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Numbers Chapter
Twenty-two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 22
The
children of Israel being come into the plains of Moab, put the king of Moab
into a panic, who expressed his fears to the elders of Midian, Numbers 22:1 and
sent for Balaam the soothsayer to curse the people of Israel, but he, upon
consulting the Lord refused to come, Numbers 22:5, on
which the king of Moab sent to him a second time, making large promises of
preferment to him, and who at this time got leave from the Lord to go with the
messengers, Numbers 22:15, but
was met with in the way by an angel of the Lord, who would have slain him had
it not been for his ass, of which a very wonderful revelation is given, Numbers 22:22, and
the chapter is closed with the interview between Balak king of Moab and Balaam,
and an account of what passed between them, and what was done by them, Numbers 22:36.
Numbers 22:1 Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab
on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.
YLT
1And the sons of Israel
journey and encamp in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, [by] Jericho.
And the children of Israel set forward,.... From the
country of Bashan, where we read of them last, after they had conquered Og the
king of it, and also Sihon king of the Amorites, and settled some of their
tribes in both kingdoms; the particular place from whence they came hither,
according to the account of their journeys, were the mountains of Abarim, Numbers 33:48,
and pitched in the plains of Moab the part of them they
encamped in reached from Bethjesimoth to Abelshittim, Numbers 33:49,
on this side Jordan by Jericho; or Jordan of Jericho, as
the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan; a river that flowed near to Jericho,
running between the plains of Moab and the plains of Jericho; according to
JosephusF21Antiqu. l. 5. c. 1. sect. 4. it was sixty furlongs, or
seven miles and a half from Jericho; but, according to JeromeF23De
locis Heb. fol. 87. G. , it was but five miles: or rather, as some versions
render it, "over against Jericho"F24 κατα ιεριχω Sept. "ex opposito Heiricho",
Tigurine version. ; for Jericho was on the other side of the river Jordan, and
the plains of Moab, or that part of them where Israel now pitched, were right
against that city; and so Josephus saysF25Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect.
1. .
Numbers 22:2 2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had
done to the Amorites.
YLT
2And Balak son of Zippor
seeth all that Israel hath done to the Amorite,
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. The word
"Amorites" being particularly pointed, shows, as Aben Ezra observes,
that Sihon and Og are both meant, and that there were not among the kings of
the land of Canaan any so great as they; wherefore when Balak, who was the
present king of Moab, saw what Israel had done to them, that they had conquered
them, and seized upon their kingdoms: he reasoned within himself, and said, as
Jarchi represents him, that if they could not stand before Israel, much less
could he and his people; and the rather, since those kings Israel had subdued
were too powerful for the king of Moab, and had taken part of his country from
him, and yet Israel was too strong for them.
Numbers 22:3 3 And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because
they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of
Israel.
YLT
3and Moab is exceedingly
afraid of the presence of the people, for it [is] numerous; and Moab is vexed
by the presence of the sons of Israel,
And Moab was sore afraid of the people,.... Lest they
should enter into their country and do to them as they had done to Sihon and
Og, and their countries; on this account the king of Moab, his nobles, and the
people of the land, were in an exceeding great panic, which was a fulfilling of
the prophecy of Moses in Exodus 15:15,
because they were many the number of them taken
a little after in this place, where they now were, in the plains of Moab, even
after 24,000 had died of the plague, was 601,730, Numbers 25:9,
and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel; though they
had no reason for it, had they considered their relation to them, being the
descendants of Abraham, the uncle of Lot, whose posterity they were; and that
the Israelites had done them service in delivering them from such bad
neighbours, who had taken much of their country from them, and were doubtless
making continual encroachments on them; and especially had they known the
orders the Israelites had from the Lord not to distress them, nor contend with
them in battle, Deuteronomy 2:9,
but this they were ignorant of, and being of a different religion from the
Israelites, had them in abhorrence, or loathed them, as the word signifies;
though the meaning rather seems to be, that they had a nausea, a loathing in
their stomachs, and could not eat their food, because of the dread of the
Israelites that was upon them; or they were weary of their lives, as Jarchi
interprets it, and as the word is used, Genesis 27:46.
Numbers 22:4 4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company
will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”
And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
YLT
4and Moab saith unto the
elders of Midian, `Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as
the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.' And Balak son of Zippor [is]
king of Moab at that time,
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian,.... Whom the
king of Moab sent for to consult with what to do in the present case, for the
good and safety of both people; for, according to the Targum of Jonathan, they
were one people and one kingdom unto this time, at least had been confederates,
by what is said Genesis 36:35
though Jarchi thinks there was always a mutual hatred of each other, and that
Midian now came against Moab to war, but for fear of Israel a peace was made
between them, just as it was with Herod and Pontius Pilate in another case, Luke 23:12,
however, they were friends as well as neighbours now; and by which it appears,
that this Midian was not that where Jethro lived, which was on the Red sea,
near Mount Sinai, in Arabia Felix; this was near the river Arnon, and the
Moabites in Arabia Petraea; and though both the one and the other descended
from Midian, the son of Abraham by Keturah, yet they had spread themselves, or
the one was a colony from the other, and might be distinguished into southern
and northern Midianites; the latter were those near Moab; and these elders of Midian,
addressed by the king of Moab, being now at his court, whether sent for or not,
are the same with the five kings or princes of Midian, as they are called, Numbers 31:8 as
Aben Ezra observes:
now shall this company lick up all that are round about us; consume us,
and all our people, and all adjoining to us, and depending on us:
as the ox licketh up the grass of the field; as easily,
and as soon, and as completely and entirely; nor are we any more able to oppose
them than the grass of the field is to resist and hinder the ox from devouring
it:
and Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time; according to
the Targum of Jonathan, Midianites and Moabites reigned by turns so long a
time; and that Balak was a Midianite, and so says Jarchi, and unfit for the
kingdom, and was set over them through necessity for a time: but it seems
rather that he was king in succession after his father Zippor; and the design
of the expression is only to show, that he who was before mentioned, Numbers 22:2 was
the then reigning prince when this affair happened.
