Footnotes

1. Numbers 22:1 sn The fifth section of the book (22:1-33:56) traces the Israelite activities in Transjordan. It is hard to determine how long they were in Transjordan, but a good amount of time must have elapsed for the number of moves they made and the wars they fought. There is a considerable amount of information available on this section of the book. Some of the most helpful works include: H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS); E. Burrows, The Oracles of Jacob and Balaam; G. W. Coats, “Balaam, Sinner or Saint?” BR 18 (1973): 21-29; P. C. Craigie, “The Conquest and Early Hebrew Poetry,” TynBul 20 (1969): 76-94; I. Parker, “The Way of God and the Way of Balaam,” ExpTim 17 (1905): 45; and J. A. Wharton, “The Command to Bless: An Exposition of Numbers 22:41-23:25, ” Int 13 (1959): 37-48. This first part introduces the characters and sets the stage for the oracles. It can be divided into four sections: the invitation declined (vv. 1-14), the second invitation extended (vv. 15-21), God opposes Balaam (vv. 22-35), and Balaam meets Balak (vv. 36-41).
2. Numbers 22:1 tn The verse begins with the vav (ו) consecutive.
3. Numbers 22:1 tn The singular form of the word עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah) refers to the rift valley, which extends from Mt. Hermon to the Gulf of Aqaba. In the Bible it most often refers to sections of the rift valley, such as the Jordan valley, the region around the Dead Sea, or the portion south of the Dead Sea. The plural form עַרְבוֹת (ʿar^evot) refers to that section of the rift valley which is just north of the Dead Sea. The region is divided by the Jordan river and referred to as the עַרְבוֹת (ʿar^evot) of Jericho on the west and the עַרְבוֹת of Moab on the east. Each side has gently sloping plains that go down to the Jordan and the Dead Sea. Jericho’s side descends about 450 feet over five miles, while Moab’s side is steeper. Many versions translate the עַרְבוֹת of Moab simply as “plains of Moab,” but this might be misunderstood as Moab’s tableland above and east of the rift valley.
4. Numbers 22:1 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
5. Numbers 22:4 tn The word is simply “company,” but in the context he must mean a vast company—a horde of people.
6. Numbers 22:5 sn There is much literature on pagan diviners and especially prophecy in places in the east like Mari (see, for example, H. B. Huffmon, “Prophecy in the Mari Letters,” BA 31 [1968]: 101-24). Balaam appears to be a pagan diviner who was of some reputation; he was called to curse the Israelites, but God intervened and gave him blessings only. The passage forms a nice complement to texts that deal with blessings and curses. It shows that no one can curse someone whom God has blessed.
7. Numbers 22:5 tn Heb “by the river”; in most contexts this expression refers to the Euphrates River (cf. NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
8. Numbers 22:5 tn Heb “in the land of Amaw” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV); traditionally “in the land of the sons of his people.” The LXX has “by the river of the land.”
9. Numbers 22:5 tn Heb “eye.” So also in v. 11.
10. Numbers 22:6 tn The two lines before this verse begin with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), and so they lay the foundation for these imperatives. In view of those circumstances, this is what should happen.
11. Numbers 22:6 tn Heb “people.” So also in vv. 10, 17, 41.
12. Numbers 22:6 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense אוּכַל (ʾukhal, “I will be able”) followed by the imperfect tense נַכֶּה (nakkeh, “we will smite/attack/defeat”). The second verb is clearly the purpose or the result of the first, even though there is no conjunction or particle.
13. Numbers 22:6 tn The verb is the Piel imperfect of בָּרַךְ (barakh), with the nuance of possibility: “whomever you may bless.” The Pual participle מְבֹרָךְ (m^evorakh) serves as the predicate.
14. Numbers 22:7 tn Heb “spoke.”
15. Numbers 22:8 tn The verb לִין (lin) means “to lodge, spend the night.” The related noun is “a lodge”—a hotel of sorts. Balaam needed to consider the offer. And after darkness was considered the best time for diviners to consult with their deities. Balaam apparently knows of the Lord; he testifies to this effect in 22:18.
16. Numbers 22:11 tn In this passage the text differs slightly; here it is “the nation that comes out,” using the article on the noun, and the active participle in the attributive adjective usage.
17. Numbers 22:11 tn Here the infinitive construct is used to express the object or complement of the verb “to be able” (it answers the question of what he will be able to do).
18. Numbers 22:11 tn The verb is the Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. It either carries the force of an imperfect tense, or it may be subordinated to the preceding verbs.
19. Numbers 22:12 tn The two verbs are negated imperfects; they have the nuance of prohibition: You must not go and you must not curse.
20. Numbers 22:12 tn The word בָּרוּךְ (barukh) is the Qal passive participle, serving here as the predicate adjective after the supplied verb “to be.” The verb means “enrich,” in any way, materially, spiritually, physically. But the indication here is that the blessing includes the promised blessing of the patriarchs, a blessing that gave Israel the land. See further, C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).
21. Numbers 22:13 tc The LXX adds “to your lord.”
22. Numbers 22:13 tn The main verb is the Piel perfect, “he has refused.” This is followed by two infinitives. The first (לְתִתִּי, l^etitti) serves as a complement or direct object of the verb, answering the question of what he refused to do—“to give me.” The second infinitive (לַהֲלֹךְ, lahalokh) provides the object for the preceding infinitive: “to grant me to go.”
