The theology of the balaam oracles: a pagan diviner and the word of god

& Row Publishers, 1960) p. 451 and n. I; J. A. Thompson, The Bible and

"Bar Kochab Ben Kosba: Der Sternsohn, Der Prachtige, " VT, XI (1961),

449-51.

40

applied the Messianic designation from Balaam's fourth masal: "the Star."

named bar Kochba turned out to be just another bar Koziba.

Sadder still, the forlorn hope of Israel for another messiah, one

other than the genuine Messiah, still found expression in the theology of

Maimonides--and was still based in part on the promise uttered by the

agency of Balaam. Item number twelve in a series of thirteen fundamental

doctrines in the theology of the great. Moses ben Maimon reads as follows:

12. We are to believe that Messiah will come, and, though he

tarry, to wait for him. Nor may we fix any time for his appearance out

of Scriptures. Our wise men said (Sanhedrin, fol. 97), May the spirit

of those who compute the time, when Messiah will come, be extinguished.

We are also to believe that his glory and honor will surpass that of all

other kings who have ever existed, as all the prophets, from Moses to

Malachi have prophesied. And. whosoever doubts it or diminishes the

Messiah's glory denies God's word which is plainly told in Num. xxiv.

17-19, and Deut. xxx. 3-10. This article includes also, that the

Messiah is to be from the Davidic house and of the seed of Solomon,

and any one who opposes this family denies the word of God and the

word of his prophets.¹

Ah, but there is One who has filled all the requirements. This

One said of Himself:

I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things

for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David,

the bright and morning star.

[Rev. 22:16]

IV (October, 1884), 86.

41

The Balaam Oracles and the Church Fathers

If it is true that many among the sons of Israel failed to apply

the promise of the Star of Numbers 24:17 to the Lord Jesus Christ, the same

cannot be said concerning the Church Fathers. We will cite just two Fathers

in this section to show representative examples of the use of the prophecy

of Numbers 24:17 by leaders in the early Church.

"Justin is the first among the fathers who may be called a learned

theologian and Christian thinker." Such is the estimation of this man by

Philip Schaff.¹ One of Justin's major works was The First Apology, a work

addressed to the Emperor Antoninus Pius (137-161). This was written about

147 A. D. and contains sixty-eight chapters. We shall turn to the closing

section of chapter 32, in which he cites a few words from Numbers 24:17

as well as Isaiah 11:1 and 51:5:

The first Power after God the Father and Master of all, even [ his ]

Son, is the Word--how he was made flesh and became man we shall

describe below. As the blood of the grape was not made by man, but

by God, so it was testified, that [ his ] blood should not come from

human seed, but from divine power, as we said before. Isaiah,

another prophet, prophesying the same things in other words, said:

"A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a flower will come forth from the

root of Jesse, and upon his arm will the nations hope." The shining

ed.; reprint of 1910 ed.; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

1963), II, 715.

42

star has risen and the flower has grown from the root of Jesse--this

the seed of Jacob, who was the father of Judah, the father of the Jews,

as been explained; Jesse was his ancestor, according to the oracle,

and he was the son of Jacob and Judah by lineal succession.¹

A second Father whom we may cite in his use of the prophecy

of Balaam of the Star is from a later period, the Nicene age.² We quote

from one of his apologetic works, produced in his youth (before 325 A. D.),

“On the Incarnation of the Word," section 33:

For prophets proclaimed beforehand concerning the wonder of the Virgin

and the birth from her, saying: "Lo, the virgin shall be with child,

and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,

which is, being interpreted, God with us." But Moses, the truly

great, and whom they believe to speak truth with reference to the

Saviour's becoming man, having estimated what was said as important,

and assured of its truth, set it down in these words: "There shall

rise a star out of Jacob, and a man out of Israel, and he shall break

in pieces the captains of Moab." And again: "How lovely are thy

habitations, O Jacob, thy tabernacles, O Israel, as shadowing gardens,

and as parks by the rivers, and as tabernacles which the Lord hath

fixed, as cedars by the waters. A man shall come forth out of his
¹ Justin, the Martyr, "The First Apology," The Library of Christian

Classics, Vol. I. Early Christian Fathers, trans. and ed. by Cyril C.

