NUMBERS CHAPTER 23 Balak and Balsam sacrifice: God meets him, and he blesses Israel, NUMBERS 23:1. Balak is troubled: they go to another place to curse them: they sacrifice again: Balaam consults God, who meets him, and he again blesses Israel, NUMBERS 23:11. They go to a third place, and sacrifice... [ Continue Reading ]
Balak by procuring them and Balaam by offering them; through in ancient times kings were priests also, and so might perform a priestly work, as this was.... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THY BURNT-OFFERING; as in God's presence, as one that offers thyself its well as thy sacrifices to obtain his favour. _I will go_ to some solitary and convenient place, where I may by my enchantments prevail with God to appear to me, and to answer thy and my desires in cursing this people. WHATSO... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD MET BALAAM, not to comply with Balaam's charms, nor to gratify, but to oppose, his wicked desires, and to fierce him against his own inclination and interest to utter the following words. A BULLOCK AND A RAM, which I pray thee accept, and give me leave to curse thy people, as their abundant wick... [ Continue Reading ]
He suggested what he should say, even those words, NUMBERS 23:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE TOOK UP, to wit, into his mouth; he expressed or spoke. HIS PARABLE, i.e. his oracular and prophetical speech; which he calls _a parable_, because of the weightiness of the matter, and the majesty and smartness of the expressions which is usual in parables. FROM ARAM; from _Aram_, Naharaim, or Me... [ Continue Reading ]
God hath not cursed, but blessed Israel, and therefore it is a vain and ridiculous attempt for me to curse them in spite of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE TOP OF THE ROCKS, upon which I now stand, I see the people, according to thy desire, NUMBERS 22:41, but cannot improve that sight to the end for which thou didst design it, to wit, to curse them. This people are of a distinct kind from others, God's peculiar people, separated from all other... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DUST OF JACOB, i.e. the numberless people of Jacob or Israel, who, according to God's promise; GENESIS 13:16, GENESIS 28:14, are now become as the dust of the earth. OF THE FOURTH PART OF ISRAEL, i.e. of one of the camps of Israel; for they were divided into four camps, NUM 2, which Balaam from... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
I speak not these words by my own choice, but by the constraint of a higher power, which I cannot resist.... [ Continue Reading ]
He thought the sight of the people necessary both to excite Balaam's passions, and to strengthen and direct his conjurations; but he would now have him see but a part of the people, and not all, because the sight of all of them might dismay and discourage him, and, as it did before, raise his fancy... [ Continue Reading ]
ZOPHIM, a place so called from the spies and watches which were kept there. Pisgah, a high hill in the land of Moab, so called DEUTERONOMY 3:27, DEUTERONOMY 34:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
To consult him, and to receive an answer from him, if peradventure those renewed sacrifices will melt him into some compliance with our desires.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEE POOLE ON "NUMBERS 23:4", and SEE POOLE ON "NUMBERS 22:35".... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
RISE UP: this word implies, either, 1. The reverence wherewith he should hear and receive God's message, as Eglon did, JUDGES 3:20, which might have been probable, if Balak had been now sitting, as Ehud there was; but he was standing, NUMBERS 23:15: or rather, 2. The diligent attention required; R... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HE SHOULD LIE, i.e. break his faith and promises made to his people for their preservation and benediction. THAT HE SHOULD REPENT,. e. change his counsels or purposes; which men do, either because they are not able to execute them, or because they are better informed and their minds changed by... [ Continue Reading ]
Or, _I have received a blessing_, to wit, a sentence of blessing, which God hath put into my mind and mouth, and which I cannot forbear to utter. Heb. _I have received to bless_. The infinitive put for the noun, as is frequent.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE, i.e. God, understood NUMBERS 23:20, and expressed NUMBERS 23:19, HATH NOT or doth not BEHOLD or _see iniquity_ or _perverseness_, i.e. any sin, _in Jacob_ or ISRAEL; which cannot be meant of a simple seeing or knowing of him, for so God did see and observe, yea, and chastise their sins, as is ma... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT, to wit, by a strong hand, and in spite of all their enemies, and therefore it is in vain to seek or hope to overcome them. HE; either, 1. God, last mentioned. But so the comparison is mean and unbecoming. Or rather, 2. Israel, whom God brought out of Egypt; such chang... [ Continue Reading ]
I find by experience and serious consideration that all mine and thine endeavours to enchant Israel are in vain, being frustrated by their omnipotent God. I can do thee no service by my art against them. ACCORDING TO THIS TIME; not only in succeeding times and ages, of which he speaks, NUMBERS 24:17... [ Continue Reading ]
As a lion rouseth up himself to fight, or to go out to the prey; so shall Israel stir up themselves to warlike attempts against all their enemies, as occasion shall offer itself. HE SHALL NOT LIE DOWN, i.e. not rest or cease from fighting and pursuing.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
PEOR, a high place called _Beth-peor_, DEUTERONOMY 3:29, i.e. the house or temple of Peer, because there they worshipped _Baal-peor_.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]