Numbers 21:23

21:23 But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his border; he ¹  gathered all his forces ²  together and went out against Israel into the wilderness. When ³  he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel.

Numbers 21:34

21:34 And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.

Numbers 22:5

22:5 And he sent messengers to Balaam ⁴  son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River ⁵  in the land of Amaw, ⁶  to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face ⁷  of the earth, and they are settling next to me.

Numbers 22:22

God Opposes Balaam

22:22 Then God’s anger was kindled ⁸  because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose ⁹  him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.

[21:23]  ¹ tn Heb “Sihon.”

[21:23]  ² tn Heb “people.”

[21:23]  ³ tn The clause begins with a preterite with vav (ו) consecutive, but may be subordinated to the next preterite as a temporal clause.

[22:5]  ⁴ sn There is much literature on pagan diviners and especially prophecy in places in the east like Mari (see, for example, H. B. Huffmon, “Prophecy in the Mari Letters,” BA 31 [1968]: 101-24). Balaam appears to be a pagan diviner who was of some reputation; he was called to curse the Israelites, but God intervened and gave him blessings only. The passage forms a nice complement to texts that deal with blessings and curses. It shows that no one can curse someone whom God has blessed.

[22:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “by the river”; in most contexts this expression refers to the Euphrates River (cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[22:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “in the land of Amaw” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV); traditionally “in the land of the sons of his people.” The LXX has “by the river of the land.”

[22:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “eye.” So also in v. 11.

[22:22]  ⁷ sn God’s anger now seems to contradict the permission he gave Balaam just before this. Some commentators argue that God’s anger is a response to Balaam’s character in setting out – which the Bible does not explain. God saw in him greed and pleasure for the riches, which is why he was so willing to go.

[22:22]  ⁸ tn The word is שָׂטָן (satan, “to be an adversary, to oppose”).