Numbers 22:5 5 Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at
Pethor, which is near the River[a] in the
land of the sons of his people,[b] to call
him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of
the earth, and are settling next to me!
YLT
5and he sendeth messengers
unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which [is] by the River of the land of the
sons of his people, to call for him, saying, `Lo, a people hath come out of
Egypt; lo, it hath covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding over-against
me;
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor,.... In
consequence of the consultation held by the king of Moab with the elders of
Midian; and very probably through a motion of theirs, and by advice they gave,
Balak dispatched messengers of both people to the person here described by his
name and parentage; but who he was is not easy to say: the Jews sometimes make
him to be a magician in Pharaoh's court, at the time when Moses was bornF26Dibre
Hayamim Shekmoaseh, fol. 3. 2. , which is not probable; and it is still more
improbable that he should be Laban the Syrian, as the Targum of Jonathan here,
and the Targum on 1 Chronicles 1:44 though
others sayF1Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 7. 2. he was the son of Beor,
the son of Laban, and so was the grandson of Laban; and with as little
probability is he said to be Elihu, that answered Job according to a tradition
of the Jews, mentioned by JeromF2Quaest. "see Traditiones"
in Gen. fol. 69. D. ; nor is there any reason to believe that he was ever a
good man, and a true prophet of the Lord; he is expressly said to be a diviner
or a soothsayer, Joshua 13:22, a
sort of men abhorred of God, and not to be suffered to be among his people, Deuteronomy 18:10
but were of great credit and esteem among the Heathens, for their pretensions
to foretell things to come, or to discover lost goods, and the like; and by
their enchantments to drive away evils, or bring on curses, for which Balaam
was famous: and therefore, by the advice of the Midianites, Balak sent for him
to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of
his people; the land of his people, of his birth or habitation, was Aram or
Syria, Numbers 23:7 that
is, Aram Naharaim, which lay between the two rivers Tigris and Euphrates, or
what is sometimes called Mesopotamia, as is clear from Deuteronomy 23:4,
and the river of that land, which was eminently so called, is the river
Euphrates, as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it here, and by that river was
Pethor, where Balaam now lived; and is by some thought to be the same with the
Pacoria of PtolemyF3Geograph. l. 5. c. 18. , which was by that
river: the messengers were sent
to call him: to invite him to Balak's court:
saying, behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; Balak speaks
of them, as if he knew not who they were, only that they were come from Egypt,
and were seeking a new habitation to settle in, and so were in danger from
them, lest they should invade his country, and settle there:
behold, they cover the face of the earth; not the face
of the whole earth, unless an hyperbolical expression is supposed, to set forth
the greatness of their numbers; but a large part of the earth, all within sight
almost, even the plains of Moab:
and they abide over against me; were very near him, lay
encamped before his country, and his metropolis, and so he thought himself in
great danger, and threatened with an invasion, as the pitching of their tents
so near made him surmise.
Numbers 22:6 6 Therefore please come at once, curse this people for
me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat
them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is
blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
YLT
6and now, come, I pray thee,
curse for me this people, for it [is] mightier than I; it may be I prevail --
we smite it -- and I cast it out from the land; for I have known -- that which
thou blessest is blessed, and that which thou cursest is cursed.'
Come now, therefore, I pray thee,.... To my country, city,
and court:
curse me this people; by imprecations on them;
and which being attended with various rites and ceremonies, brought calamities
on persons, which men of Balaam's character were supposed to have power to do:
for they are too mighty for me; to oppose and subdue by
force of arms; and therefore was obliged to have recourse to such arts and
methods he was master of; suggesting, that he was able to do more by his
divinations than could be effected by an army of men:
peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I
may drive them out of the land; there is hope, by taking such measures,
that they may be prevailed over and conquered; and that, together with your
curses, and my army, we may be able to smite them, and destroy them; you with
your tongue, and I and my people with the sword, and so drive them quite out of
the land, and get a clear riddance of them:
for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he
whom thou cursest is cursed; so high an opinion had
the king of Moab of this soothsayer and diviner, from the report he had had of
the mighty feats done by him; as, that those for whom he asked for blessings
from heaven had them, and those on whom he imprecated evils, they came upon
them; and this was a prevailing custom among the Heathens in later times, and
particularly the Romans; not only to endeavour to get the gods of the people
from them they were at war with, and whose cities they besieged, praying that
they would leave such places, cities, and their temples; but also wished evils
to cities and armies, and prayed the gods to fill them with flight, fear, and
terror, and that such evils might come upon them, which had on othersF4Vid.
Macrob. Saturnal. l. 3. c. 9. .
Numbers 22:7 7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed
with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him
the words of Balak.
YLT
7And the elders of Moab and
the elders of Midian go, and divinations in their hand, and they come in unto
Balaam, and speak unto him the words of Balak,
And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian, departed,.... By which
it appears that they were princes and nobles; for such the elders were, that
were sent on this errand to Balaam; and that they were some of both people,
Midian and Moab, that went upon it, see Numbers 22:14 which
shows, that if they were not one people, under one king, which yet seems
likely, nevertheless they made a common cause of it, and joined in this
expedient to save their country:
with the rewards of divination in their hands; not that
diviners were sent along with them to Balsam, as Aben Ezra interprets it, that
he might not deceive them, and put them off, by saying it was not a fit and
proper day or hour to go out and curse, which these men would be able to
refute; but if they were skilled in the art of divination as well as he, what
need was there to send to him, when they had such at hand? nor instruments of
divination, as Jarchi, which so famous a soothsayer could not be thought to be
without; but, as we rightly render it, the rewards of divination, which were
either fixed or left to the generosity of those that had recourse to such
persons, and were presents which they brought them, in order to engage them to
use the utmost of their art for them; and this sense is confirmed by the
Apostles Peter and Jude, see 2 Peter 2:15,
and they came unto Balaam; at Pethor:
and spake unto him the words of Balak: told him the
errand they were sent on to him by the king of Moab.
