And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. (Numbers 22:4)
Literally, “the greenness of the field,” meaning every trace of vegetation.
The elders of Midian.
Moab and Midian were traditional enemies (Gen. 36:35), but were ready to unite against Israel. It seems that the “elders” were also called “kings” (Num. 31:8) and “princes”(Joshua 13:21). Among the peoples of the East men of age and experience are even today called “elders.” The Midianites were descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:2, 4), and were a pastoral people and itinerant traders (Gen. 37:28).