BALAAM, a famous prophet, or soothsayer, whose history may be found in the book of Numbers; particularly in the 22d, 23d, 24th, and 31st chapters. Referring to the sacred record, for all the particulars which are known of his life, we shall content our selves with offering a few observations, with a view to elucidate this curious, but difficult part of scripture history. For this purpose, we shall consider his place of residence, his character, and his conduct.
He is said to have dwelt at Pethor. " Balak sent messengers unto Salaam to Pethor." Num. xxii. 5. Now Pethor signifies to interpret ; and hence it is translated in the Vulgate, Ilariolum, a soothsayer. The termination in the original, however, evidently denotes locality, and therefore the word is generally understood as pointing out the residence, rather than the designation of Salaam. Pethor is said to be on the other side of the river to the south, beyond the borders of Moab, and seems to agree, both in name and situation, with Petra, in Arabia. There was, pro bably, a college of priests settled in this place, over which Balaam presided ; and from this circumstance it derived its name, signifying literally, the place of interpretation. There can be little doubt, that Pa tara, in Lyeia, where there was a famous oracle of Apollo, hence called Patareus, derived its name from the same Hebrew original ; and hence also the priests of Apollo, and the interpreters of the oracles, were called Patera?. Patera; saccrdotes Apollonis, °rant lorum interpreter. Bochart. Canaan. 1. 1. c. 40.
As to the character of Balaam, it has been dispu ted whether he was a prophet, and worshipper of the true God, or merely an uninspired diviner, or sooth sayer, who prophesied according to the rules of au gury, and vaticination, in use amongst the heathen nations. That he was not of the seed of Abraham, is certain ; that he was not a righteous man, is equal ly certain ; but we are not so sure that these circum stances disqualified him from being a real prophet. It is evident that the knowledge of the true God, in these early times, was not confined to the descendants of Abraham. If the b6ok of Job contains the his tory of real events, as we are inclined to think it does.
it is a proof that God revealed himself to other na ' tions, as well as to the Jews ; for neither Job. nor his friends were of the family of Israel. Jethro, the priest of Midian, also, had the knowledge of the true God. We need not be surprised, then, that Balsam, who • was of the same country, should possess the same knowledge. If holiness be essential to the cha racter of a prophet, Balsam's qualifications must indeed appear very doubtful. But it is evident from scripture, that the persons possessing the prophetic spirit, were not always distinguished by integrity and uprightness. We have a remarkable instance of this, in the conduct of two prophets, as recorded in the 13th chap. of the first book of Kings. Saul himself was, for a time, among the prophets : Caiaphas, the high-priest, who joined in the persecution of our Lord, had a sudden illapse of the prophetic spirit : and some wicked pro phets are represented as saying at the day of judg ment, " Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name ?" Balsam, then, it appears, must be added to the num ber of those, who have sometimes been favoured with the spirit of prophecy, without always possessing the spirit of holiness.
With regard -to his conduct, it does not appear, at first sight, what it was that rendered it so offensive in the sight of God. A little attention to the nar rative, however, and to some subsequent intimations of Scripture, will enable us sufficiently to explain it.
Balak, king of Moab, sent to entreat him, that he would come and curse Israel. Upon this he consult ed God, who paid, " Thou shalt not go with them." The messengers therefore returned to Balak, who immediately dispatched others more honourable, and empowered them to make him the most flattering offers. Though strongly inclined to comply, yet he, did not dare to disobey the positive command of God. He therefore consulted again, and received this instruction : " If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them." Upon this we are informed, " Balsam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Midian ; and God's anger suns kindled because he went." The difficulty which this passage presents, will be solved at once, if we adopt Shuckford's translation : " God's anger was kindled because he went of himself." 'I he meaning then would be, that Balsam had not waited till the princes of Midian called him in the morn ing, as he had been directed to do, but had abused the conditional permission which God had given him, by officiously offering to accompany them before he had been again solicited. This is the usual explana. tion of the passage, and may certainly be fairly in. ferred from the words in which it is expressed ; or it may be, that God was offended because he went with a had intention. That Balsam went with a dis position to curse, rather than to bless the children of Israel, is evident from what the angel says to him, " I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me." It appears also, that he indus triously sought for evil omens against Israel, and shifted his position several times, that lie might, if possible, catch an unfavourable aspect, and pronounce that malediction which the king of Moab so earnestly desired. " But when he saw that it pleased the Lord to bless. Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments," Numb. xxiv. i. His hosti lity to Israel is also clearly proved, by the counsel which he afterwards gave to the Midianites. Find ing himself restrained from cursing Israel, he advised the Midianites to seduce them, if possible, into idol atry. 'rids stratagem was but too successful : the Israelites, however, soon returned to the service of God ; and, when they avenged themselves on Midian, they slew Balsam with the edge of the sword, as the chief author of their sin and of their calamities, Numb. xxxi. 1.
Much has been said on the subject of the ass, and it has often excited the sneers and ridicule of sceptics and unbelievers ; but if they had half the sense of Balsam's ass, they would not subject a miraculous event to :he ordinary rules of ratiocination. If we admit the possibility of miracles at all, an ass speak ing is neither more astonishing, nor less possible, than any other deviation from the laws of nature. Mai monides, however, and almost all the Jewish writers, suppose the whole of this scene to be an allegory, or a vision. Balsam indeed says, that " he saw the vi sion of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but ha ving his eyes open I but we cannot be sure that this applies to the particular scene of which we are speak ing. St Peter seems to favour the literal interpreta tion : speaking of Balsam, he says, " the dumb ass, speaking with man's voice, forbade the madness of the prophet ;" 2 Pet. ii. 16. See Shuckford's Con nections, vol. iii. p. 312. Calmet's Dictionary. Bry ant's Mythology, vol. i. p. 310. Parkhurst's Lexi con, on the word Pethor. (g)