- 10-
Balaam, or rather Bileam, the son of Beor,^6 belonged apparently to a family of
magicians who resided at Pethor, possibly, as has been suggested, a city of
professional soothsayers or students of that craft, but certainly situated in "Aram" or
Mesopotamia, and on the banks of the Euphrates (Numbers 22:5; 23:7; Deuteronomy
23:4). His name, which means "devourer," or "swallower up," and that of his father,
which means "burner up," or "destroyer" - whether given them at birth, or, as is so
common in the East, from their supposed characteristics -indicate alike the claims
which they put forth and the estimate in which they were popularly held.^7 If, as has
been conjectured,^8 Balak, the king of Moab, was of Midianitish origin (his father
having been a Midianitish usurper), it becomes all the more intelligible that in his
peculiar circumstances he would apply for advice and help to the Midianites; that he
would ally himself with them; and that through them he would come to know of, and
along with them send for, Balaam (Numbers 22:4, 7, etc.).
At any rate, those Midianite wanderers of the desert which stretched between
Mesopotamia and the dominions of Moab would, like modern Bedawin under similar
circumstances, not only know of the existence of a celebrated magician like Balaam,
but probably greatly exaggerate his power. Moreover, being themselves unable to
attack Israel, they would nevertheless gladly make common cause with Moab, and
that, although for the present their territory was not directly threatened, any more
than that of the Moabites. This explains the alliance of Moab and Midian and their
common embassy to Balaam.
The object in view was twofold. As already explained, the success of Israel as against
the nations, or rather that of Israel's God against their deities, might, in their opinion,
arise from one of two causes. Either their own national deities - Chemosh and Baal -
had not been sufficiently propitiated -sufficient influence or power had not been
brought to bear upon them; or else Jehovah was really stronger than they. In either
case Balaam would bring invaluable, and, if he only chose to exert it, sure help. For,
according to heathen views, a magician had absolute and irresistible power with the
gods; power was inherent in him or in the incantations which he used. And herein lay
one of the fundamental differences between heathenism and the Old Testament,
between magic and miracles. In the former it was all of man, in the latter it was
shown to be all of God. No prophet of the Lord ever had or claimed power, like the
magicians; but in every case the gracious influence was specially, and for that time,
transmitted directly from God. Only the God-Man had power in Himself, so that His
every contact brought health and life. And in the Christian dispensation also, however
much of the supernatural there maybe experienced and witnessed, nothing is magical;
there is no mere exercise of power or of authority; but all is conveyed to us through
the free promises of God, and in the dispensation of His grace.
(^)