Numbers 31:8
And their kings Evi, and Recem, and Sur, and Hur, and Rebe, five princes of the nation: Balaam also the son of Beer they killed with the sword.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- et reges eorum, Evi, et Recem, et Sur, et Hur, et Rebe, quinque principes gentis : Balaam quoque filium Beor interfecerunt gladio.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς Μαδιὰν ἀπέκτειναν ἅμα τοῖς τραυματίαις αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸν Εὐεὶν καὶ τὸν Σοὺρ καὶ τὸν Ῥόκομ καὶ τὸν Οὓρ καὶ τὸν Ῥόβοκ, πέντε βασιλεῖς Μαδιάμ· καὶ τὸν Βαλαὰμ υἱὸν Βεὼρ ἀπέκτειναν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ σὺν τοῖς τραυματίαις αὐτῶν.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְאֶת מַלְכֵ֨י מִדְיָ֜ן הָרְג֣וּ עַל חַלְלֵיהֶ֗ם אֶת אֱוִ֤י וְאֶת רֶ֨קֶם֙ וְאֶת צ֤וּר וְאֶת חוּר֙ וְאֶת רֶ֔בַע חֲמֵ֖שֶׁת מַלְכֵ֣י מִדְיָ֑ן וְאֵת֙ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן בְּע֔וֹר הָרְג֖וּ בֶּחָֽרֶב
Haydock's commentary
Recem; by which name Petra, the capital of Arabia Petrea, is known. This petty king probably took his title from this city, over which he presided. (Calmet)
All the five had been, perhaps, tributary to Sehon, Josue xiii. 21. (Haydock)
Sur, the wretched parent of Cozbi, chap. xxv. 15. (Calmet)
Balaam. Some think he was a native of Madian, though he had resided in Mesopotamia. He had either stopped in this country, or hearing of the calamities of the Hebrews, had returned to receive the reward of his pernicious counsel. Thus he was overtaken by God's just judgment, and he fell into the pit which his avarice had dug for him, chap. xxiv. 25. (Haydock)
Probably he was busy with his incantations; for this sort of men is generally cowardly. He had no sword, chap. xxii. 29. (Salien)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Irenaeus Fragments from the Lost Writings of, XXV
“To inflict vengeance from the Lord on Midian.” For this man (Balaam), when he speaks no longer in the Spirit of God, but contrary to God’s law, by setting up a different law with regard to fornication, is certainly not then to be counted as a prophet, but as a soothsayer. For he who did not keep to the commandment of God, received the just recompense of his own evil devices.
St Irenaeus Fragments from the Lost Writings of, XLV
“And Balaam the son of Beor they slew with the sword.” For, speaking no longer by the Spirit of God, but setting up another law of fornication contrary to the law of God, this man shall no longer be reckoned as a prophet, but as a soothsayer. For, as he did not continue in the commandment of God, he received the just reward of his evil devices.
St John Chrysostom Homilies on First Corinthians, Homily XXIII
And wherefore names he not likewise the punishment for their idolatry? Either because it was clear and more notorious, or because the plague was not so great at that time, as in the matter of Balaam, when they joined themselves to Baalpeor, the Midianitish women appearing in the camp and alluring them to wantonness according to the counsel of Balaam. For that this evil counsel was Balaam’s Moses sheweth after this, in the following statement at the end of the Book of Numbers. ( Numb. xxxi. 8, 11, 15, 16 . in our translation.) “Balaam also the son of Beor they slew in the war of Midian with the sword and they brought the spoils.... And Moses was wroth, and said, Wherefore have ye saved all the women alive? For these were to the children of Israel for a stumbling-block, according to the word of Balaam, to cause them to depart from and despise the word of the Lord for Peor’s sake.”