23. Numbers 22:14 tn Heb “rose up.”
24. Numbers 22:15 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys. It uses the Hiphil preterite of the verb “to add” followed by the Qal infinitive “to send.” The infinitive becomes the main verb, and the preterite an adverb: “he added to send” means “he sent again.”
25. Numbers 22:15 tn Heb “than these.”
26. Numbers 22:16 tn The infinitive construct is the object of the preposition.
27. Numbers 22:17 tn The construction uses the Piel infinitive כַּבֵּד (kabbed) to intensify the verb, which is the Piel imperfect/cohortative אֲכַבֶּדְךָ (ʾakhabbed^ekha). The great honor could have been wealth, prestige, or position.
28. Numbers 22:18 tn Heb “answered and said.”
29. Numbers 22:18 tn Heb “mouth.”
30. Numbers 22:18 sn In the light of subsequent events one should not take too seriously that Balaam referred to Yahweh as his God. He is referring properly to the deity for which he is acting as the agent.
31. Numbers 22:19 tn In this case “lodge” is not used, but “remain, reside” (שְׁבוּ, sh^evu).
32. Numbers 22:19 tn This clause is also a verbal hendiadys: “what the Lord might add to speak,” meaning, “what more the Lord might say.”
33. Numbers 22:22 sn God’s anger now seems to contradict the permission he gave Balaam just before this. Some commentators argue that God’s anger is a response to Balaam’s character in setting out—which the Bible does not explain. God saw in him greed and pleasure for the riches, which is why he was so willing to go.
34. Numbers 22:22 tn The word is שָׂטָן (satan, “to be an adversary, to oppose”).
35. Numbers 22:23 tn The word has the conjunction “and” on the noun, indicating this is a disjunctive vav (ו), here serving as a circumstantial clause.
36. Numbers 22:24 tn The word means a “narrow place,” having the root meaning “to be deep.” The Greek thought it was in a field in a narrow furrow.
37. Numbers 22:24 tn Heb “a wall on this side, and a wall on that side.”
38. Numbers 22:25 tn Heb “he added to beat her,” another verbal hendiadys.
39. Numbers 22:29 tn The optative clause is introduced with the particle לוּ (lu).
40. Numbers 22:30 tn Here the Hiphil perfect is preceded by the Hiphil infinitive absolute for emphasis in the sentence.
41. Numbers 22:30 tn Heb “to do thus to you.”
42. Numbers 22:31 tn The Hishtaphel verb חָוָה (khavah)—שָׁחָה (shakhah) with metathesis—has a basic idea of “bow oneself low to the ground,” and perhaps in some cases the idea of “coil up.” This is the normal posture of prayer and of deep humility in the ancient religious world.
43. Numbers 22:32 tn Heb “your way.”
44. Numbers 22:32 tn The verb יָרַט (yarat) occurs only here and in Job 16:11. Balaam is embarking on a foolish mission with base motives. The old rendering “perverse” is still acceptable.
45. Numbers 22:33 tc Many commentators consider אוּלַי (ʾulay, “perhaps”) to be a misspelling in the MT in place of לוּלֵי (luley, “if not”).
46. Numbers 22:34 sn Balaam is not here making a general confession of sin. What he is admitting to is a procedural mistake. The basic meaning of the word is “to miss the mark.” He now knows he took the wrong way, i.e., in coming to curse Israel.
47. Numbers 22:34 sn The reference is to Balaam’s way. He is saying that if what he is doing is so perverse, so evil, he will turn around and go home. Of course it did not appear that he had much of a chance of going forward.
48. Numbers 22:34 tn The verb is the cohortative from “return”: I will return [me].
49. Numbers 22:35 tn The imperfect tense here can be given the nuance of permission.
50. Numbers 22:35 tn The Hebrew word order is a little more emphatic than this: “but only the word which I speak to you, it you shall speak.”
51. Numbers 22:37 tn The emphatic construction is made of the infinitive absolute and the perfect tense from the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “to send”). The idea must be more intense than something like, “Did I not certainly send.” Balak is showing frustration with Balaam for refusing him.
52. Numbers 22:37 sn Balak again refers to his ability to “honor” the seer. This certainly meant payment for his service, usually gold ornaments, rings and jewelry, as well as some animals.
53. Numbers 22:38 tn The verb is אוּכַל (ʾukhal) in a question—“am I able?” But emphasizing this is the infinitive absolute before it. So Balaam is saying something like, “Can I really say anything?”
54. Numbers 22:38 tn The Piel infinitive construct (without the preposition) serves as the object of the verb “to be able.” The whole question is rhetorical—he is saying that he will not be able to say anything God does not allow him to say.
55. Numbers 22:38 tn The imperfect tense is here taken as an obligatory imperfect.
56. Numbers 22:40 sn The understanding is that Balak was making a sacrifice for a covenant relationship, and so he gave some of the meat to the men and to the seer.
57. Numbers 22:41 sn The name Bamoth Baal means “the high places of Baal.”