Numbers 22:1

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹Then the Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan, across from Jericho.²Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, ³and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites. ⁴So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time, ⁵he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt," said Balak. "They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. ⁶So please come now and put a curse on these people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed." ⁷The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak. ⁸"Spend the night here," Balaam replied, "and I will give you the answer that the LORD speaks to me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. ⁹Then God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" ¹⁰And Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the children: Numbers 21:20, Numbers 33:48-50, Numbers 36:13, Deuteronomy 34:1, Deuteronomy 34:8

on this side: Numbers 32:19, Numbers 34:15, Deuteronomy 1:5, Deuteronomy 3:8, Joshua 3:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:37 - Moabites Numbers 26:3 - General Numbers 31:12 - the plains of Moab Numbers 35:1 - General Amos 2:1 - For three Micah 6:5 - Balak

Cross-References

Genesis 22:7
Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" "Here I am, my son," he replied. "The fire and the wood are here," said Isaac, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Genesis 22:11
Just then, the Angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham, Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

Genesis 22:12
"Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him," said the Angel, "for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me."

Genesis 22:14
And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

Exodus 3:4
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, "Moses, Moses!" "Here I am," he answered.

Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.

Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 8:16
He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.

Deuteronomy 13:3
you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Judges 2:22
In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the children of Israel set forward,.... From the country of Bashan, where we read of them last, after they had conquered Og the king of it, and also Sihon king of the Amorites, and settled some of their tribes in both kingdoms; the particular place from whence they came hither, according to the account of their journeys, were the mountains of Abarim, Numbers 33:48:

and pitched in the plains of Moab the part of them they encamped in reached from Bethjesimoth to Abelshittim, Numbers 33:49,

on this side Jordan by Jericho; or Jordan of Jericho, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; a river that flowed near to Jericho, running between the plains of Moab and the plains of Jericho; according to Josephus u it was sixty furlongs, or seven miles and a half from Jericho; but, according to Jerome w, it was but five miles: or rather, as some versions render it, "over against Jericho" x; for Jericho was on the other side of the river Jordan, and the plains of Moab, or that part of them where Israel now pitched, were right against that city; and so Josephus says y.

u Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 4. w De locis Heb. fol. 87. G. x κατα ιεριχω Sept. "ex opposito Heiricho", Tigurine version. y Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The plains - Hebrew ערבה ‛ărābâh; the word is the plural of that which is used to denote the whole depressed tract along the Jordan and the Dead Sea, and onward, where it is still called the Arabah (compare Numbers 21:4 note), to the Elanitic gulf.

On this side Jordan by Jericho - Rather, across the Jordan of Jericho, i. e., that part of Jordan which skirted the territory of Jericho. This form of expression indicates the site of the camp in its relation to the well-known city of Jericho. See Deuteronomy 1:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXII

The Israelites pitch in the plains of Moab, 1.

Balak, king of Moab, is greatly terrified, 2-4;

and sends to Balaam, a diviner, to come and curse them, 5, 6.

The elders of Moab take a reward and carry it to Balaam, 7.

He inquires of the Lord, and is positively ordered not to go

with them, 8-12.

He communicates this to the elders of Moab, 13.

They return to Balak with this information, 14.

He sends some of his princes to Balaam with promises of great

honour, 15-17.

He consults God, and is permitted! to go, on certain conditions,

18-20.

Balaam sets off, is opposed by an angel of the Lord, and the

Lord miraculously opens the mouth of his ass to reprove him,

21-30.

Balaam sees the angel, and is reproved by him, 31-33.

He humbles himself, and offers to go back, 34;

but is ordered to proceed, on the same conditions as before, 35.

The king of Moab goes out to meet him, 36.

His address to him, 37.

Balaam's firm answer, 38.

Balak sacrifices, and takes Balaam to the high places of Baal,

that he may see the whole of the Israelitish camp, 39-41.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXII

Verse Numbers 22:1. And pitched in the plains of Moab — They had taken no part of the country that at present appertained to the Moabites; they had taken only that part which had formerly belonged to this people, but had been taken from them by Sihon, king of the Amorites.

On this side Jordan — On the east side. By Jericho, that is, over against it.