1 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 set forward, H5265 and pitched H2583 in the plains H6160 of Moab H4124 on this side H5676 Jordan H3383 by Jericho. H3405
2 And Balak H1111 the son H1121 of Zippor H6834 saw H7200 all that Israel H3478 had done H6213 to the Amorites. H567
3 And Moab H4124 was sore H3966 afraid H1481 of H6440 the people, H5971 because they were many: H7227 and Moab H4124 was distressed H6973 because of H6440 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
4 And Moab H4124 said H559 unto the elders H2205 of Midian, H4080 Now shall this company H6951 lick up H3897 all that are round about H5439 us, as the ox H7794 licketh up H3897 the grass H3418 of the field. H7704 And Balak H1111 the son H1121 of Zippor H6834 was king H4428 of the Moabites H4124 at that time. H6256
5 He sent H7971 messengers H4397 therefore unto Balaam H1109 the son H1121 of Beor H1160 to Pethor, H6604 which is by the river H5104 of the land H776 of the children H1121 of his people, H5971 to call H7121 him, saying, H559 Behold, there is a people H5971 come out H3318 from Egypt: H4714 behold, they cover H3680 the face H5869 of the earth, H776 and they abide H3427 over against H4136 me:
6 Come H3212 now therefore, I pray thee, curse H779 me this people; H5971 for they are too mighty H6099 for me: peradventure I shall prevail, H3201 that we may smite H5221 them, and that I may drive them out H1644 of the land: H776 for I wot H3045 that he whom thou blessest H1288 is blessed, H1288 and he whom thou cursest H779 is cursed. H779
7 And the elders H2205 of Moab H4124 and the elders H2205 of Midian H4080 departed H3212 with the rewards of divination H7081 in their hand; H3027 and they came H935 unto Balaam, H1109 and spake H1696 unto him the words H1697 of Balak. H1111
8 And he said H559 unto them, Lodge H3885 here this night, H3915 and I will bring H7725 you word H1697 again, H7725 as the LORD H3068 shall speak H1696 unto me: and the princes H8269 of Moab H4124 abode H3427 with Balaam. H1109
9 And God H430 came H935 unto Balaam, H1109 and said, H559 What men H582 are these with thee?
10 And Balaam H1109 said H559 unto God, H430 Balak H1111 the son H1121 of Zippor, H6834 king H4428 of Moab, H4124 hath sent H7971 unto me, saying,
11 Behold, there is a people H5971 come out H3318 of Egypt, H4714 which covereth H3680 the face H5869 of the earth: H776 come H3212 now, curse H6895 me them; peradventure I shall be able H3201 to overcome H3898 them, and drive them out. H1644
12 And God H430 said H559 unto Balaam, H1109 Thou shalt not go H3212 with them; thou shalt not curse H779 the people: H5971 for they are blessed. H1288
13 And Balaam H1109 rose up H6965 in the morning, H1242 and said H559 unto the princes H8269 of Balak, H1111 Get H3212 you into your land: H776 for the LORD H3068 refuseth H3985 to give me leave H5414 to go H1980 with you.
14 And the princes H8269 of Moab H4124 rose up, H6965 and they went H935 unto Balak, H1111 and said, H559 Balaam H1109 refuseth H3985 to come H1980 with us.
15 And Balak H1111 sent H7971 yet again H3254 princes, H8269 more, H7227 and more honourable H3513 than they.
16 And they came H935 to Balaam, H1109 and said H559 to him, Thus saith H559 Balak H1111 the son H1121 of Zippor, H6834 Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder H4513 thee from coming H1980 unto me:
17 For I will promote H3513 thee unto very H3966 great H3513 honour, H3513 and I will do H6213 whatsoever thou sayest H559 unto me: come H3212 therefore, I pray thee, curse H6895 me this people. H5971
18 And Balaam H1109 answered H6030 and said H559 unto the servants H5650 of Balak, H1111 If Balak H1111 would give H5414 me his house H1004 full H4393 of silver H3701 and gold, H2091 I cannot H3201 go beyond H5674 the word H6310 of the LORD H3068 my God, H430 to do H6213 less H6996 or more. H1419
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry H3427 ye also here this night, H3915 that I may know H3045 what the LORD H3068 will say H1696 unto me more. H3254
20 And God H430 came H935 unto Balaam H1109 at night, H3915 and said H559 unto him, If the men H582 come H935 to call H7121 thee, rise up, H6965 and go H3212 with them; but yet H389 the word H1697 which I shall say H1696 unto thee, that shalt thou do. H6213
21 And Balaam H1109 rose up H6965 in the morning, H1242 and saddled H2280 his ass, H860 and went H3212 with the princes H8269 of Moab. H4124
22 And God's H430 anger H639 was kindled H2734 because he went: H1980 and the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 stood H3320 in the way H1870 for an adversary H7854 against him. Now he was riding H7392 upon his ass, H860 and his two H8147 servants H5288 were with him.
