bilam · Balaam

What it means

bilam (בִּלְעָם) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “Balaam”.

A diviner from Mesopotamia whom the king of Moab called to curse Israel. The name perhaps means "not of the people," that is, a foreigner.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Numbers×53
• Deuteronomy×2
• Joshua×3
• 1 Chronicles×1
• Nehemiah×1
• Micah×1

• Numbers 22:5

  And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Look, a people has come out of Egypt; look, they cover the face of the earth, and they are settling opposite me.

• Numbers 22:7

  So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went, with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.

• Numbers 22:8

  And he said to them, “Spend the night here tonight, and I will bring back to you word, as YHWH speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

• Numbers 22:9

  And Elohim came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

• Numbers 22:10

  And Balaam said to Elohim, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me:

• Numbers 22:12

  And Elohim said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

• Numbers 22:13

  So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, for YHWH has refused to let me go with you.”

• Numbers 22:14

  And the princes of Moab rose and came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

• Numbers 22:16

  And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: ‘Please do not let anything hold you back from coming to me;

• Numbers 22:18

  But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of YHWH my Elohim, to do anything small or great.

• Numbers 22:20

  And Elohim came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall do.”

• Numbers 22:21

  So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

• Numbers 22:23

  And the donkey saw the angel of YHWH standing in the road, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road.

• Numbers 22:25

  And the donkey saw the angel of YHWH and pressed herself against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall; and he struck her again.

• Numbers 22:27

  And the donkey saw the angel of YHWH and lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with the stick.

• Numbers 22:28

  Then YHWH opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

• Numbers 22:29

  And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me! If only there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you!”

• Numbers 22:30

  And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”

• Numbers 22:31

  Then YHWH uncovered the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of YHWH standing in the road, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed and prostrated himself on his face.

• Numbers 22:34

  And Balaam said to the angel of YHWH, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road against me. And now, if it is displeasing in your eyes, I will turn back.”

• Numbers 22:35

  And the angel of YHWH said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

• Numbers 22:36

  When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is at the edge of the territory.

• Numbers 22:37

  And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send urgently to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not truly able to honor you?”

• Numbers 22:38

  And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you now. Am I at all able to speak anything? The word that Elohim puts in my mouth, that I will speak.”

• Numbers 22:39

  And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

• Numbers 22:40

  And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep and sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

• Numbers 22:41

  And it happened in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and he saw from there the edge of the people.

• Numbers 23:1

  And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

• Numbers 23:2

  And Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

• Numbers 23:3

  And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps YHWH will come to meet me, and whatever word he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height.

• Numbers 23:4

  And Elohim met Balaam, and he said to him, “The seven altars I have set in order, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”

• Numbers 23:5

  And YHWH put a word in the mouth of Balaam and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

• Numbers 23:11

  And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless them!”

• Numbers 23:16

  And YHWH met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

• Numbers 23:25

  And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

• Numbers 23:26

  But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that YHWH speaks, that I must do’?”

• Numbers 23:27

  And Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be right in the eyes of Elohim that you curse them for me from there.”

• Numbers 23:28

  So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks down on the wasteland.

• Numbers 23:29

  And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

• Numbers 23:30

  And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

And 21 more times.