Numbers 22:8 8 And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will
bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to
me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
YLT
8and he saith unto them,
`Lodge here to-night, and I have brought you back word, as Jehovah speaketh
unto me;' and the princes of Moab abide with Balaam.
And he said unto them, lodge here this night,.... Which
shows that he was at once inclined to do their business for them, and would
readily engage in it if he could be permitted; and it looks as if it was in the
night season that he got knowledge of things, either in dreams, or by familiar
spirits, or by consulting the stars, or other methods used by him at such
seasons; or it may be, this was only said to get time before he gave them a
peremptory answer, that he might, if he could, get leave to do what they
desired, to which he showed a good inclination:
and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me; by which it
appears he had some knowledge of the true God, and pretended great familiarity
with him, thereby to make himself the more respectable; and indeed he was
surprisingly favoured with some degree of intimacy with him, which, for the
sake of Israel, he was now admitted to; whether at any other time, or on any
other occasion, is not certain; however, he promised the princes he would let
them know the next morning what was said to him, and so accordingly what he
should or could do:
and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam; that is, that
night, and so very probably the princes of Midian likewise; though some of the
Jewish writers thinkF5Jarchi, Ramban, & Isaac Arama, apud Muis
in loc. they departed as soon as they heard Balaam say he would consult the
Lord about this matter; from whence they concluded there was no room to hope
for success, since he would never consent to destroy a nation so dear unto him,
and for whose sake he had wrought so many miracles; but if this was the case,
how came the princes of Moab to stay, with whom the same objection would have
place? but the reason why they only are named may be what Aben Ezra gives an
hint of, that these were the principal persons in the embassy, in whom the rest
were included, as Balak their king was the principal person that sent them.
Numbers 22:9 9 Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these
men with you?”
YLT
9And God cometh in unto
Balaam, and saith, `Who [are] these men with thee?'
And God came unto Balaam,.... In a dream very
probably, as he did to Abimelech and Laban, Genesis 20:3,
and said, what men are these with thee? who lodged
with him that night. This he said, not as ignorant who they were, or from
whence they came, or what they came about; but in order to lead on to a
discourse with Balaam, and to have from him the account of the men, and their
business, and to try his fidelity in relating the affair.
Numbers 22:10 10 So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king
of Moab, has sent to me, saying,
YLT
10And Balaam saith unto God,
`Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me:
And Balaam said unto God,.... In answer to the
question he put to him:
Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me; these men,
and a message by them:
saying; as follows.
Numbers 22:11 11 ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover
the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to
overpower them and drive them out.’”
YLT
11Lo, the people that is
coming out from Egypt and covereth the eye of the land, -- now come, pierce it
for me; it may be I am able to fight against it, and have cast it out;'
Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt,.... In this,
and the following part of the verse, he faithfully and punctually relates the
words of Balak to him by his messengers, as well knowing he could not deceive
the omniscient God, or hide anything from him, though he could deceive men; and
conceal the truth from them, to serve a purpose; See Gill on Numbers 22:5, Numbers 22:6.
Numbers 22:12 12 And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them;
you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
YLT
12and God saith unto Balaam,
`Thou dost not go with them; thou dost not curse the people; for it [is]
blessed.'
And God said unto Balaam, thou shalt not go with them,.... Which is
a denial of the first thing Balak requested, "come now, therefore",
&c. Numbers 22:6.
thou shall not curse the people; which was the principal
thing desired, and in order to which he was solicited to go with the
messengers; but this is absolutely forbidden:
for they are blessed; by the Lord himself,
with an irrevocable blessing, and therefore it would be vain and fruitless, as
well as dangerous for him to attempt to curse them, Genesis 12:3 this may
have a special respect to the blessing of Jacob by Isaac, which could not be
reversed by the solicitations of Esau, and which descended to Jacob's
posterity, the Israelites, Genesis 27:33.
Numbers 22:13 13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes
of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has
refused to give me permission to go with you.”
YLT
13And Balaam riseth in the
morning, and saith unto the princes of Balak, `Go unto your land, for Jehovah
is refusing to suffer me to go with you;'
And Balaam rose up in the morning,.... With the impression
of the dream upon his mind, and of what had passed between God and him in it:
and said unto the princes of Balak; which shows what the
elders were that were sent, of what honour and dignity, and may include both
those of Moab and of Midian:
get you into your land; as soon as you can; set
forward on your journey, it is to no purpose to stay here:
for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you; he only
relates one part of the answer he had from the Lord, respecting his going with
them, but says not a word of his being forbid to curse Israel, and of the
reason given why he should not; had he reported this, in all probability it
would have prevented any further application to him, and so any attempt to get
this done, which Balaam seemed aware of; and therefore, by concealing this,
hoped for fresh solicitations and entreaties, and that in time the Lord might
be prevailed on to let him go and curse them; he having a covetous desire of
riches, honour, and preferment, in Balak's court.
Numbers 22:14 14 And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and
said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
YLT
14and the princes of Moab
rise, and come in unto Balak, and say, `Balaam is refusing to come with us.'
And the princes of Moab rose up,.... And the princes of
Midian also, immediately, without entering into a parley with him, to persuade
him to go with them; perceiving by his answer that it would be to no purpose,
and that he was determined to do as the Lord directed him:
and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with
us; as Balaam told them less than what God had said to him, so they
related less to Balak than what Balaam had said to them; saying nothing of the
Lord's refusing to let him go with them, but represent it as a piece of pride
and obstinacy in Balaam, and which Balak was left to understand; and it seems
as if he did understand it as a piece of policy in Balaam, to get a larger
offer of money or honour, or both, from him, and which the following account
seems to confirm.
