וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ בִּלְעָ֖ם עִם־בָּלָ֑ק וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ קִרְיַ֥ת חֻצֽוֹת׃

Bilam went with Balak, and they came to Kiryat Hutzot, the name of a central, public place of many streets [ ḥuzot ].

וַיִּזְבַּ֥ח בָּלָ֖ק בָּקָ֣ר וָצֹ֑אן וַיְשַׁלַּ֣ח לְבִלְעָ֔ם וְלַשָּׂרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ׃

Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep, and sent to Bilam and to the princes who were with him. Bilam and those who accompanied him received large portions of food and stayed overnight in Kiryat Hutzot.

וַיְהִ֣י בַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּקַּ֤ח בָּלָק֙ אֶת־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֖הוּ בָּמ֣וֹת בָּ֑עַל וַיַּ֥רְא מִשָּׁ֖ם קְצֵ֥ה הָעָֽם׃

It was in the morning, and Balak took Bilam, and brought him up to the heights of Baal, at the top of a mountain, and he saw from there the edge of the camp of the people. The Israelite camp was extremely large; according to tradition, it spread over an area of roughly 12 km. It is difficult to see such a large area unless one is standing on a tall spot. After leading Bilam to a place from where he could see some of the people, Balak invited him to use his powers.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק בְּנֵה־לִ֥י בָזֶ֖ה שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת וְהָכֵ֥ן לִי֙ בָּזֶ֔ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽים׃

Bilam said to Balak: Build me, right here and now, seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams as offerings.

וַיַּ֣עַשׂ בָּלָ֔ק כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֣ר בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיַּ֨עַל בָּלָ֧ק וּבִלְעָ֛ם פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

Balak did as Bilam had spoken; Balak and Bilam together offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. The joint offering of Balak and Bilam on the same altar strengthened the bond between them, enabling Bilam to represent Balak in his actions.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם לְבָלָ֗ק הִתְיַצֵּב֮ עַל־עֹלָתֶךָ֒ וְאֵֽלְכָ֗ה אוּלַ֞י יִקָּרֵ֤ה יְהוָה֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י וּדְבַ֥ר מַה־יַּרְאֵ֖נִי וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי לָ֑ךְ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי׃

Bilam said to Balak: Stand with your burnt offering, and I will go from here; perhaps the Lord will happen upon me and He will show me some matter and I will tell you. I cannot induce a vision or demand one. I have done what I can by sacrificing the offerings; if I go off by myself there is a chance that God will reveal Himself to me. He went alone [ shefi ], quietly, without disturbances, or bent over [ shafuf ], while Balak remained near the altar.

וַיִּקָּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אֶת־שִׁבְעַ֤ת הַֽמִּזְבְּחֹת֙ עָרַ֔כְתִּי וָאַ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

Indeed, God happened upon Bilam, and he, Bilam, said to Him: The seven altars I have prepared, and I offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

וַיָּ֧שֶׂם יְהוָ֛ה דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֣י בִלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר׃

The Lord placed speech in Bilam’s mouth, and He said: Return to Balak, and so you shall speak. The verse indicates that Bilam received a general message that he had to formulate for Balak, rather than exact words to be recited.

וַיָּ֣שָׁב אֵלָ֔יו וְהִנֵּ֥ה נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֹלָת֑וֹ ה֖וּא וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָֽב׃

He returned to him, and behold, he, Balak, was standing with his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moav.

וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר מִן־אֲ֠רָם יַנְחֵ֨נִי בָלָ֤ק מֶֽלֶךְ־מוֹאָב֙ מֵֽהַרְרֵי־קֶ֔דֶם לְכָה֙ אָֽרָה־לִּ֣י יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּלְכָ֖ה זֹעֲמָ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

He launched his oration, or his poetic allegory, and said: From Aram, as Bilam lived on the Euphrates River in Aram (see 22:5), Balak leads me, and calls me; the king of Moav from the highlands of the east, saying: Go, curse Jacob for me, and go, censure [ zo’ama ] Israel. Cause rage [ za’am ] to descend upon them, or issue pronouncements of rage against the nation of Israel.

מָ֣ה אֶקֹּ֔ב לֹ֥א קַבֹּ֖ה אֵ֑ל וּמָ֣ה אֶזְעֹ֔ם לֹ֥א זָעַ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃

How will I curse, when God has not cursed? How will I censure, when the Lord has not censured? I am unable to fulfill Balak’s request to curse and censure if God does not allow me to do so. God does not want this people to be cursed, as they are special. Bilam proceeds to depict the people’s unique qualities.

כִּֽי־מֵרֹ֤אשׁ צֻרִים֙ אֶרְאֶ֔נּוּ וּמִגְּבָע֖וֹת אֲשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ הֶן־עָם֙ לְבָדָ֣ד יִשְׁכֹּ֔ן וּבַגּוֹיִ֖ם לֹ֥א יִתְחַשָּֽׁב׃

For from the top of precipices I will see it, the nation of Israel, and from hills I behold it. Since I am standing in a physically high location, on the heights of Baal, and I also have a metahistorical perspective, I can observe Israel from “above”: Behold, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. This people is not part of the family of nations.

מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃

Who has counted the dust of Jacob? Who can count the dust trodden under the feet of Jacob? Alternatively, this means: Who can count the descendants of Jacob, as they are as numerous as the dust. Or who has tallied even one quarter [ rova ] of Israel? Rova is referring to one of the four smaller camps that comprise the entire Israelite camp. Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his, like one of the children of Israel.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם מֶ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתָ לִ֑י לָקֹ֤ב אֹיְבַי֙ לְקַחְתִּ֔יךָ וְהִנֵּ֖ה בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ בָרֵֽךְ׃

Balak said to Bilam, in shock: What have you done to me? To curse my enemies I took you, and behold, you have blessed them.

וַיַּ֖עַן וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הֲלֹ֗א אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָשִׂ֤ים יְהוָה֙ בְּפִ֔י אֹת֥וֹ אֶשְׁמֹ֖ר לְדַבֵּֽר׃

He, Bilam, answered and said: Is it not that which the Lord will place in my mouth, that I will take care to speak? I cannot speak according to your will.