“Moav said to the elders of Midyan: Now this assembly will lick clean all our surroundings, as the ox licks clean the grass of the field. And Balak son of Tzipor was king of Moav at that time” (Numbers 22:4). “Moav said to the elders of Midyan” – what is the nature of the presence of the elders of Midyan here?9In the land of Moav. It is because they were seeing Israel achieving victory in an unnatural way.
They said: ‘Their leader achieved prominence in Midyan, we will ascertain from them what are his attributes.’ The elders of Midyan said to them: 'His power is only in his mouth.' They said to them: 'We, too, will come against them with a person whose power is in his mouth.' “Moav said to the elders of Midyan” – but do you not find that the Midyanites waged war against the Moavites, as it is stated: “Who smote Midyan in the field of Moav” (Genesis 36:35), and the enmity between them is permanent.
This is analogous to two dogs that were fighting with one another. A wolf came against one of them. The other said: ‘If I do not help it, today it will kill that one and the next day it will come against me.’ That is why Moav aligned with Midyan.
“Now this assembly will lick clean all our surroundings, as the ox licks clean [the grass of the field]” – just as the ox, its might is in its mouth, so, too, these, their power is in their mouths. Just as the ox, in everything that it licks clean there will be no sign of blessing; these too, in every nation that they touch, there will be no sign of blessing. Just as an ox gores with its horns; these, too gore with their prayers, as it is stated: “And his horns are the horns of the wild ox” (Deuteronomy 33:17).
“And Balak son of Tzipor was king of Moav at that time” – was he not initially a prince, as it is stated: “[…the Midyanite chiefs,] Evi and Rekem [and Tzur...the princes of Sihon]”? (Joshua 13:21).10Tzur is identified as being Balak (Matnot Kehuna). In Bemidbar Rabba 20:25, the daughter of Tzur says that her father is Balak. It is, rather, that once Siḥon was killed, they crowned him in his place at that time, as the circumstances caused him [to be appointed].