Richardson (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1953), 262-63. Richard-

son comments on the citation of our passage as from "Isaiah" by saying

"Justin's Old Testament quotations combine the Prophets as freely as his

Gospel quotations mingle the Evangelists," p. 262, n. 99.

² For a brief biographical sketch, see Schaff, History of the

Christian Church, III, 884-93. Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, it

will be remombered, was the chief defender of biblical orthodoxy during

the period of the Arian controversy.

43

seed, and shall be Lord over many peoples."¹

specifically to Balaam, we find Athanasius relating not only elements from

fourth masal to our Lord, but elements from the third masal as well.

Thus, at least two of the leading Church Fathers, from two ages, used

elements of the Balaam oracles Messianically. Both Jews and Christians

recognized in Numbers 24:17 a prophecy of Messiah--they could not agree

on the proper designee--but they did agree on the import of the passage as

Messianic.

Writing in The Century Bible, N. H. Snaith notes that Jewish

tradition in general was quite critical of Balaam.² Indeed, some have adduced

that Balaam in Jewish writings became a figure of Christ for anti-Christian

polemics [ but see below for discussion]. A sampling will now be made of

the references to Balaam in the Talmudic writings. These will be taken

seriatim from the standard edition of the Babylonian Talmud.^3
1 Athanasius, "On the Incarnation of the Word," The Library of

Christian Classics, Vol. III. Christology of the Later Fathers, ed. Edward

Rochie Hardy (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1954), 87.

(New ed.; London: Thomas Nelson and. Sons, Ltd. , 1967), p. 286.

and ed. by Rabbi Dr. I. Epstein (18 vols. ; London: The Soncino Press,

1952). The volumes are not numbered and the pagination is not successive;

Standard manner of citation from the Talmud will be used in the text.

44

A brief note is made of Balaam in the tract Berakoth, 7a:

this indignation last? One moment. And how long is one moment? One

fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eighth part of an hour.

And no creature has ever been able to fix precisely this moment except

the wicked Balaam, of whom it is written: He knoweth the knowledge

of the Most High [ Num 24:16]. Now, he did not even know the mind

of his animal; how then could he know the mind of the Most High? The

meaning is, therefore, only that he knew how to fix precisely this

moment in which the Holy One, blessed be He, is angry. [ Italics

in original.]

This citation sets the stage, as it were, for the Talmud's very

negative view of Balaam. The adjective "wicked" is prefaced to his name in

another brief note in the tract. Ta^canith, 20a: "But Balaam the wicked blessed

them by comparing them with the 'cedar,' as it is said, As cedars beside the

waters . . . " [ Num. 24:6]. [ Italics in original. ]

Balak, not Balaam, is mentioned in the tract Nazir, 23b, in the

following rather strange way: "For as a reward for the forty-two sacrifices

which the wicked Balak offered, he was privileged to be the progenitor of Ruth,

for R. Jose son of R. Hanina has said that Ruth was descended from Eglon

[the grandson of Balak ] king of Moab. "

Balaam is grouped with rather infamous company in the citation

of Sotah, 9b:

Similarly do we find it with Cain, Korah, Balaam, Doeg, Ahitophel,

Gehazi, Absalom, Adonijah, Uzziah and human, who set their eyes

upon that which was not proper for them; what they sought was not

granted to them and what they possessed was taken from them.

This citation is of interest in that the first three, “Cain, Korah, and Balaam,”

45

are linked in a similar fashion by Jude in verse 11.

“Balaam was lame in one leg, as it is said, And he went shefi; Samson was

lame in both legs, as it is said, An adder in the path." In this passage the

difficult Hebrew word of Numbers 23:3 [ypiw,] is explained to mean "lame."

In 11a of Sotah, Balaam is linked with two others who attempted

destroy Israel; surprisingly the others are Job and Jethro. "There were

three in that plan, viz. Balaam, Job, and Jethro. Balaam who devised it was

slain; Job who silently acquiesced was afflicted with sufferings; Jethro, who

fled merited that his descendants should sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone."

The tract Gittin, 56b, theorizes as to the final destiny of the

false prophet Balaam in a vivid manner.

He then went and raised Balaam by incantations. He asked him: Who

is in repute in the other-world? He replied: Israel. What. then, he

said, about joining them? He replied: Thou shalt not seek their peace

asked: What is your punishment? He replied: With boiling hot

semen. [Italics in originate]

In the tract Sanhedrin Balaam is discussed a number of times.