23 And the ass H860 saw H7200 the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 standing H5324 in the way, H1870 and his sword H2719 drawn H8025 in his hand: H3027 and the ass H860 turned aside H5186 out of the way, H1870 and went H3212 into the field: H7704 and Balaam H1109 smote H5221 the ass, H860 to turn H5186 her into the way. H1870
24 But the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 stood H5975 in a path H4934 of the vineyards, H3754 a wall H1447 being on this side, and a wall H1447 on that side.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 22
Commentary on Numbers 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 22
Nu 22:1-20. Balak's First Message for Balaam Refused.
1. Israel … pitched in the plains of Moab—so called from having formerly belonged to that people, though wrested from them by Sihon. It was a dry, sunken, desert region on the east of the Jordan valley, opposite Jericho.
2. Balak—that is, "empty." Terrified (De 2:25; Ex 15:15) at the approach of so vast a multitude and not daring to encounter them in the field, he resolved to secure their destruction by other means.
4. elders of Midian—called kings (Nu 31:8) and princes (Jos 13:21). The Midianites, a distinct people on the southern frontier of Moab, united with them as confederates against Israel, their common enemy.
5. He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam—that is, "lord" or "devourer" of people, a famous soothsayer (Jos 13:22).
son of Beor—or, in the Chaldee form, Bosor—that is, "destruction."
Pethor—a city of Mesopotamia, situated on the Euphrates.
6. Come … curse me this people—Among the heathen an opinion prevailed that prayers for evil or curses would be heard by the unseen powers as well as prayers for good, when offered by a prophet or priest and accompanied by the use of certain rites. Many examples are found in the histories of the Greeks and Romans of whole armies being devoted to destruction, and they occur among the natives of India and other heathen countries still. In the Burmese war, magicians were employed to curse the British troops.
7. the elders of Moab and … of Midian departed with the rewards of divination—like the fee of a fortune teller, and being a royal present, it would be something handsome.
8-14. Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me, &c.—God usually revealed His will in visions and dreams; and Balaam's birth and residence in Mesopotamia, where the remains of patriarchal religion still lingered, account for his knowledge of the true God. His real character has long been a subject of discussion. Some, judging from his language, have thought him a saint; others, looking to his conduct, have described him as an irreligious charlatan; and a third class consider him a novice in the faith, who had a fear of God, but who had not acquired power over his passions [Hengstenberg].
13-15. the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you—This answer has an appearance of being good, but it studiously concealed the reason of the divine prohibition [Nu 22:12], and it intimated his own willingness and desire to go—if permitted. Balak despatched a second mission, which held out flattering prospects, both to his avarice and his ambition (Ge 31:30).
19, 20. tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more—The divine will, as formerly declared, not being according to his desires, he hoped by a second request to bend it, as he had already bent his own conscience, to his ruling passions of pride and covetousness. The permission granted to Balaam is in accordance with the ordinary procedure of Providence. God often gives up men to follow the impulse of their own lusts; but there is no approval in thus leaving them to act at the prompting of their own wicked hearts (Jos 13:27).
Nu 22:21-41. The Journey.
21. Balaam … saddled his ass—probably one of the white sprightly animals which persons of rank were accustomed to ride. The saddle, as usually in the East, would be nothing more than a pad or his outer cloak.
22. God's anger was kindled because he went—The displeasure arose partly from his neglecting the condition on which leave was granted him—namely, to wait till the princes of Moab "came to call him" [Nu 22:20], and because, through desire for "the wages of unrighteousness" [2Pe 2:15], he entertained the secret purpose of acting in opposition to the solemn charge of God.
24. the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards—The roads which lead through fields and vineyards are so narrow that in most parts a man could not pass a beast without care and caution. A stone or mud fence flanks each side of these roads, to prevent the soil being washed off by the rains.
28. the Lord opened the mouth of the ass—to utter, like a parrot, articulate sounds, without understanding them. That this was a visionary scene is a notion which seems inadmissible, because of the improbability of a vision being described as an actual occurrence in the middle of a plain history. Besides, the opening of the ass's mouth must have been an external act, and that, with the manifest tenor of Peter's language, strongly favors the literal view [2Pe 2:15, 16]. The absence of any surprise at such a phenomenon on the part of Balaam may be accounted for by his mind being wholly engrossed with the prospect of gain, which produced "the madness of the prophet" [2Pe 2:16]. "It was a miracle, wrought to humble his proud heart, which had to be first subjected in the school of an ass before he was brought to attend to the voice of God speaking by the angel" [Calvin].
34, 35. I have sinned … if it displease thee, I will get me back again—Notwithstanding this confession, he evinced no spirit of penitence, as he speaks of desisting only from the outward act. The words "go with the men" was a mere withdrawal of further restraint, but the terms in which leave was given are more absolute and peremptory than those in Nu 22:20.
36, 37. when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him—Politeness requires that the higher the rank of the expected guest, greater distance is to be gone to welcome his arrival.
38. the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak—This appears a pious answer. It was an acknowledgment that he was restrained by a superior power.
39. Kirjath-huzoth—that is, "a city of streets."
40. Balak offered oxen and sheep—made preparations for a grand entertainment to Balaam and the princes of Midian.
41. high places of Baal—eminences consecrated to the worship of Baal-peor (see on Nu 25:3) or Chemosh.