Numbers 22:15 15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more
honorable than they.
YLT
15And Balak addeth yet to
send princes, more numerous and honoured than these,
And Balak sent yet again princes more, and more honourable than
they. More in number, and greater in quality, princes of the first rank
in his court; supposing that Balaam thought he was not treated with respect
enough, they being princes of the meaner sort, and but few, that were sent unto
him before, which he imagined was the reason, at least one reason, why he
refused to come with them; persons of Balaam's character in those days being
highly revered.
Numbers 22:16 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says
Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me;
YLT
16and they come in unto
Balaam, and say to him, `Thus said Balak son of Zippor, Be not, I pray thee,
withheld from coming unto me,
And they came to Balaam,.... Though men of such
rank and dignity, they did not decline the embassy, being sent by their king;
nor did they think it below them to wait upon this soothsayer:
and said unto him, thus saith Balak the son of Zippor; representing
their master, and addressing the diviner in his name, as his ambassadors; at
the same time doing honour to Balak that sent them, of whom they speak
respectfully, and to Balaam, to whom they were sent:
let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me; no business,
though ever so important, that might be upon his hands; nor any want of respect
to him he might imagine; nor if the rewards offered were not thought
sufficient; nor any persuasions of men to the contrary; and if it could be
thought he knew anything of the prohibition of God, that may be included; so
urgent was he upon his coming to him.
Numbers 22:17 17 for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do
whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’”
YLT
17for very greatly I honour
thee, and all that thou sayest unto me I do; and come, I pray thee, pierce for
me this people.'
For I will promote thee unto very great honour,.... In his
court, by making him some great officer there, perhaps his prime minister; so
that as before he laid a bait for his covetousness, sending him large presents,
and rewards of divination; here, for his pride and ambition, promising him
court preferment; though Aben Ezra interprets it of mammon or riches, of which
he could give him an immense sum: "in honouring I will exceedingly honour
thee"F6כבד אכבדך
מאד "honorando honorabo te valde",
Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator. ; or load thee with wealth and riches; and so
Balaam seems to understand it, since in his answer he says, "if Balak
would give me his house full of silver and gold"; both civil honour and
worldly wealth may be taken into the account, since they are both heavy and
weighty things, and very desirable and ensnaring:
and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me; give him what
money he should ask of him, put him into whatsoever place and office he should
desire; and though he was a sovereign prince, would be at his beck and command,
and do whatever he should direct him to do in his kingdom, as well as in what
concerned the affair of cursing Israel; as we find he afterwards did, with
respect to sacrifices and rites relative thereunto:
come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; renewing the
request made in the first embassy with great importunity, Numbers 22:6 but
using here a different word for "cursing"; there, as Munster
observes, the word signifies to curse lightly; here, to blaspheme and utterly
devote to ruin; to which may be added, to curse expressly and by name, to
pierce through and through, to deprive of all benefits, and to destroy utterly.
Numbers 22:18 18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of
Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could
not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to
do less or more.
YLT
18And Balaam answereth and
saith unto the servants of Balak, `If Balak doth give to me the fulness of his
house of silver and gold, I am not able to pass over the command of Jehovah my
God, to do a little or a great thing;
And Balaam answered, and said unto the servant's of Balak,.... Who were
not only princes of the land, but officers of state in the court of Balak:
if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot
go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more; which is well
spoken, had it been from his heart: he speaks very respectfully of God, calling
him by his great and incommunicable name Jehovah, the Being of beings;
representing him as the object of his worship and adoration, as he might be
along with other gods, which was the practice of the Heathens in those times,
particularly the Syrians, among whom Balaam lived; so did Laban and others
before him: likewise he makes a profession of him, and claims an interest in
him, which he might the rather do, to make himself look greater, as being the
servant of the most high God; for the Gentiles in those times, and indeed in
later times, had a notion of one supreme God, superior to all the rest; and
this Jehovah Balaam claimed as his God: he speaks very well of the word of God,
to which he pretended so strict a regard, that he would not transgress it in
the least, for all that Balak could give him or more, no, not for all the money
in the world; and yet his heart at the same time went after his covetousness,
and he was eagerly desirous and greedy of getting the advantages into his hands
that were offered him; for he hoped that God would change his mind, and alter
his word, and give him leave to go and get the money, as appears by what
follows.
Numbers 22:19 19 Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight,
that I may know what more the Lord will say
to me.”
YLT
19and, now, abide, I pray
you, in this [place], you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to
speak with me.'
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night,.... As the
former messengers had; this shows his strong inclination to go along with them,
and do what was desired of him, could he be permitted; otherwise he might and
ought to have told the messengers at once that Balak needed not to have given
himself and them so much trouble, since it was not in his power to do for him
what he requested; nor would he attempt it, as being contrary to the will of
God, and therefore it would be their best way to return as soon as they could;
but instead of that, he desires them to stay that night, which must give them
some hope of succeeding in their embassy:
that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more; he hoped he
would change his mind, and say something to him different from, and contrary to
what he had before declared unto him, which to suppose of God is great vileness
and wickedness; to such a pitch did his greedy desire after riches and honour
work him up into; he ought to have been satisfied with the answer already given
him, and not to have inquired more.
Numbers 22:20 20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If
the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which
I speak to you—that you shall do.”
YLT
20And God cometh in unto
Balaam, by night, and saith to him, `If to call for thee the men have come,
rise, go with them, and only the thing which I speak unto thee -- it thou dost
do.'
