"God allows nothing to stay unrewarded, not even a respectable word
remains without its reward." The older of Lot's two daughters had
called her son that was conceived in guilt, Moab, "by the father,"
whereas the younger, for the sake of decency, called her son Ammon,
"son of my people," and she was rewarded for her sense of propriety.
For when Moses wanted to overrun the descendants of Lot with war, God
said to him: "My plans differ from thine. Two doves shall spring from
this nation, the Moabite Ruth and the Ammonite Naomi, and for this
reason must these two nations be spared."
The treatment God bade Israel accord to these two nations was not,
however, uniform. In regard to Moab, God said, "Vex not Moab, neither
contend with them in battle," which portended that Israel was not to
wage war against the Moabites, but that they might rob them or reduce
them to servitude. In regard to the sons of Ammon, on the other hand,
God forbade Israel to show these descendants of Lot's younger daughter
even the slightest sign of hostility, or in any way to alarm them, so
that Israel did not even show themselves in battle array to the
Ammonites. [712]
Israel's hostile, though not warlike, attitude toward Moab inspired
these people and their kings with great fear, so much so that they
seemed to be strangers in their own land, fearing as they did that they
should have to fare like the Egyptians; for the Israelites had come to
Egypt as strangers, but had in time possessed themselves of the land so
that the Egyptians had to rent their dwelling-places from them. Their
fear was still further increased by their belief that Israel would pay
no attention to God's command to them not to wage war against Lot's
descendants. This assumption of theirs was based on the fact the Israel
had taken possession of the kingdoms of Sihon and Og, even though these
had originally been part of Ammon's and Moab's possessions. [713]
Heshbon, Sihon's capital city, had formerly belonged to Moab; but the
Amorites, thanks to Balaam and his father Beor's support, had taken
from Moab these and some other regions. The Amorites had hired these
two sorcerers to curse Moab, with the result that the Moabites were
miserably defeated in the war against Sihon. "Woe to thee, Moab! Thou
art undone, O people of Chemosh!" These and similar utterances were the
ominous words that Balaam and his father employed against Moab. [714]
Chemosh was a black stone in the form of a woman, that the Moabites
worshipped as their god. [715]
As part of Moab passed into Sihon's possession so did a part of Ammon
fall into Og's hands, and because Israel had appropriated these land,
the Moabites feared they would filch from them all their land. In great
alarm they therefore gathered together in their fastnesses, in which
they knew themselves to be safe from Israel's attacks. [716] Their fear
was in reality quite without foundation, for Israel never dreamed of
transgressing God's command by waging war upon Lot's descendants. They
might without compunction keep the former provinces of Moab and Ammon
because they took them not from these, but from Sihon and Og, who had
captured them. [717]
At this time the king of Moab was Balak, who was formerly a vassal of
Sihon, and in that capacity was known as Zur. After Sihon's death he
was chosen king, though he was not worthy of a rank so high. Favored by
fortune, he received royal dignity, a position that his father had
never filled. [718] Balak was a fitting name for this king, for he set
about destroying the people of Israel, wherefore he was also called the
son of Zippor, because he flew as swiftly as a bird to curse Israel.
[719] Balak was a great magician, who employed for his sorcery the
following instrument. He constructed a bird with its feet, trunk, and
head of gold, its mouth of silver, and its wings of bronze, and for a
tongue he supplied it with the tongue of the bird Yadu'a. This bird was
now placed by a window where the sun shone by day and the moon by
night, and there it remained for seven days, throughout which burnt
offerings were offered before it, and ceremonies performed. At the end
of this week, the bird's tongue would begin to move, and if pricked by
a golden needle, would divulge great secrets. It was this bird that had
imparted to Balak all his occult lore. One day, however, a flame that
suddenly leaped up burned the wings of this bird, which greatly alarmed
Balak, for he thought that Israel's proximity had destroyed his
instrument of sorcery. [720]
The Moabites now perceiving that Israel conquered their enemies by
supernatural means said, "Their leader had been bred in Midian, let us
therefore inquire of the Midianites about his characteristics." When
the elders of Midian were consulted, they replied, "His strength abides
in his mouth." "Then," said the Moabites, "we shall oppose to him a man
whose strength lies in his mouth as well," and the determined to call
upon Balaam's support. The union of Moab and Midian establishes the
truth of the proverb: "Weasel and Cat had a feast of rejoicing over the
flesh of the unfortunate Dog." For there had always been irreconcilable
enmity between Moab and Midian, but they united to bring ruin upon
Israel, just as Weasel and Cat had united to put an end to their common
enemy Dog. [721]