extraction.numbers.balaam_donkey_oracle
---
record_id: extraction.numbers.balaam_donkey_oracle
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/biblical/world-english-bible-classic/numbers.md
passage_locator:
label: Numbers 22:21-35; 23:1-12; 24:1-17
translation: World English Bible Classic
notes: Initial hand-curated seed extraction.
canonical_text:
quote: Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey... A star will come out of Jacob. A
scepter will rise out of Israel.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Balaam rides a donkey with the princes of Moab.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The donkey sees Yahweh's angel before Balaam sees him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Yahweh opens the donkey's mouth and the donkey speaks to Balaam.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Yahweh opens Balaam's eyes and Balaam sees the angel.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:5
text: Balaam says he must speak what Yahweh puts in his mouth.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Balaam's later oracle speaks of a star from Jacob and a scepter from Israel.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Balaam
description: Diviner or seer figure summoned by Balak and constrained to speak Yahweh's
word.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: donkey
description: Balaam's animal, whose mouth Yahweh opens.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Yahweh's angel
description: Stands in the way with a drawn sword.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Balak
description: Moabite king who asks Balaam to curse Israel.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Yahweh
description: Opens perception and supplies the words Balaam speaks.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
roles: []
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: speaking animal
literal_form: donkey whose mouth is opened
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: opened eyes
literal_form: Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: word in mouth
literal_form: Yahweh put a word in Balaam's mouth
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: star and scepter
literal_form: star will come out of Jacob; scepter will rise out of Israel
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Numbers 22:21-35
summary: Balaam's donkey sees the angel blocking the way, speaks after Yahweh opens
her mouth, and Balaam's eyes are opened to the angel.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Numbers 23:1-12; 24:1-17
summary: Balaam offers sacrifices with Balak, blesses rather than curses Israel,
and gives an oracle including a star and scepter from Jacob and Israel.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: opened_perception
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage explicitly says Balaam's eyes are opened and that he sees the
angel.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: medium
cautions: Seed extraction; requires later human review.
- id: motif:2
label: constrained_oracle
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Balaam repeatedly says he must speak only what Yahweh gives him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: Seed extraction; requires later human review.
- id: motif:3
label: royal_legitimacy
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The oracle uses star and scepter language for Jacob and Israel.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: low
cautions: The later royal reading is only a candidate motif at this seed stage.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage pairs a perception-reversal scene involving a speaking donkey
with oracles in which blessing replaces requested cursing.
claim_level: same_function
target: pattern atlas
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: low
limitations: Initial corpus-internal claim only; not a cross-cultural conclusion.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: Numbers 22:21-35
quote_or_summary: Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey... Then Yahweh opened the
eyes of Balaam.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/biblical/world-english-bible-classic/numbers.md
rights_note: Public-domain source text.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: Numbers 23:1-12
quote_or_summary: Yahweh put a word in Balaam's mouth... Must I not take heed to
speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/biblical/world-english-bible-classic/numbers.md
rights_note: Public-domain source text.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: Numbers 24:1-17
quote_or_summary: The Spirit of God came on him... A star will come out of Jacob.
A scepter will rise out of Israel.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/biblical/world-english-bible-classic/numbers.md
rights_note: Public-domain source text.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: low
notes: Seed extraction for testing the repository workflow.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Needs scholarly/human review before being treated as final.
extracted_by: Codex
extracted_at: '2026-04-27'
notes: Initial data seed for Numbers; source text is public domain.