Numbers 22:5-14

Balak's first Summons to Balaam, and Yahweh's Refusal to Let him Go. This comes mainly from J. But in Numbers 22:5, if the land of the children of his people (which can only refer to Balak and yields little sense) be corrected (after Sam., Syr., Vulg.) to the land of the children of Ammon, there is a discrepancy in the account of Balaam's home, which is diversely represented as (a) Pethor on the River (i.e. Pituru on the Euphrates, mentioned in an inscription of Shalmaneser II), nearly a month's journey from Moab, and (b) Ammon, only a few days-' journey distant. The discrepancy is explicable as due to a difference in the sources used: the first statement probably comes from E, the second from J. Balak's belief (Numbers 22:6) in the potency of words uttered in blessing or cursing (Genesis 9:25 *) is illustrated by the narrative of Isaac's blessing of Jacob (Genesis 27, especially Genesis 27:33) and by the requisition (cited by Gray) which was made in 69- 63 B.C to Onias by the troops of Hyrcanus II to curse the forces of Aristobulus. The offer to a seer or a prophet of a reward for his services (Numbers 22:7) has parallels in 1 Samuel 9:8; 1 Kings 14:3; 2 Kings 8:8 f.