Numbers 23:25-30

F. THE THIRD BLESSING vv. 25-30
TEXT

Numbers 23:25. And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. 26. But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?

And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. 28. And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon. 29. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 30. And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 23:25. And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them nor bless them at all! 26. But Balaam replied, Did I not tell you, -All that the Lord says, I must do?-'

27. And Balak said to Balaam, Come now; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God for you to curse them for me there. 28. So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. 29. And Balaam said to Balak, Build seven altars here for me, and provide me with seven bulls and seven rams. 30. And Balak did as Balaam had asked, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

COMMENTARY

Substantially, Balak's first reaction to the previous words of Balaam are, If you can-'t say something bad about these people, don-'t say anything at all! He has had no grounds for reassurance from anything yet spoken, and we can only be amazed that he should want to try again to gain a favorable word from Balaam unless he had some reason to believe that the prophet was still susceptible to bribery, or that yet another change of location would bring a change of message, If this is true, Balaam may have given some slight hint, ever so subtle or even subconscious, which Balak detected.

Although the exact peak indicated here cannot be positively identified, it is in the Abarim range, which includes Pisgah, Nearby was the village of Beth-Peor, in which vicinity Moses would later be buried (Deuteronomy 34:6). The area was across the Jordan from Jericho. From the site Balaam could see the entire camp of Israel spread out before him (Numbers 24:2). Jeshimon, the waste, is primarily the plains area at the east and northeast section of the Dead Seaa barren, rarely-inhabited region which extended to the southern end of the Jordan valley.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

439.

How could Balak possibly hope now that Balaam would say anything different from what he had prophesied previously?

440.

Do you believe Balaam was sincere and honest when he said he could not say anything other than what God revealed for him? Defend your answer.

441.

Locate and describe the place to which Balaam was led for the third round of sacrifices and prophecies.

442.

Identify Jeshimon, and describe the terrain.