- V. Israel in the Plains of Moab (22:1–36:13)
- A. Balak, Balaam, and Israel (22:1–24:25)
- 1. Balak summons Balaam (22:1–6)
2. Balaam turns down Balak’s first invitation (22:7–14)
- 3. Balaam accepts Balak’s second invitation (22:15–21)
4. The donkey and the angel (22:22–35)
- 5. Balak greets Balaam (22:36–40)
- 6. Balaam blesses Israel three times (22:41–24:14)
- a. The first blessing (22:41–23:12)
- b. The second blessing (23:13–30)
- c. The third blessing (24:1–14)
- 7. Balaam’s final oracle (24:15–19)
- 8. Three cryptic predictions (24:20–25)
- B. Apostasy at Peor (25:1–18)
I included the last line about the apostacy at Peor because, in later Bible passages, it is closely associated with Balaam. Apparently, after refusing to curse Israel, Balaam advised the Moabite king to subvert Israel by tempting them to impurity. The story (actually, two accounts of the same story blended together) is in Chapter 25.
Other references to Balaam, showing how he was viewed by biblical writers:
- Numbers 31:1–17
- Deuteronomy 23:4,5
- 2 Peter 2:15 (verses 10-17 give the full context)
- Jude 11
- Revelation 2:14
