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Balaam

American  
[bey-luhm] / ˈbeɪ ləm /

noun

  1. (in the Bible) a Mesopotamian diviner who, when commanded by Balak to curse the Israelites, blessed them and uttered favorable prophecies after having been rebuked by the ass he rode.

Balaam British  
/ ˈbeɪlæm /

noun

  1. Old Testament a Mesopotamian diviner who, when summoned to curse the Israelites, prophesied future glories for them instead, after being reproached by his ass (Numbers 22–23)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • Balaamite noun
  • Balaamitical adjective

Etymology

Origin of Balaam

From Late Latin Balaam, from Greek Balaám, from Hebrew Bilʿām, of uncertain origin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.