Balaam's Donkey
Numbers 22:1–24:25
A prophet couldn't see what his donkey could.
The king of Moab hires Balaam, a renowned diviner, to curse Israel. God tells Balaam not to go. The king sends more prestigious envoys with more money. God lets Balaam go but sends an angel with a drawn sword to block the road. Balaam's donkey sees the angel and swerves — once into a field, once against a wall, once lying down completely. Balaam beats the donkey each time. Then the donkey speaks: What have I done to you? Balaam's eyes are opened. He sees the angel. He arrives at Moab but instead of cursing Israel, he blesses them — four times — unable to speak anything but what God puts in his mouth.
- God's Sovereignty
- Unexpected Messenger
- Blessing
- Humor
Balaam's Donkey: common questions
Why did Balaam's donkey talk?
As Balaam rode to curse Israel, the angel of the Lord blocked the road with a drawn sword, invisible to Balaam but not the donkey. After Balaam beat the donkey three times for stopping, 'the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey' and it protested (Numbers 22:28).
Who was Balaam in the Bible?
Balaam was a non-Israelite prophet or diviner from Pethor, near the Euphrates. King Balak of Moab hired him to curse Israel, but God only allowed him to bless them (Numbers 22-24). Later texts treat Balaam negatively for his role in leading Israel into sin (Numbers 31:16; 2 Peter 2:15).
What did Balaam prophesy about Israel?
Instead of cursing, Balaam delivered four oracles blessing Israel, including the line 'A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel' (Numbers 24:17), often read as a messianic prophecy.
