Study Desk

Since Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned^[a] toward the wilderness.

When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God^(a) came on him,

and he proclaimed his poem: The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened,^[b]

the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty,^(b) who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:

How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwellings, Israel.

They stretch out like river valleys,^[c] like gardens beside a stream, like aloes the Lord has planted, like cedars beside the water.

Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will be by abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag,^[d](c) and his kingdom will be exalted.

God brought him out of Egypt; He is like^[e] the horns of a wild ox for them.^(d) He will feed on enemy nations and gnaw their bones; he will strike them with his arrows.

He crouches, he lies down like a lion or a lioness—who dares to rouse him?^(e) Those who bless you will be blessed, and those who curse you will be cursed.^(f)

Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, "I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times.

Now go to your home! I said I would reward you richly,^(g) but look, the Lord has denied you a reward."

Balaam answered Balak, "Didn't I previously tell the messengers you sent me:

If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the Lord 's command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the Lord says.^(h)

Now I am going back to my people, but first, let me warn you what these people will do to your people in the future."

Then he proclaimed his poem: The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened;^[f]

the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God and has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:⁽ⁱ⁾

I see him,^[g] but not now; I perceive him,^[h] but not near. A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel.^(j) He will smash the forehead^[i] of Moab and strike down^[j] all the Shethites.^[k]

Edom will become a possession; Seir^(k) will become a possession of its enemies, but Israel will be triumphant.

One who comes from Jacob will rule; he will destroy the city's survivors.

Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem: Amalek was first among the nations,^(l) but his future is destruction.

Next he saw the Kenites and proclaimed his poem: Your dwelling place is enduring; your nest is set in the cliffs.

Kain will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive.

Once more he proclaimed his poem: Ah, who can live when God does this?

Ships will come from the coast of Kittim;^(m) they will afflict Asshur and Eber,⁽ⁿ⁾ but they too will come to destruction.

Balaam then arose and went back to his homeland, and Balak also went his way.

While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove,^[a](a) the people began to have sexual relations with the women of Moab.

The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods.^(b)

So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor,^(c) and the Lord 's anger burned against Israel.^(d)

The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute^[b] them in broad daylight before the Lord so that His burning anger may turn away from Israel."

So Moses told Israel's judges, "Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor."

An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,

followed the Israelite man into the tent,^[c] and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman—through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped,

but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.^(e)

The Lord spoke to Moses,

"Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with My zeal,^[d](f) so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My zeal.

Therefore declare: I grant him My covenant of peace.^(g)

It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants,^(h) because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites."

The name of the slain Israelite man, who was struck dead with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite ancestral house.

The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.

The Lord told Moses:

"Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor."

After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest,

"Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their ancestral houses of those 20 years old or more who can serve in Israel's army."^(a)

So Moses and Eleazar the priest said to them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho,

"Take a census of those 20 years old or more, as the Lord had commanded Moses and the Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt."^(b)

Reuben^(c) was the firstborn of Israel. Reuben's descendants: the Hanochite clan from Hanoch; the Palluite clan from Pallu;

the Hezronite clan from Hezron; the Carmite clan from Carmi.

These were the Reubenite clans, and their registered men numbered 43,730.

The son of Pallu was Eliab.

The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. (It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the community, who fought against Moses and Aaron; they and Korah's followers fought against the Lord .^(d)

¹⁰The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when his followers died and the fire consumed 250 men.^(e) They serve as a warning sign.

¹¹The sons of Korah, however, did not die.)

Simeon's descendants by their clans: the Nemuelite clan from Nemuel;^[a](f) the Jaminite clan from Jamin; the Jachinite clan from Jachin;

the Zerahite clan from Zerah; the Shaulite clan from Shaul.

These were the Simeonite clans, numbering 22,200 men.

Gad's descendants by their clans: the Zephonite clan from Zephon; the Haggite clan from Haggi; the Shunite clan from Shuni;

the Oznite clan from Ozni; the Erite clan from Eri;

the Arodite clan from Arod; the Arelite clan from Areli.

These were the Gadite clans numbered by their registered men: 40,500.

Judah's sons included Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan.^(g)

²⁰Judah's descendants by their clans: the Shelanite clan from Shelah; the Perezite clan from Perez; the Zerahite clan from Zerah.

The descendants of Perez: the Hezronite clan from Hezron; the Hamulite clan from Hamul.

These were Judah's clans numbered by their registered men: 76,500.

Issachar's descendants by their clans: the Tolaite clan from Tola; the Punite clan from Puvah;^[b](h)

the Jashubite clan from Jashub; the Shimronite clan from Shimron.

These were Issachar's clans numbered by their registered men: 64,300.

Zebulun's descendants by their clans: the Seredite clan from Sered; the Elonite clan from Elon; the Jahleelite clan from Jahleel.

These were the Zebulunite clans numbered by their registered men: 60,500.

Joseph's descendants by their clans from Manasseh and Ephraim:

Manasseh's descendants: the Machirite clan from Machir. Machir fathered Gilead; the Gileadite clan from Gilead.

These were Gilead's descendants: the Iezerite clan from Iezer; the Helekite clan from Helek;

the Asrielite clan from Asriel; the Shechemite clan from Shechem;

the Shemidaite clan from Shemida; the Hepherite clan from Hepher;

Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons—only daughters. The names of Zelophehad's daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.⁽ⁱ⁾

These were Manasseh's clans, numbered by their registered men: 52,700.