And the Lord came unto Balaam at night,.... As
before, Numbers 22:9 it may
be in a dream; the Targum of Jonathan is as there,"a word came from the
Lord:"
and said unto him, if the men come and call thee, rise up, and go
with them; this was said, as some think, not seriously, but sarcastically,
or rather in an angry manner, bidding him go, if he would; so giving him up to
his own heart's lusts, or, at most; only permitting him to go with them, but
not to curse Israel; and this permission to go seems to be on this condition,
if the princes first called him, and were urgent on him to go with them: this
was a trial of Balaam, whether he would be eager and forward to go, or
patiently wait until he should be called; or the words may be rendered,
"seeing", or becauseF7אם
"quandoquidem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Noldius, p. 88.
& Ainsworth. :
they are come to call thee: but yet the word which I shall say
unto thee, that shall thou do; whether he would or not, he should be
forced to do it, as Jarchi; and therefore go not with any intention to curse
Israel, which shall never be done; wherefore to go would be vain and fruitless,
since he would never be able to answer the design of Balak: but still Balaam
hoped, it not being so fully and clearly expressed as before, that he should
not curse Israel; that God would say something else unto him, though he had no
reason at all for it, but all the reverse; so blinded was he with a greedy
desire of riches and honour.
Numbers 22:21 21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and
went with the princes of Moab.
YLT
21And Balaam riseth in the
morning, and saddleth his ass, and goeth with the princes of Moab,
And Balaam rose up in the morning,.... Early, not waiting
for the call of the princes, which showed how eager he was to be gone, and how
intent upon the journey:
and saddled his ass; which, if he did
himself, as Jarchi suggests, this is a further proof of the haste he was in;
though, as he had two servants with him, it is more likely that they did it by
his order: the same is said of Abraham, Genesis 22:3, it
was usual for persons of note and figure, in those times and countries, to ride
on asses, Judges 5:10 and
went with the princes of Moab; in company with them, and with as good a will as
they, his heart and theirs being alike, as Jarchi notes; though it seems by
what follows that by some means or another they soon parted company; for when
the affair of the ass happened, Balaam was alone, only attended by his two
servants.
Numbers 22:22 22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the
Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was
riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
YLT
22and the anger of God
burneth because he is going, and a messenger of Jehovah stationeth himself in
the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his ass, and two of his
servants [are] with him,
And God's anger was kindled because he went,.... Though he
had given him leave to go; but then it was upon condition that the princes
called him to go with them, whereas he went without their call, and did not
wait for it; and besides, he did not acquaint them, as he did not the
messengers before, of what God had said, that he should not curse Israel, nor
say anything contrary to this his will, which, had he told them, they would not
have taken him with them; moreover, he went with an intention, with a good will
to curse Israel, which must be displeasing to God, who knew his heart; so the
Targum of Jonathan,"and the anger of the Lord was strong, because he went
to curse them;'likewise, though he had a permission to go, it was in an angry
manner, and was not agreeable to the Lord he should go, and therefore should
not have gone notwithstanding; or, at least, he might expect some marks of the
divine displeasure; so Jarchi observes, he saw that the thing was evil in the
eyes of the Lord, or displeasing to him, and yet he desired it; just as the
people of Israel, when the Lord bid them go up and possess the land, which case
Aben Ezra instances in; they desired persons might be sent before hand to spy
out the land, which, though permitted, they smarted for it: for not whatsoever
God permits is well pleasing to him; besides, the words may be renderedF8כי הולך "quum iret",
Noldius, p. 403. , "when he went", or, "as he was going";
and so not a reason of the Lord's anger, but expresses when it was kindled or
broke forth:
and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against
him; that this was not a created angel, one of the ministering
spirits, but the eternal one, the angel of Jehovah's presence, appears from Numbers 22:35 that went
before the people of Israel in the wilderness, not only to guide but to guard
and protect them; and who was an adversary to their adversaries, and at all
times stood up for their help and assistance against all those that hated and
opposed them: Jarchi calls him an angel of mercy, who would have restrained
Balaam from sinning, that he might not sin and perish, and so was rather a
friend than an adversary, had he attended to him:
now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him; who, the
Targum of Jonathan says, were Jannes and Jambres, the magicians of Egypt, of
whom see 2 Timothy 3:8 these
only were with him, the princes of Midian on some account or another being
separated from him.
Numbers 22:23 23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the
donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck
the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
YLT
23and the ass seeth the
messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and
the ass turneth aside out of the way, and goeth into a field, and Balaam
smiteth the ass to turn it aside into the way.
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,.... Which
Balaam did not; his eyes being held from seeing him by the power and providence
of God, that he might be reproved and rebuked by his ass, to whom God gave
power to see, more than to him, as Jarchi notes, so that he had little reason
to boast of his visions and revelations, and that he was the man whose eyes
were open: the angel stood in the very pathway on which the ass was carrying
Balaam: and his sword drawn in his hand; as threatening to destroy him, and as
if he was just about to push at him, and signifying hereby not only that he
deserved to die, but what death he should die of, namely, by the sword, as he
did, Numbers 31:8.
and the ass turned aside out of the way; out of the
common road, to save its master and itself, from a natural principle of
self-preservation: and went into the field; adjoining to, and that lay along
the road side:
and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way; with his
staff, as in Numbers 22:27 to
bring her into the common road again.
Numbers 22:24 24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a
narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall
on that side.
YLT
24And the messenger of
Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards -- a wall on this [side] and
a wall on that –
But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyard,..... Which
were in the field into which the ass went, and before Balaam could turn her
back she got into a narrow path, between the vineyards, as the Targum of
Jonathan; a footpath which lay between them, or a footpath where foxes ran and
had their holes, who used to lie near vineyards and among them, see Song of Solomon 1:14
however, it was a very narrow path, and here the angel placed himself, so that
there was no passage for Balaam and his ass, at least not without great
difficulty and danger:
a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side; and therefore
there was no going out into the field, as before, to avoid the difficulty and
danger; this being, as Jarchi observes, a stone wall that was on each side.
