אבן עזרא — לא הביט און ביעקב ולא ראה עמל בישראל

Q — The Torah later (Bamidbar 31:16) describes Bilam's "advice" that led to the sin of Pe'or: "הן הנה היו לבני ישראל בדבר בלעם." But where in our parsha is this advice actually given? Rashi (per Chazal) reads "לכה איעצך" (24:14) as a "מקרא קצר" — Bilam's advice is implicit there, even though grammatically it reads as about "אחרית הימים."

A — Ibn Ezra locates the source elsewhere. In nevuah 3, Bilam explains why God doesn't change His mind: "כי לא ראה און בישראל" — He hasn't seen sin in Yaakov. From this Balak inferred his strategy: IF Israel sins, God WILL change His mind — so send the women of Moav to seduce them. THIS is "דבר בלעם." The chiddush rests on Ibn Ezra's broader theology: "כל דבריו הם על תנאי, רק במקום שבועה" — all of God's promises are conditional unless secured by oath. He cites Yirmiyahu 18:7-10 — God reserves the right to change announced destruction or announced reward based on the people's actions. Ibn Ezra rejects the standard Rashi/Chazal reading of "לכה איעצך" because that pasuk speaks of "באחרית הימים" — distant future events — but the moav-women plot was immediate.