Joshua 13:22

Misinterpretations often stem from the archaic English 'slew they with the sword among them that were slain by them,' which some skeptics twist to suggest Balak slew Balaam or that it contradicts Numbers 31:8 by implying Balaam was a Midianite duke or aggressor rather than a victim; others allege a biblical contradiction in the timing or manner of his death, ignoring the parallel accounts where Israel kills him in the same Midianite campaign due to his role in seducing Israel into sin, thus portraying the text as erroneous when it consistently affirms divine judgment on God's foes.

This verse confirms that Balaam the soothsayer, previously hired by Balak to curse Israel but compelled by God to bless them instead, was slain by the Israelites alongside Midianite leaders during the conquest east of the Jordan, as detailed in Numbers 31:8. In the context of dividing the land among Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, it highlights God's ultimate justice, ensuring that those who sought to harm His people—Balaam through his counsel leading to idolatry and immorality in Numbers 25—faced lethal retribution, demonstrating divine protection and sovereignty over Israel's enemies.