Balac is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Balac, also known as Balak, was a king of Moab who sought to curse Israel through Balaam. He appears in the biblical narrative as a hostile ruler who recognized that Israel, having come out of Egypt and journeyed through the wilderness, posed a threat to his kingdom. Rather than meet Israel in open battle, Balac sought a spiritual weapon: he hired Balaam, a man known for his prophetic pronouncements, to pronounce a curse upon the people of God.
The source note identifies Balac as the king who sought to curse Israel through Balaam, and this is consistent with the single reference to his name in the King James New Testament. In Revelation 2:14, the risen Christ rebukes the church at Pergamos for tolerating those who held “the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” Here Balac is not the one who speaks the curse but the one who receives the counsel of Balaam. The stumblingblock was not a sword but a snare: the enticement of Israel into idolatry and sexual immorality.
What Scripture says of Balac in this passage is therefore grave. He is remembered not merely as an enemy who failed to curse Israel, but as a participant in a scheme that succeeded in corrupting them. The doctrine of Balaam, taught to Balac, became a byword for leading God’s people into compromise and sin. His name stands in the New Testament as a warning to the churches, a reminder that hostility to God’s people can take the form of seduction as easily as opposition.
The Name
The name Balac is the Greek form, found in Revelation 2:14, of the Hebrew name Balak. The Hebrew name is generally understood to mean “devastator,” “waster,” or “one who lays waste,” likely derived from a root meaning to empty or lay bare. This meaning is widely attested and fits the character of a king who sought the destruction of Israel. The Greek form Balac preserves the sound of the Hebrew rather than translating its meaning, as is common in the New Testament’s use of Old Testament names.
A Closing Thought
Balac’s story is a sobering reminder that the greatest danger to God’s people is not always the enemy who attacks from without, but the temptation that entices from within. He could not curse Israel, yet he helped ensnare them. May we be watchful, not only against open opposition, but against the subtle compromises that quietly lead our hearts away from the Lord. And may we remember that God’s people are never safer than when they cling to Him in holiness and truth.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Revelation 2:14 — But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.