In brief
Balak, son of Zippor, is king of Moab at the end of the forty years in the wilderness. Frightened by Israel, camped on the plains of Moab, he brings in the diviner Balaam to curse this people. On three heights, he builds seven altars and offers sacrifices, but Balaam can only bless Israel. Balak leaves without getting his curse. The prophet Micah later invites Israel to remember his schemes in order to recognize Yahweh’s benefits.
What does the name Balak mean?
The name Balak is generally linked to a Hebrew root meaning to lay waste or to empty, but this meaning remains uncertain. The Bible does not explain it and presents him as the son of Zippor (Numbers 22:2).
The story of Balak
A King’s Fear
Numbers 22:1-4Israel camps on the plains of Moab, opposite Jericho. Balak, son of Zippor, has seen all that Israel did to the Amorites, and Moab is seized with terror before such a numerous people. Moab warns the elders of Midian, for it fears that this multitude will devour everything around it.
A Diviner Paid to Curse
Numbers 22:5-20Balak sends messengers and gifts to Balaam, son of Beor, so that he will curse Israel. God forbids Balaam to go, for this people is blessed. Balak insists with more numerous and more distinguished princes, and promises great honors. Balaam answers that he can do nothing against Yahweh’s command.
The First Oracle
Numbers 22:36-23:12Balak welcomes Balaam at the border, offers sacrifices and leads him to the high places of Baal. Seven altars are built, but Balaam pronounces a blessing: “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?” Balak protests: he took him to curse his enemy, and here he is blessing him.
Another Place, the Same Answer
Numbers 23:13-26Balak takes Balaam to the top of Pisgah, hoping a different view will change the result. He builds seven altars again. But the oracle declares: “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent.” Balak finally asks that Balaam neither curse nor bless.
Balak’s Anger
Numbers 23:27-24:11On the top of Peor, Balak has seven altars built once more. The Spirit of God comes on Balaam, who blesses Israel a third time. Furious, Balak strikes his hands together: “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.” He sends Balaam away without the promised honors.
An Oracle Against Moab
Numbers 24:14-25Before leaving, Balaam announces what this people will do to Moab in days to come: a star comes out of Jacob, a scepter rises out of Israel, and it strikes through the corners of Moab. Then Balaam returns to his place, and Balak goes his own way.
A Memory for the Generations
Micah 6:5Centuries later, God asks his people to remember what Balak, king of Moab, planned and what Balaam answered him. Joshua 24:9-10 also recalls that God would not listen to Balaam and that he delivered Israel out of Balak’s hand, so that the people could go on toward the promised land.
What Balak teaches us
- No curse can reach those whom God has decided to bless.
- God cannot be manipulated by sacrifices or by a change of viewpoint; his word does not change.
- Fear pushes people toward roundabout spiritual strategies, while God calls us to trust.
- Remembering how God thwarted the adversary’s plans feeds gratitude.
- What failed through cursing can be tried through seduction, hence the call to vigilance (Revelation 2:14).
Key verses
Balaam’s first answer to Balak sums up the whole account: no one can curse whom God has not cursed. The plans of the king of Moab collide with God’s will.
Balak hopes God will change his mind if he changes the place. The oracle states the opposite: God does not lie and does not repent, and what he has blessed remains blessed.
The prophet invites Israel to remember Balak’s plans and Balaam’s answer, so as to recognize the benefits of Yahweh. God’s past protection feeds present faithfulness.
Jesus rebukes the church in Pergamum for tolerating the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before Israel, through idolatry and sexual immorality.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Balak
- Step Back to See God in the Bigger PictureThe message shows that Balak, seized with terror before Israel, does not seek to submit to God but a way to bend him to his plan, and leads Balaam to three heights, waiting for a curse.
- Blessing Comes Because You Remain in GodThe message recalls that Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel, that three times God turns the curse into a blessing, and that Balaam then advises Balak to draw Israel into debauchery and idolatry.
- The Mountains of Abarim: What Moses Sees from Mount NeboThe message places the story of Balak, who asked Balaam to curse Israel, among the trials on the road to the mountains of Abarim: God changed the curse into a blessing.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Balak want to curse Israel?
Balak had seen what Israel did to the Amorites, and Moab was seized with terror before such a numerous people. Feeling unable to defeat it, he wanted to weaken it with a curse, convinced that the one Balaam curses is cursed (Numbers 22:2-6). But God had already blessed Israel.
What happened after Balak’s failure?
Right afterward, in Numbers 25, some Israelites give themselves to sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab and attach themselves to Baal of Peor. Revelation 2:14 reveals that Balaam had taught Balak to set this trap for Israel. God had protected his people from the curse, but Israel remained responsible for its own faithfulness.
Where can I find Balak’s story in the Bible?
His story is told in Numbers 22 to 24. Balak is recalled afterward in Joshua 24:9-10, in Judges 11:25 and in Micah 6:5. In the New Testament, Revelation 2:14 mentions Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel.