969): 76-94; I. Parker, “The Way of God and the Way of Balaam,” ExpTim 17 (1905): 45; and J. A. Wharton, “The Command to Bless: An Exposition of Numbers 22:41–23:25,” Int 13 (1959): 37-48. This first part introduces the characters and sets the stage for the oracles. It can be divided into four sections: the invitation declined (vv. 1-14), the second invitation extended (vv. 15-21), God opposes Balaam (vv. 22-35), and Balaam meets Balak (vv. 36-41).

⁸ tn The verse begins with the vav (ו) consecutive.

⁹ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

⁹ tn Heb “rose up.”

¹¹ tn The Hebrew text draws the vividness of the scene with the deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) – Balaam returned, and there he was, standing there.

¹³ sn Chapter 25 tells of Israel’s sins on the steppes of Moab, and God’s punishment. In the overall plan of the book, here we have another possible threat to God’s program, although here it comes from within the camp (Balaam was the threat from without). If the Moabites could not defeat them one way, they would try another. The chapter has three parts: fornication (vv. 1-3), God’s punishment (vv. 4-9), and aftermath (vv. 10-18). See further G. E. Mendenhall, The Tenth Generation, 105-21; and S. C. Reif, “What Enraged Phinehas? A Study of Numbers 25:8,” JBL 90 (1971): 200-206.

¹⁴ tn This first preterite is subordinated to the next as a temporal clause; it is not giving a parallel action, but the setting for the event.

¹⁵ sn The account apparently means that the men were having sex with the Moabite women. Why the men submitted to such a temptation at this point is hard to say. It may be that as military heroes the men took liberties with the women of occupied territories.

¹⁵ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity (also in v. 62).

¹⁶ map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

¹⁷ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹⁸ map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

¹⁹ sn This section has two main parts, the Levitical cities (vv. 1-8) and the Cities of Refuge (vv. 9-34).

²⁰ map For location see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.