_AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SET FORWARD, AND PITCHED IN THE PLAINS OF MOAB ON THIS SIDE JORDAN BY JERICHO._ The children of Israel set forward. The starting-point was Ije-Abarim 21:10; 33:48), on the Moabitish frontier. The Israelites had formed a regular encampment there, completed by the erection... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAK THE SON OF ZIPPOR SAW ALL THAT ISRAEL HAD DONE TO THE AMORITES._ Balak the son of Zippor, [Septuagint, Sepfoor]. "Balak" - i:e., empty. Corbeaux ('Jour. Sac. Lit.,' April, 1852, p. 78) endeavours to show that this king was not a native Moabite, but a chieftain of the ancient race of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND MOAB WAS SORE AFRAID OF THE PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY WERE MANY: AND MOAB WAS DISTRESSED BECAUSE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL._ And Moab was sore afraid of the people. The presence of so vast a multitude, and the irresistible rapidity of their conquests in the adjoining kingdoms, naturally diffused a... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Moab said unto the elders of Midian. While branches of the Midianites established th... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE SENT MESSENGERS THEREFORE UNTO BALAAM THE SON OF BEOR TO PETHOR, WHICH IS BY THE RIVER OF THE LAND OF THE CHILDREN OF HIS PEOPLE, TO CALL HIM, SAYING, BEHOLD, THERE IS A PEOPLE COME OUT FROM EGYPT: BEHOLD, THEY COVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH, AND THEY ABIDE OVER AGAINST ME:_ He sent messengers the... [ Continue Reading ]
_COME NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY THEE, CURSE ME THIS PEOPLE; FOR THEY ARE TOO MIGHTY FOR ME: PERADVENTURE I SHALL PREVAIL, THAT WE MAY SMITE THEM, AND THAT I MAY DRIVE THEM OUT OF THE LAND: FOR I WOT THAT HE WHOM THOU BLESSEST IS BLESSED, AND HE WHOM THOU CURSEST IS CURSED._ Come ... curse me this peopl... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE ELDERS OF MOAB AND THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN DEPARTED WITH THE REWARDS OF DIVINATION IN THEIR HAND; AND THEY CAME UNTO BALAAM, AND SPAKE UNTO HIM THE WORDS OF BALAK._ The rewards of divination - like the fee of a fortune-teller, and being a royal present, it would be something handsome.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, LODGE HERE THIS NIGHT, AND I WILL BRING YOU WORD AGAIN, AS THE LORD SHALL SPEAK UNTO ME: AND THE PRINCES OF MOAB ABODE WITH BALAAM._ Lodge here this night ... God usually revealed His will in visions and dreams; and Balaam's birth and residence in Mesopotamia, where the rema... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAK SENT YET AGAIN PRINCES, MORE, AND MORE HONOURABLE THAN THEY._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_NOW THEREFORE, I PRAY YOU, TARRY YE ALSO HERE THIS NIGHT, THAT I MAY KNOW WHAT THE LORD WILL SAY UNTO ME MORE._ Tarry ye also here this night. 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 conscien... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND GOD CAME UNTO BALAAM AT NIGHT, AND SAID UNTO HIM, IF THE MEN COME TO CALL THEE, RISE UP, AND GO WITH THEM; BUT YET THE WORD WHICH I SHALL SAY UNTO THEE, THAT SHALT THOU DO._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAAM ROSE UP IN THE MORNING, AND SADDLED HIS ASS, AND WENT WITH THE PRINCES OF MOAB._ 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... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND GOD'S ANGER WAS KINDLED BECAUSE HE WENT: AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD IN THE WAY FOR AN ADVERSARY AGAINST HIM. NOW HE WAS RIDING UPON HIS ASS, AND HIS TWO SERVANTS WERE WITH HIM._ God's anger was kindled because he went. The displeasure arose partly from his neglecting the condition on whic... