Balak

Balak is a king living at the time of Egypt and the wilderness. He is named in 41 verses of the Bible, first in Numbers 22:2.

Family

Verses

Numbers

• Numbers 22:2
  And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites,
• Numbers 22:4
  And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.So 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,
• Numbers 22:7
  And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.The 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.
• Numbers 22:10
  And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,And Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:
• Numbers 22:13
  And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
• Numbers 22:14
  And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
• Numbers 22:15
  And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers.
• Numbers 22:16
  And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:They came to Balaam and said, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,
• Numbers 22:18
  And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
• Numbers 22:35
  And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
• Numbers 22:36
  And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory.
• Numbers 22:37
  And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to richly reward you?”
• Numbers 22:38
  And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.“See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
• Numbers 22:39
  And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjath–huzoth.So Balaam accompanied Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.
• Numbers 22:40
  And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him.
• Numbers 22:41
  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.
• Numbers 23:1
  And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
• Numbers 23:2
  And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
• Numbers 23:3
  And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,
• Numbers 23:5
  And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
• Numbers 23:7
  And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
• Numbers 23:11
  And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”
• Numbers 23:13
  And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”
• Numbers 23:15
  And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder.Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”
• Numbers 23:16
  And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.And the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak what I tell you.”
• Numbers 23:17
  And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.
• Numbers 23:18
  And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
• Numbers 23:25
  And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.Now Balak said to Balaam, “Then neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
• Numbers 23:26
  But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
• Numbers 23:27
  And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.“Please come,” said Balak, “I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you curse them for me from there.”
• Numbers 23:28
  And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.
• Numbers 23:29
  And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
• Numbers 23:30
  And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
• Numbers 24:10
  And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times.
• Numbers 24:12
  And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not already tell the messengers you sent me
• Numbers 24:13
  If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD? I will speak whatever the LORD says.
• Numbers 24:25
  And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.Then Balaam arose and returned to his homeland, and Balak also went on his way.

Joshua

• Joshua 24:9
  Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

Judges

• Judges 11:25
  And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?

Micah

• Micah 6:5
  O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”

Revelation

• Revelation 2:14
  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

Notes

1. Names, family links and verses from STEPBible's Translators Individualised Proper Names (TIPNR), STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0.
2. Where several people share a name, which verses belong to which person, and the family links, follow STEPBible's identifications; some are uncertain and are marked so.