Numbers 22:25 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot
against the wall; so he struck her again.
YLT
25and the ass seeth the
messenger of Jehovah, and is pressed unto the wall, and presseth Balaam's foot
unto the wall, and he addeth to smite her;
And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord,.... In the
same position as before, with a drown sword in his hand, and being frightened
again, and in a narrow path, and no way to turn aside:
she thrust herself unto the wall; to one of the walls, as
close as she could, in order to get by the angel:
and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; running up so
very closely to it:
and he smote her again; having done it once
before, Numbers 22:23 the
times of smiting are observed, for the sake of what the ass after said, and for
the confirmation of it.
Numbers 22:26 26 Then the Angel of the Lord went
further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn
either to the right hand or to the left.
YLT
26and the messenger of
Jehovah addeth to pass over, and standeth in a strait place where there is no
way to turn aside -- right or left –
And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow
place,.... More narrow than the other, at a further distance:
where was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the left; it was so
strait and close a place that the angel filled the whole breadth of it, that
there was no passing him; so that there was no getting forward nor backward;
not forward, because the angel filled up the way, and there was no slipping by
him; nor backward, because it could not turn itself to the right or left.
Numbers 22:27 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he
struck the donkey with his staff.
YLT
27and the ass seeth the
messenger of Jehovah, and croucheth under Balaam, and the anger of Balaam
burneth, and he smiteth the ass with a staff.
And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord,.... The third
time; for it seems that he was not always in sight, but disappeared as he
removed from place to place, and at every new place where he stood the ass saw
him, though her master did not:
she fell down under Balaam; upon her knees on the
ground, not being able to go backwards nor forwards, nor to turn out of the way
to the right or left:
and Balaam's anger was kindled; he was displeased and
out of humour before, when it turned into the field, and when it squeezed his
foot against the wall, and therefore he smote it; but now falling down with
him, he was in a fume and fury, quite enraged:
and he smote the ass with a staff; which he rode with,
perhaps his divining staff, see Hosea 4:12, it is
not said what he smote it with before but probably with the same: Aben Ezra
says, at the first and second time he smote it with a small stick, or with a
thong.
Numbers 22:28 28 Then the Lord opened the
mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you
have struck me these three times?”
YLT
28And Jehovah openeth the
mouth of the ass, and she saith to Balaam, `What have I done to thee that thou
hast smitten me these three times?'
And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam,.... This was
a very extraordinary and miraculous affair, and effected by a supernatural
power, that a dumb creature, which had not organs endued with speech, should
speak so plainly and distinctly, as is after expressed; and yet it should not
be thought incredible, for what is it that Omnipotence cannot do? wherefore
there is no need to say, as some Jewish writersF9Maimon. Moreh
Nevochim, par. 2. c. 42. Ben Gersom in loc. , that this was all done in a
visionary way, and not really and literally performed; nor can Heathens well
object to the verity of it, if they believe what they themselves report
concerning one of the asses which carried Bacchus over a river, to which, for
reward, he gave the power of speaking with an human voiceF11Hygin. Poet.
Astronomic. l. 2. c. 23. "Lactant, de falsa Relig". l. 1. c. 21. ;
though it is very probable the fable was framed from this story, and frequently
do their writers speak of other brute creatures endued with speech; so HomerF12Iliad.
19. "prope finem". represents Xanthus, the horse of Achilles, having
the faculty of speech given it by Juno: Pliny saysF13Nat. Hist. l.
8. c. 45. , it is commonly reported among the wonderful things of the ancients,
that an ox spoke; and LivyF14Hist. l. 24. c. 10. l. 27. c. 11. l.
28. c. 11. and l. 35. c. 21. frequently makes mention of an ox spoke speaking
in divers places, and of one particularly that said,"Rome, take heed to
thyself;'not to take notice of a lamb in Egypt in the times of Bocchoris that
spoke, related by AelianusF15De Animal. l. 12. c. 3. and others; nor
of the ram of Phrixus, or the dog at Ariminum, and the elephant of Porus in
India, with others BochartF16Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 14. col.
197, 198. has collected together: the words spoken by the ass were as follow:
what have l done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three
times? and just so many times she had been smitten by him, Numbers 22:23.
Numbers 22:29 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have
abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”
YLT
29and Balaam saith to the
ass, `Because thou hast rolled thyself against me; oh that there were a sword
in my hand, for now I had slain thee;'
And Balaam said unto the ass, because thou hast mocked me,.... Or rather
"defiled me", as the word is rendered in Job 16:15 by running
with him against a wall, and by lying down with him in the dust and dirt, and
so the Arabic version renders it,"because thou hast rolled me in the
dirt;'the sense of mocking is not easy to be understood, unless it be that it
exposed him to be mocked and laughed at by others, by turning aside, and lying
down, and being so unruly; but then there were only his servants with him, to
whom only he could be exposed in such a manner, which one would think would not
have given him so much concern, and put him into such a passion: the word
sometimes is used for seeking occasion, and such a sense it may have here, as
that it sought an opportunity or occasion to throw him, and so to kill him, or
at least to do him harm, see Daniel 6:4.
I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee: so enraged
was he, and his passion was so great, that he was not at all frightened and
amazed to hear the ass speak, though JosephusF17Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6.
sect. 3. represents him as disturbed and astonished at it; but some think, he
being used to converse with spirits in the shapes of various creatures, it was
no surprise to him to hear it speak.
Numbers 22:30 30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your
donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day?
Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”
YLT
30and the ass saith unto
Balaam, `Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden since [I was] thine
unto this day? have I at all been accustomed to do to thee thus?' and he saith,
`No.'