The first reference is in 39a and is to Balaam's testimony concerning Israel

in Numbers 23:9 that Israel was not to be reckoned among the nations. Then

in 90a, Balaam is linked with Doeg, Ahitophel, and Gehazi:

Three kings and four commoners have no portion in the world to

come: the three kings are Jeroboam, Ahab, and Manasseh. R. Judah

said: Manasseh hath a portion therein, for it is written, "And he

prayed unto him, and was intreated of him, and he hearkened to his

46

supplication and they restored him to Jerusalem, to his kingdom."

but not to [his portion] in the world to come. Four commoners, viz.

Balaam, Doeg, Ahitophel, and Gehazi.

105a constitutes the Gemara on the inclusion of Balsam among

the group of evil men. In this section there are two word plays on the name

Balaam, as well as the name of his father.

denotes that he corrupted a people.¹ The Son of Beor [ denotes ] that

he committed bestiality;² Cushan-rishathaim, that he perpetrated two

evils upon Israel: one in the days of Jacob, and the other in the days

of the Judges. But what was his real name? Laban the Syrian. [ Italics

in original.]

This same tract continues, that although other heathen will enter the future

world, "Balaam will not enter. " It also repeats the explanation of R. Johanan

of Numbers 23:3 as referring to Balaam being lame.

A rather foul explanation of the manner of divination practiced

by Balaam is given in 105a-105b of the same tract:

It was stated, Mar Zutra said: He practised enchantment by

means of his membrum. Mar the son of Rabina said: He committed

bestiality with his ass. The view that he practised enchantment by

means of his membrum is as was stated. The view that he committed

bestiality with his ass [ is because ] here it is written, He bowed,

where it is written, At her feet he bowed, he fell [ Num. 24:16].

[Italics in origiinal]
¹ I. Epstein comments: "Mf xlb Belo^cam, i, e. , he has no

portion in the future world together with other people."

47

This tract goes on to explain why Balaam rode on an ass instead

merely for carrying loads; his riding her was only by chance. Further, there

is a comparison made between Balaam and Abraham in the matter of riding an

ass early in the morning:

R. Tanna taught on the authority of R. Simeon b. Eleazar: Love dis-

regards the rule of dignified conduct. [This is deduced ] from Abraham,

for it is written, And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled

becoming a great man, yet in his love to God and eagerness to carry

out his commands, Abraham did it.] Hate likewise disregards the rule

of dignified conduct: [ this is deduced] from Balaam, for it is written,

original.]

Further, in the same tract, Sanhedrin, 105b, there is an appli-

cation of the blessings (and attempted cursings) of Balaam to the synagogues

and schools of Judaism:

R. Johanan said: From the blessings of that wicked man you may

learn his intentions. Thus he wished to curse them that they [ the

Israelites ] should possess no synagogues or school-houses--[ this is

deduced from ] How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob [Num. 24:5, where

“Tents" is interpreted "synagogues," etc.]; that the Shechinah should

not rest upon them---and thy tabernacles, O Israel; that thy kingdom

should not endure. [ Italics in original. ]

As to the very difficult identification of "Kittim" in Numbers

the following interpretation is given in Sanhedrin, 106a: "And ships

48

Legion.”¹

same tract (Sanhedrin, 106a) concerning the events of Numbers 25, when Balaam

counseled Balak as to the means for the downfall of Israel.

