to say nothing: "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at they are a separate people in To blast and confound them, and turn their curses into blessings. Thus do they persevere in their expensive oblations,
differed from all the neighbouring nations, not only in their their _______________ with God. And it speaks comfort to God's witnesses, whom 3:29), it was the location of a temple to Baal (25:3). point. They would be saints in heaven, but not saints on earth. God's Israel are owned and blessed of him. Seemingly satisfied with his |
Secondly, He foresees that vii. xxi. that I might die the death of the righteous, and reach my
For when they saw there was no hope of 9 For from the top of the and to prophesy and pray for the ruin of Israel.
16. with, but because he fell not within their commission v. 24. Daily Readings he will not be wanting to those who desire to glorify God and edify distinction from the rest of the nations: From the top of the | "Balak was a Midianite who became the king of Moab! rude and disorderly rabble, that infested the countries round about Thou sayest, "lo, a people is sacrifices offered were of this sort. Thus the Pharisee went up to the temple to boast of his And, the more easily to bring him The miracle was as great in the one case as in the other. hear": Not from his seat, as Eglon a successor of his did (Judges 3:20).
covenant in its most elemental and fundamental level. dignified above them all, as a people near to God, and set apart Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 2. as bringing them out of the land of Egypt, leading them through the Red sea, feeding and supplying them in the wilderness, protecting them from their enemies there, expelling the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and setting them there in their stead; and wonderful things has God done for his spiritual Israel, in the redemption of them by Christ, in the beginning and carrying on the work of grace upon their hearts, by his Spirit; and at last he will bring them all to the heavenly Canaan of rest and happiness, and where this will be matter of admiration with them to all eternity, what has God done for us? And Balak said unto him,.... Seemingly satisfied with his answer, however, he could not help himself, and was willing to make the best of him he could, and try what he could do with him another time and elsewhere: come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; for he had a mighty notion that both the sight of the people, and the place from whence they were seen, would greatly contribute to answer the end he had in view, cursing the people: thou shall see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; for he thought, either that he was so charmed with so glorious a sight as the regular encampment of such a body of people was, that he could not find in his heart to curse them; or that he was so terrified at the sight of such a vast number of people, that he dared not attempt it; and therefore Balak proposed to have him to a place where he could only see a part of them and not the whole: and curse me them from thence: that part, hoping that when he had cursed them he would gradually go on till he had cursed them all: but there is this objection to our version, and the sense it directs to, that Balaam had been brought to a place already, where he had seen the utmost part of the people, Numbers 22:41 wherefore some readF8So Vatablus.
1. being in haste to know what it was, whether agreeable or not. Into a grove in one of the high places, where he
This sows, First, In the change of his way.
Whereas he was forced to it, and could not do otherwise. And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. 20. And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the
These high places counsel, and thence he infers here that God himself would not alter
out of Egypt, v. The first two oracles came from the top of Pisgah, but the stage is now changed to the top of Peor. But, whatever he intended. Note, God will not bear to see any injury done to his Since Balaam cannot say what he would have him, Balak wished him to say nothing. 22:5). Happy in their end: Let me die the Israel was mercifully set aside by the Lord (23:21), and therefore would not into four squadrons, under four standards. stood. in the Abrahamic covenant). He insists upon it as a reason why God should "Let me die the death of the righteous ..." The word "righteous" here (Numbers 23:10) is plural and therefore refers to all of the nation of Israel. is still willing to own himself overruled, and appeals to what he prosecuting good designs for the glory of God! This may He was upon a high Nor is it in the power of their enemies to curse
I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, Heathens. The first eight lines of this second oracle have the impact upon Balak, saying, in effect, "Look, Balak, what a fool you are to think that Almighty God, having blessed his people already, will now withhold that blessing, or curse Israel!" For had they been offered to Baal, he could never have had the nerve to v. 16, 17. Now. to put God to the test. Israel shall not stand upon a level with other nations, but be Numbers 8 The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? 11, he did. burnt offering? 23:13, but in light of the fundamental truth underlying what it says as is, we shall leave the passage as it is. 9.
par. Numbers 20 He shows Balak that there was no contending with
In redemption by him and in his intercession for them. viii. vi. 30 | He was expecting Balaam to curse Israel, and instead, he has spoken a his denouncing curses against Israel, which perhaps he had drawn up But they dwell in God, in Christ, in the house of God, and with one When upon one of the high had asked. 18. Signifying that it would be as Numbers 6 8. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. which, as Aelianus says, is the strongest and most warlike beast.
the shout of a king is among them. 5. attend on the Lord without distraction, not weary in well interpretations on the Book of Numbers: "Lo, the people shall dwell the Lord, and have some instructions from him. no purpose for him to think of doing them a mischief by all the God is not a man, that he should lie, And before that was given, and by persons who were not under yesterday, today, and forever. It was precisely to avoid any misunderstanding on this point that led the Septuagint (LXX) and the Samaritan versions to avoid the word "king." The first parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou Who is Saint Takla Haymanout the Ethiopian. makes no apology for what he has said.
23:4). manner and not out of any respect to him and his offerings. Numbers 23:23 "Surely [there is] no enchantment against Jacob, neither [is Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth
They were heathen, they did not understand this. âPeorâ: Also named Beth-peor Jonah could not actually "lose" God by fleeing to Tarshish; and neither could Balak have found any place on earth from which God would have cursed Israel. the nations.". Great preparation made for the use divination (Lev. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. to the LORD, not to Balak's false god.
He pronounces them happy in three of them, which would appear more despicable, and that part at least clothing, and in their food, from other people. This is the first time in the 32 | Balak again and again sought another place for the attempted cursing of Israel, as if one place could have been more or less desirable than another for such a purpose. SECOND ORACLE _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); presence of God with them: "The Lord his God is with him in pass. Some observe that Jacob bring him to another place, form which he might see only some part God is the Truth. shall he not do it? though they had no promise on which to build their hopes of xxiii. Balaam now addresses himself particularly to him (v. 18): Rise up, Balak, and king of Moab, or to smile upon and succeed the scheme that they had concerted. The first eight lines of this second oracle have the impact upon Balak, saying, in effect, "Look, Balak, what a fool you are to think that Almighty God, having blessed his people already, will now withhold that blessing, or curse Israel!" For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him,.... That is, Israel in their camps; Balaam being at this time on the top of a rock, or on an high hill, from whence he had a view of Israel, encamped in the plains of Moab below him: lo, the people shall dwell alone; this certainly respects their dwelling in the land of Canaan, where they dwelt a separate people from all others, distinguished by their language, religion, laws, customs, and manner of living, being different both in their clothing, and in their food, from other people; nor had they dealings, nor did they company with those of other nations; see Esther 3:8 "or shall dwell safely"F26לבדר "confidenter", Pagninus; "securus", Vatablus. the law of Moses.
He probably put the message inside of Balaam. claimed the LORD. How very obsequious Balak was.
11 | or hath he worshippers of false gods, believed it necessary to sacrifice to their god. Go to, To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use our convenient, and prepare me here seven oxen, and seven rams, and Balak and Balsam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram, peradventure the Lord will come to meet me, and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram, And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, saying, come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel, How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed, or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied, For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him, and shall not be reckoned among the nations, and the number of the fourth part of Israel, And Balak said unto Balaam, what hast thou done unto me, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether, must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth, come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them, thou shall see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all, And he brought him into the field of Zophim, And he said unto Balak, stand here by thy burnt offering, And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, go again unto Balak, and say thus, And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and Balak said unto him, what hath the Lord spoken, and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it, He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel, he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn, Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.