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STANDING IN THE WAY, AND HIS SWORD DRAWN IN HIS HAND: AND THE ASS TURNED ASIDE OUT OF THE WAY, AND WENT INTO THE FIELD: AND BALAAM SMOTE THE ASS, TO TURN HER INTO THE WAY._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_BUT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STOOD IN A PATH OF THE VINEYARDS, A WALL BEING ON THIS SIDE, AND A WALL ON THAT SIDE._ 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... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, SHE THRUST HERSELF UNTO THE WALL, AND CRUSHED BALAAM'S FOOT AGAINST THE WALL: AND HE SMOTE HER AGAIN._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE LORD OPENED THE MOUTH OF THE ASS, AND SHE SAID UNTO BALAAM, WHAT HAVE I DONE UNTO THEE, THAT THOU HAST SMITTEN ME THESE THREE TIMES?_ 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 wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAAM SAID UNTO THE ASS, BECAUSE THOU HAST MOCKED ME: I WOULD THERE WERE A SWORD IN MINE HAND, FOR NOW WOULD I KILL THEE._ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN THE LORD OPENED THE EYES OF BALAAM, AND HE SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD STANDING IN THE WAY, AND HIS SWORD DRAWN IN HIS HAND: AND HE BOWED DOWN HIS HEAD, AND FELL FLAT ON HIS FACE._ Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, х_ WAYªGAL_ (H1540); Septuagint, apekalupse]. 'Both these (the Hebrew and... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, WHEREFORE HAST THOU SMITTEN THINE ASS THESE THREE TIMES? BEHOLD, I WENT OUT TO WITHSTAND THEE, BECAUSE THY WAY IS PERVERSE BEFORE ME:_ No JFB commentary on these verses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAAM SAID UNTO THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, I HAVE SINNED; FOR I KNEW NOT THAT THOU STOODEST IN THE WAY AGAINST ME: NOW THEREFORE, IF IT DISPLEASE THEE, I WILL GET ME BACK AGAIN._ I have sinned ... if it displease thee. Notwithstanding this confession, he evinced no spirit of penitence, as he spea... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO BALAAM, GO WITH THE MEN: BUT ONLY THE WORD THAT I SHALL SPEAK UNTO THEE, THAT THOU SHALT SPEAK. SO BALAAM WENT WITH THE PRINCES OF BALAK._ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND WHEN BALAK HEARD THAT BALAAM WAS COME, HE WENT OUT TO MEET HIM UNTO A CITY OF MOAB, WHICH IS IN THE BORDER OF ARNON, WHICH IS IN THE UTMOST COAST._ Balak ... went out to meet him. The higher the rank of the expected guest, politeness requires a greater distance to be gone to welcome his arriva... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAK SAID UNTO BALAAM, DID I NOT EARNESTLY SEND UNTO THEE TO CALL THEE? WHEREFORE CAMEST THOU NOT UNTO ME? AM I NOT ABLE INDEED TO PROMOTE THEE TO HONOUR?_ No JFB commentary on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAAM SAID UNTO BALAK, LO, I AM COME UNTO THEE: HAVE I NOW ANY POWER AT ALL TO SAY ANY THING? THE WORD THAT GOD PUTTETH IN MY MOUTH, THAT SHALL I SPEAK._ The word that God putteth in my mouth. This appears a pious answer. It was an acknowledgment that he was restrained by superior power. It i... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAAM WENT WITH BALAK, AND THEY CAME UNTO KIRJATH-HUZOTH._ Kirjath-huzoth - a city of streets. Its site is unknown. But the street was regarded as the leading characteristic of the city (cf. Genesis 10:11; Genesis 36:37; Hengstenberg, 'Christology,' 3:, p. 143).... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND BALAK OFFERED OXEN AND SHEEP, AND SENT TO BALAAM, AND TO THE PRINCES THAT WERE WITH HIM._ Balak offered oxen and sheep - made preparations for a grand entertainment to Balaam and the princes of Midian.... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE MORROW, THAT BALAK TOOK BALAAM, AND BROUGHT HIM UP INTO THE HIGH PLACES OF BAAL, THAT THENCE HE MIGHT SEE THE UTMOST PART OF THE PEOPLE._ Balak took Balaam; and brought him up into the high places of Baal, х_ BAAMOWT_ (H1116)] - eminences consecrated to the worship of Ba... [ Continue Reading ]