Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary
Numbers 23:22
An unicorn - A wild bull, the now extinct Aurochs, formidable for its size, strength, speed, and ferocity.
An unicorn - A wild bull, the now extinct Aurochs, formidable for its size, strength, speed, and ferocity.
Verse Numbers 23:22. _THE STRENGTH OF A UNICORN._] ראם _reem_ and ראים _reim_. It is generally allowed that there is no such beast in nature as the _unicorn_; i. e., a creature of the horse kind, wit...
THE PARABLES OF BALAAM Chapter S 23-24 _ 1. The first parable (Numbers 23:1)_ 2. Balak's surprise and Balaam's answer (Numbers 23:11) 3. At Zophim (Numbers 23:13) 4. The second parable
BALAAM'S SECOND ORACLE. This goes beyond the preceding in frustrating the hopes of Balak, for it declares that God has not only not cursed Israel, but has positively blessed it, and describes Israel's...
STRENGTH. heights or heaps of. Hebrew. _to'apoth._ Only here, Numbers 24:8; Job 22:25 (plenty), and Psalms 95:4 (= heights). UNICORN. This word is from the Septuagint. The Hebrew is _ree_ m. Supposed...
_He hath as it were the_ HORNS _of the wild-ox_ -He" means Israel, not God. The word for -horns" is rare; but Deuteronomy 33:17 helps to decide the meaning. In Psalms 95:4 it denotes mountain peaks. T...
_Balaam's second prophetic message_. This consists of eleven, or (see on Numbers 23:23) more probably ten, couplets. Balaam declares that God will never change His mind (as Balak had thought, Numbers...
DISCOURSE: 173 BALAAM’S SECOND ATTEMPT TO CURSE ISRAEL Numbers 23:18. And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: God is not a man, that he sho...
GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT; HE HATH, &C.— The alteration of the numbers in our translation renders the meaning sometimes perplexed. It would be better to read the foregoing verse as above; and the...
E. BALAAM'S SECOND BLESSING vv. 13-24 TEXT Numbers 23:13. And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from whence thou mayest see them, and shalt not see them all: and curse...
_AND HE TOOK UP HIS PARABLE, AND SAID, RISE UP, BALAK, AND HEAR; HEARKEN UNTO ME, THOU SON OF ZIPPOR:_ _ `Rise up, Balak, and hear! Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippori! God is not a man, that he sho...
23:22 him (d-3) Lit. 'them.' strength (e-13) Or 'rapidity,' here and ch. 24.8. buffalo. (f-16) Or 'he (*God) is for him (Israel) as the strength of,' &c.. here and ch. 24.8....
BALAAM (CONTINUED) 1-10. First Utterance of Balaam....
GOD BROUGHT] rather, 'It is God, and no other, that is bringing them out of Egypt.' They are here under the divine direction: cp. Exodus 20:2; Exodus 29:46; Leviticus 19:36. UNICORN] RV 'the wild ox,'...
THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 23 BALAAM’S FIRST *PROPHECY – NUMBERS 23:1-12 V1 Balaam said to Balak, ‘Build 7 *altars here. Then bring to
GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT. — Literally, _is bringing them._ The use of the participle denotes the continuance of the action. He who brought them forth out of Egypt was still conducting them on the...
אֵ֖ל מֹוצִיאָ֣ם מִ מִּצְרָ֑יִם כְּ תֹועֲפֹ֥ת...
NO ENCHANTMENT AGAINST ISRAEL Numbers 23:13 Balak was surprised and disappointed. He therefore bethought himself of limiting the seer's vision, so that he might see an attenuated Israel from a height...
The first of Balaam's prophecies was uttered in the midst of strange surroundings. Sacrifices were offered to heathen gods, while Balaam turned aside to inquire of Jehovah. The result was that we hav...
Rhinoceros. Hebrew ream, which is sometimes rendered unicorn. Bochart thinks it means the oryx, or the strong Arabian goat. The animal, of which the Scripture so often speaks, was remarkable for its s...
These are very precious truths; and doubly so when read with an eye to the evidence they bring with them, as they are in JESUS. In the covenant relationship of GOD in CHRIST, the word, the oath, the p...
The successes given to the children of Israel alarmed some of their neighbours, more particularly Moab; and this gives occasion for a striking episode in the history which brought to issue as solemn a...
22._God brouqht them out of Egypt. _He assigns a reason for their constant success, _i.e., _because God has once redeemed this people, He will not forsake the work which He has begun. The argument is...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 22, 23, 24, AND 25. Moab also opposes in vain. Now they are in the plains of Moab, having only Jordan between them and the land of their rest. But had they a...
GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT,.... With a mighty hand and stretched out arm, and he will conduct them through the wilderness, and bring them safe to Canaan's land; he that brought them from thence wil...
_Out of Egypt_ Namely, 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 hath the strength of a unicorn He_, Israel, whom God broug...
1.13.28 Balaks sacrifice. 7.18 Balaams parable. 1 AND Balaam saide vnto Balak, Build me here seuen Altars, and prepare mee here seuen oxen, and seuen rammes. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, an...
The Second Sacrifice and Prophetic Utterance....
God brought them out of Egypt, that occasion being the chief instance when He proved Himself their King, and this mighty work was still going on; he (Israel) HATH, AS IT WERE, THE STRENGTH OF AN UNICO...
BALAAM'S FIRST PROPHECY (vs.1-12) THE SANCTIFICATION OF ISRAEL Chapter 22:41 tells us that Balak brought Balaam to the high places of Baal in order to prophecy against Israel. Here he observed onl...
11-30 Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessin...
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 th...
Numbers 23:22 God H410 out H3318 (H8688) Egypt H4714 strength H8443 ox H7214 God - Numbers 22
Numbers 23:18 (18a-24) ‘And he took up his incantation (parable),' Once again Balaam gave out his incantation. Note even here the chiastic construction. Numbers 23:18 (18b-24) “Rise up, Balak, and...
UNICORN That is, the aurochs, or wild ox....
CONTENTS: Balaam blesses instead of curses Israel. CHARACTERS: God, Balaam, Balak. CONCLUSION: Those who have the good will of heaven may expect the ill will of hell but God will not suffer real inj...
Numbers 23:1. _Seven altars._ The Lord commanded Job's friends to take seven bullocks and seven rams, offered no doubt on seven altars: Job 42:8. This was the highest sacrifice a nation could present....
_He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel._ THE PROPHECIES OF BALAAM Prophecy is not Fatalism, but in many cases, at least, a forecasting of the certain conse...
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 23:13 Balaam observes that GOD does not CHANGE HIS MIND, so the blessing already pronounced cannot be turned into a curse (vv....
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES Numbers 23:1. _Build me here seven altars_. “As _seven_ was a number of perfection, Balaam chose it on this occasion, because he intended to offer a grand sacrifice, and...
NUMBERS 23:1 BUILD ME HERE SEVEN ALTARS. According to the common opinion of the heathen, it was necessary to propitiate with sacrifices the God with whom they had to do, and if possible to secure his...
Numbers 23:1-30 And God met Balaam: and Balaam said to him, 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,...
Deuteronomy 33:17; Exodus 14:18; Exodus 20:2; Exodus 9:16; Job 39:10;...
Out of Egypt — Namely, 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 — Israel, whom God brought out of Egypt, such change of num...