And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
Study Helps
Interpretation
The king of Moab formed a plan to get the people of Israel cursed; that is, to set God against them, who had hitherto fought for them. He had a false notion, that if he could get some prophet to pray for evil upon them, and to pronounce a blessing upon himself and his forces, that then he should be able to deal with them.
Read with
This thought runs through Numbers 22:10-14.
Glossary
- Balak Person
- Empty; spoiler, a son of Zippor, and king of the Moabites ( Num. 22:2 , 4). From fear of the Israelites, who were encamped near the confines of his territory, he applied to Balaam (q. v. ) to curse them; but in vain.
- Moab Place
- Biblical region. Modern identification: Kerak.
- Balaam Person
- Lord of the people; foreigner or glutton, as interpreted by others, the son of Beor, was a man of some rank among the Midianites ( Num. 31:8 ; comp. 16). He resided at Pethor ( Deut. 23:4 ), in Mesopotamia ( Num. 23:7 ).