And the ass said unto Balaam,.... Made a reply to him,
as if it understood what he said, and had the faculty of reasoning and
discoursing, as well as of speaking, which is very amazing:
am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was
thine unto this day? or rather, "ever since thou wast"; not ever since he
was in being, but ever since he could ride, so Aben Ezra; according to which,
it seems that this was the first he rode upon, and which he had always been
used to; hence the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it,"upon
which thou hast rode from thy youth unto this day;'and be it that Balaam was a
man pretty well advanced in years, an ass is a creature that lives a long time:
Pliny saysF18Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 43. it lives thirty years; and an
Arabic writerF19Algiahid in Damir. apud Bochart, ut supra,
(Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 14.) Colossians 195.
makes mention of an ass that the owner of it rode on forty years:
was I ever wont to do so unto thee? to start out of the way,
or lie down with him, could anyone instance be given of it? suggesting that she
was a sure footed creature, and had always carefully and safely carried him,
for which it appeals to him:
and he said, nay; she had never been used to serve him in
such a manner as she had now, and therefore he might have concluded that
something more than ordinary was the matter; and it is much his conscience had
not accused him that he was wrong in coming with the princes, taking the alarm
from these circumstances, had he not been an hardened creature, or, at least,
had he not been so eagerly bent on riches and honour.
Numbers 22:31 31 Then the Lord opened
Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing
in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell
flat on his face.
YLT
31And Jehovah uncovereth the
eyes of Balaam, and he seeeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and
his drawn sword in his hand, and he boweth and doth obeisance, to his face;
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam,.... Who
either was struck with blindness, as the men of Sodom were, so some think, or
rather his eyes were held, that he could not see the angel; he could see other
objects, as his ass, but he could not see that; as Elisha's servant could see
the host that compassed the city, but not the chariots and horses of fire about
Elisha, till his eyes were opened, 2 Kings 6:15 and so
it was with Balaam until the Lord uncovered his eyes, or rolled away the vail
over them, or took that off which by his power and providence hindered his
sight:
and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his
sword drawn in his hand; in the same position as in Numbers 22:23.
and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face; from off his
ass upon the ground, in reverence of the illustrious object before him, and
through fear of being slain by his sword in his hand.
Numbers 22:32 32 And the Angel of the Lord said to
him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come
out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.
YLT
32and the messenger of
Jehovah saith unto him, `Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three
times? lo, I -- I have come out for an adversary, for [thy] way hath been
perverse before me,
And the angel of the Lord said unto him,.... When
risen up, and standing before him:
wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? the brute
creatures are not to be beaten without cause, nor to be misused and abused by
men, even their owners:
behold, I went out to withstand thee; the ass was
not to be blamed, nor to be beaten for turning aside, or lying down, it was I
that stood in the way, and hindered its going forward, and this was done by me
on purpose to oppose and stop thee:
because thy way is perverse before me; the journey
he took was not with his good liking and approbation, and especially seeing he
went with an intention, if possible, to serve Balak, and curse Israel; the way
of his heart was bad, which the Lord knew; it was not directed according to his
will, but swerved from it; the Targum of Jonathan is,"it is manifest
before me that thou seekest to go and curse the people, and the thing is not
agreeable to me.'
Numbers 22:33 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three
times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you
by now, and let her live.”
YLT
33and the ass seeth me, and
turneth aside at my presence these three times; unless she had turned aside
from my presence, surely now also, thee I had slain, and her kept alive.'
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times,.... The ass
saw the angel when Balaam did not, and that was the reason of its turning
aside; and it was well for him it did, and therefore he should not have smote
it:
unless she had turned from me; if she had pushed on,
endeavouring to make her way:
surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive; had certainly
and only slain him, and not the ass; and from hence the Jewish writersF20Bemidbar
Rabba, sect. 20. fol. 227. 4. Aben Ezra in loc. gather, that the ass was now
slain, lest it should be said, this is the ass that spoke, and so be made an
idol of.
Numbers 22:34 34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against
me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”
YLT
34And Balaam saith unto the
messenger of Jehovah, `I have sinned, for I did not know that thou [art]
standing to meet me in the way; and now, if evil in thine eyes -- I turn back
by myself.'
And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned,.... That is,
in beating the ass; not that he was sensible of his sin of covetousness, and of
the evil disposition of his mind, and of his wicked intention in going along
with the princes to curse Israel, if possible, and get Balak's presents and
preferments:
for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me; signifying,
that if he had known it, he should not have smitten the ass, but submitted
himself to the will of the angel:
now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again; which he
spoke very coldly and faintly, not caring heartily to go back, unless forced to
it; for seeing a drawn sword in his hand, he might be afraid of his life should
he persist in his journey, and therefore feigns a readiness to go back,
quitting it on condition that his going forwards was displeasing; whereas he
knew it was, especially his going with an evil mind to hurt Israel if possible.
Numbers 22:35 35 Then the Angel of the Lord said to
Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall
speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
YLT
35And the messenger of
Jehovah saith unto Balaam, `Go with the men; and only the word which I speak
unto thee -- it thou dost speak;' and Balaam goeth with the princes of Balak.
And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, go with the men,.... Which was
not a command, but a concession, or rather a permission, leaving him to go if
he would, suffering him to follow his own heart's lusts, and giving him up to
them to his own destruction; and besides, it was not his going barely that was
displeasing to God, but his going with such a bad intention:
but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt
speak; which expresses not only what he ought to do, but what he should
be obliged to do, even to bless the people against his will, when his mind was
to curse them, it being for his worldly interest; and therefore it is suggested
he had better not go at all, since he never would be able to carry his point,
yea, would be brought to shame and confusion before Balak and his nobles: the
angel speaking in the same language as God did before to Balaam, Numbers 22:20 shows
that not a created angel, but a divine Person, is here meant:
so Balaam went with the princes of Balak; whom after
this he quickly overtook, or they him, or they met together at some appointed
place, and proceeded on in their journey.