He [Balaam] said thus to him [Balak]. "The God of these hates

lewdness, and they are very partial to linen. Come, and I will advise

thee. Erect for them tents enclosed by hangings, in which place

harlots, old women without, young women within, to sell them linen

garments." So he erected curtained tents from the snowy mountain

[Hermon] as far as Beth ha-Yeshimoth [i. e. , right from north to

south] , and placed harlots in them--old women without, young women

within. And when an Israelite ate, drank, and was merry, and issued

forth for a stroll in the market place, the old woman would, say to him,

"Dost thou not desire linen garments?" The old woman offered it at its

current value, but the young one for less. This happened two or three

times. After that she would say to him, "Thou art now like one of the

family; sit down and choose for thyself, " Gourds of Ammonite wine lay

near him, and at that time Ammonite and heathen wine had not yet been

forbidden. Said she to him, "Wouldst thou like to drink a glass of

wine?" Having drunk, [his passion] was inflamed, and he exclaimed

to her, "Yield to me." Thereupon she brought forth an idol from her

bosom and said to him, "Worship this!", "But I am a Jew," he pro-

tested. "What does that concern thee?" she rejoined, "nothing is

required but that thou should uncover yourself--whilst he did not know

that such was its worship. "Nay," [said she] "I will not leave thee

ere thou hast denied the Torah of Moses thy teacher," as it is written,

They went in to Baal-peor and separated themselves unto that shame,

and their abominations were according as they loved [Hos. 9:10] .

[Italics in original.]

Although the details are the work of creative imagination, it is of interest that

In this tract there is the clear association of cultic prostitution to the women

ingly interpreted: 'Legions will conic from the Coast of Chittim, etc., "the

Chittim being taken to denote Rome, (cf. Targ. Yerushalmi a. 1.)." He also

refers to other Jewish literature on the subject.

49

of Numbers 25.

man Balaam. Was he a prophet or a soothsayer? The order of development

presumed in the tract is the reverse of that which is often posited. In 106a

we read, "Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, [did the children of

prophet.--R. Johanan said: At first he was a prophet, but subsequently a

soothsayer. " As for the manner of his death, the tract exclaims: "They sub-

jected him to four deaths, Stoning, burning, decapitation, and strangulation. "

[One might add, "and so he died."]

As to his age, Sanhedrin 106a states:

A certain min [heretic] said to R. Hanina: Hast thou heard how

old Balaam was?--He replied: It is not actually stated, but since it

is written, Bloody and deceitful men shall not live over half their days

[ Psalm 55:24 ] [ it follows that ] he was thirty-three or thirty-four

years old. He rejoined: Thou hast said correctly; I personally have

seen Balaam's Chronicle, in which it is stated, "Balaam the lame was

thirty years old when Phinehas the Robber killed him."¹

The tract ^cAbodah Zarah 4a-4b develops with some repetition

the viewpoint given in Berakoth, 7a, cited above. In Aboth., Mishnah 1.9, there
¹ At this point in a note, Epstein remarks: "According to the view

all the Balaam passages are anti-Christian in tendency, Balaam being used

an alias for Jesus, Phinehas the Robber is thus taken to represent Pontius

Pilatus, and the Chronicle of Balaam probably to denote a Gospel. . . . This

view is however disputed by Bacher and others. " Yehoshua M. Grintz comments

in a similar fashion: "There is no basis for the theory put forward by some

scholars that Balaam in the Aggadah represents Jesus. " Cecil Roth, et al.

“Balaam,” Encyclopaedic Judaica, IV, B, col. 124.

50

in a comparison made between Abraham and Balaam:

Abraham, our father; and [whoever possesses] three other things, he

is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. The disciples of Abraham,

our father, [possess] a good eye, an humble spirit, and a lowly soul.

The disciples of Balaam, the wicked, [possess] an evil eye, a

haughty spirit, and an over-amibitious soul. What is [the difference]

between the disciples of Abraham, our father, and the disciples of

Balaam, the wicked"? The disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy

[their share] in this world, and inherit the world to come, as it is

said: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and

that I may fill their treasuries, but the disciples of Balaam, the wicked,

inherit Gehinnom, and descend into the nethermost pit, as it is said,

But thou, O God, wilt bring them down to the nethermost pit; Men of

blood and deceit will not live out half their days; But as for me, I will

trust in thee.

A last mention of Balaam in the Talmud to be given here comes

from the tract Niddah, 31a, and concerns the interpretation given to Numbers

23:10:

the Scriptural text, Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered

blessed be He, sits and counts the stock of Israel.

of the references to Balaam in the Talmud has been borne out by references to

the actual texts themselves. Balaam is treated in a very critical manner in

Jewish tradition. Though encumbered by fanciful, fantastic, and at times

even disgusting exegesis, the general tone of Talmudic literature on Balaam

may be summarized in the oft-repeated expression, "Balaam, the wicked. "

Further, those scholars who are wont to equate the Talmudic references to

51

Balaam as covert attacks on the person of Christ, are advocating a position