How was Bilaam killed?

Bilaam (Balaam) was killed by the sword during Israel's war against Midian, as explicitly stated in Numbers 31:8. The verse lists him alongside the five kings of Midian who were slain, noting specifically that he was killed "by the sword" (בֶּחָרֶב, b'charev). The Talmud and later commentators add significant detail about the circumstances and meaning of his death.

Key Takeaways

Bilaam was killed by the sword during Israel's military campaign against Midian [Numbers 31:8].
Pinchas is identified in rabbinic tradition as the one who killed Bilaam [Sanhedrin 106b].
Bilaam had returned to Midian and was actively working against Israel — his death was therefore separate from and prior to the killing of the five Midianite kings.
His death was a direct consequence of his counsel to use Midianite women to lead Israel into sin at Baal Peor [Numbers 31:16].
The Torah's specific phrasing of his death carries deeper meaning, as noted by the Or HaChaim.

The Biblical Account

The primary verse reads:

וְאֵת֙ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֔וֹר הָרְג֖וּ בֶּחָֽרֶב "And Bilaam the son of Beor they slew with the sword." [Numbers 31:8]

He is mentioned alongside the five kings of Midian — Evi, Rekem, Tzur, Hur, and Reva — yet his name is listed separately, which the commentators find deeply significant.

Why Was Bilaam There?

The Torah itself later reveals the reason Bilaam was among the Midianites:

Numbers 31:16 states that Bilaam had counseled the Midianite women to lead Israel into sin at Baal Peor — the episode that caused a devastating plague among the Israelites.

The source from I Believe: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible (Source 5) notes pointedly:

"Bilaam, who had undergone an apparently earth-shattering, formative experience in which the curses he devised turned into blessings in his mouth, remained after it all hostile toward the nation he had blessed, and apparently also toward God."

In other words, despite the miraculous experience of being forced to bless Israel, Bilaam was unchanged — he continued to plot against them.

The Or HaChaim's Commentary

The Or HaChaim (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, 1696–1743) on Numbers 31:8 notes that the Torah's specific mention of "they killed" regarding Bilaam is not redundant:

הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר הָרְגוּ — "It was necessary to say 'they killed,'"

He explains, based on the Sages, that Bilaam had actually gone out from Midian toward the Israelite camp to advise them not to attack Midian, attempting to protect the Midianites. The Torah's separate mention of his killing indicates he was killed before the five Midianite kings — and that his death was treated as a distinct act, underscoring that he was not merely a bystander but an active enemy [Or HaChaim, Numbers 31:8].

Who Killed Bilaam? The Talmudic Tradition

The Talmud in Sanhedrin 106b identifies the killer as Pinchas, the same zealous priest who had killed Zimri and Kozbi at Baal Peor. The Da'at Zekenim (Source 1) references this tradition, noting:

"Bilaam the lame — when Pinchas the listaa (warrior/robber-slayer) killed him..."

The Talmud derives from the verse "אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים וּמִרְמָה לֹא יֶחֱצוּ יְמֵיהֶם" — "Men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days" [Psalms 55:24] — that Bilaam died young, at only 33 years old [Sanhedrin 106b].

The Three Advisors: Bilaam, Job, and Yitro

Both the Da'at Zekenim (Sources 1 and 6) and Rabbi Yochanan in the Talmud [Sanhedrin 106a] teach that three men were present when Pharaoh counseled the destruction of Israel:

| Advisor | Response | Consequence | |---|---|---| | Bilaam | Gave the evil counsel | Was killed | | Iyov (Job) | Remained silent | Suffered afflictions | | Yitro (Jethro) | Fled in protest | His descendants merited to sit in the Lishkat HaGazit (Chamber of Hewn Stone) — the seat of the Sanhedrin |

This tradition underscores a core Torah principle: moral courage is rewarded across generations, while complicity — even through silence — carries consequences.

Deeper Significance

Bilaam's death by the sword — the very instrument of war he tried to make unnecessary through supernatural curses — is seen as middah k'neged middah (מידה כנגד מידה), measure for measure. He sought to destroy Israel through his mouth and counsel; he was ultimately destroyed through physical force, the domain he had tried to circumvent.

His death also fulfills Deuteronomy 23:4-5, which eternally bars Ammonites and Moabites from the congregation of Israel precisely because of Bilaam's hired attempt to curse Israel — cementing his legacy as a defining enemy of the Jewish people.