Numbers 22:36 36 Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went
out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the
Arnon, the boundary of the territory.
YLT
36And Balak heareth that
Balaam hath come, and goeth out to meet him, unto a city of Moab, which [is] on
the border of Arnon, which [is] in the extremity of the border;
And when Balak heard that
Balaam was come,.... Messengers being sent to acquaint him with it, either by
Balaam, or by the princes:
he went out to meet him; overjoyed at the news
that his princes had succeeded, and to show him respect, and do him honour, and
all to encourage him to do his utmost for him:
unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in
the utmost coast; by the situation of it, being on the border of the river Arnon,
which river was in the extreme parts of Moab, and divided between the Moabites
and Amorites, it is generally thought to be the city Ar, called "Ar of
Moab", see Numbers 21:13, and
the king coming to meet Balaam so far as the uttermost border of his dominions
showed the greater respect to him.
Numbers 22:37 37 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send
to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor
you?”
YLT
37and Balak saith unto
Balaam, `Did I not diligently sent unto thee to call for thee? why didst thou
not come unto me? am I not truly able to honour thee?'
And Balak said unto Balaam,.... Upon
their meeting together:
did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? or "in
sending send"F21שלח שלחתי "mittendo misi", Pagninus, Montanus. ; the
first messengers in a very pressing manner, with great importunity, to give
thee an invitation to come to me, and those men of rank and quality, with
rewards of divination in their hands, and yet the invitation was rejected; and
after them other messengers, more in number and greater in dignity, with larger
offers and promises; and now indeed thou art come, but with much ado, what is
the meaning of all this?
wherefore camest thou not unto me? at first, without
showing so much indifference and reluctance, and which obliged me to send
another message to thee:
am I not able to promote thee to honour? to give thee
wealth and riches, and put thee into high places of honour and profit? hadst
thou any doubt in thy mind about it, either concerning my ability or will to do
it?
Numbers 22:38 38 And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you!
Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my
mouth, that I must speak.”
YLT
38And Balaam saith unto
Balak, `Lo, I have come unto thee; now -- am I at all able to speak anything?
the word which God setteth in my mouth -- it I do speak.'
And Balaam said unto
Balak, lo, I am come unto thee,.... And therefore let nothing more be said
of what is past: and as for future things:
have I now any power at all to say anything? that would be
agreeable to the king, and answer his purpose in sending for him, namely, to
curse the people of Israel; he suggests that he had not, he was under the
powerful restraint of God; he could not say what he himself was inclined to
say, and what the king would have him say, and he expected he should; he could
not say as some in Psalm 12:4, the
word
that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak; whether
agreeable to Balak's will and design or not, and whether for or against Israel:
however, it being expressed in such indefinite terms might leave room for Balak
to hope it might answer his expectations and wishes.
Numbers 22:39 39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath
Huzoth.
YLT
39And Balaam goeth with
Balak, and they come to Kirjath-Huzoth,
And Balaam went with Balak,.... From Ar
of Moab, or, however, from the place where they met, to the royal city where
Balak had his palace, and seems to be the place following:
and they came to Kirjathhuzoth; which Jarchi interprets
a city full of streets, a populous place, having a multitude of men, women, and
children in the streets of it; and the same writer suggests as if Balak's view
in this was to move the pity of Balaam, that such a number of people might not
be rooted out and destroyed.
Numbers 22:40 40 Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some
to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
YLT
40and Balak sacrificeth oxen
and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who [are] with him;
And Balak offered oxen and
sheep,.... Or "slew"F23ויזבח
"cuinque occidisset", V. L. them, either for sacrifice; and if so
Balak was the sacrificer, as it was common for kings to be priests; and then
Balaam, who was sent for, was the prophet, that was to observe and explain any
omen at the time of sacrificing, as Calchas did, when the chiefs of Greece
sacrificedF24Homer. Iliad. 1. : or rather for a feast, as the
following words seem to show; though it might be for both, it being usual, when
sacrifices were offered to idols, to eat part of them in a festival way, in
imitation of the peace offerings of the Jews, see Numbers 25:2,
and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him; either part
of it to them, or he sent for them to come, and partake of the feast, he and
the princes of Moab and Midian, that had been to fetch him, and still attended
him; and this the king did in a way of rejoicing, being glad that Balaam was
come, and as expressing his well pleasedness with the conduct of the princes,
and their success, as well as to keep Balaam in high spirits, hoping to have
his end answered by him.
Numbers 22:41 41 So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and
brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the
extent of the people.
YLT
41and it cometh to pass in
the morning, that Balak taketh Balaam, and causeth him to go up the high places
of Baal, and he seeth from thence the extremity of the people.
And it came to pass on the
morrow,.... The day after the arrival of Balaam at Balak's royal seat,
and after the entertainment given him, and the princes, "on the
morning"F25בבקר in matutino,
Montanus; mane, V. L. Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. of that day, as the
word signifies; and perhaps early in the morning, the king eager to be about
business, and get the people of Israel cursed if possible as soon as could be:
that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of
Baal; where groves were planted, and altars erected to that
"idol" and which the Targum of Jonathan calls the idol Peor, the same
with Baalpeor, Numbers 25:3 which
might be their god Chemosh, the same with Bacchus or Priapus:
that thence he might see the utmost part of the people; the whole
host of Israel, even to the extreme part of it; the camp of Dan, as the Targum
of Jonathan, which brought up the rear; he had him to those high places, both
that he might have a better view of the whole body of the people, and know how
they lay, and to direct his curses at them, and that success might attend the
undertaking, these being places of religious worship. Josephus saysF26Antiqu.
l. 4. c. 6. sect. 4. those high places were sixty furlongs or seven and one
half miles from the camp of Israel.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)