Word Summary
Balaam: Balaam, an unrighteous prophet
Original Word: ΒαλαάμTransliteration: Balaam
Phonetic Spelling: (bal-ah-am')
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Short Definition: Balaam, an unrighteous prophet
Meaning: Balaam -- an unrighteous prophet
Strong's Concordance
Balaam.
Of Hebrew origin (Bil'am); Balaam, a Mesopotamian (symbolic of a false teacher) -- Balaam.
see HEBREW Bil'am
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 903: ΒαλαάμΒαλαάμ,
ὁ, indeclinable (in the
Sept. for
בִּלְעָם, according to Gesenius (
perhaps) from
בַּל and
עָם non-populus, i. e. foreign; according to Jo. Simonis equivalent to
עָם בֶּלַע a swallowing up of the people; in
Josephus,
ὁ Βαλαμος),
Balaam (or Bileam), a native of Pethor a city of Mesopotamia, endued by Jehovah with prophetic power. He was hired by Balak (see
Βαλάκ) to curse the Israelites; and influenced by the love of reward, he wished to gratify Balak; but he was compelled by Jehovah's power to bless them (
Numbers 22-24;
Deuteronomy 23:5;
Joshua 13:22;
Joshua 24:9;
Micah 6:5). Hence, the later Jews saw in him a most abandoned deceiver:
Revelation 2:14;
2 Peter 2:15;
Jude 1:11. Cf.
Winers RWB (and
BB. DD.) under the word.