_BALAK, KING OF MOAB, SENDS FOR BALAAM TO CURSE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: AN ANGEL MEETS BALAAM IN THE WAY: GOD OPENS THE MOUTH OF BALAAM'S ASS: BALAK TAKES BALAAM UP INTO AN HIGH MOUNTAIN, FROM WHENCE HE MIGHT SEE THE CAMP OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL._ _Before Christ 1452._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SET FORWARD— After the entire conquest of the kingdom of Bashan, the Israelites marched back to the southward, and then bent their course toward the land of Canaan. They _pitched in the plains of Moab:_ plains which had formerly belonged to Moab, but were now in the posses... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOAB WAS SORE AFRAID— i.e. Balak the king, and the people of Moab; for they were ignorant of God's commands, prohibiting the Israelites to disturb the Moabites in their possessions. Thus was fulfilled what Moses foretold, Exodus 15:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOAB SAID UNTO THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN— Said, i.e. by messengers, whom he sent to them as being his neighbours and allies; and whom, as his first step, he endeavoured to join in a confederacy against the Israelites, as their common enemy. The _elders of Midian_ means their king and princes; see ch.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT MESSENGERS, THEREFORE, &C.— There is nothing for _therefore_ in the original; and all the sacred historian seems to express is, that after first confederating the Midianites, Balak thought proper, as the next step, to call in the aid of Balaam. As the miracles performed in Egypt were designe... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAID UNTO THEM, LODGE HERE THIS NIGHT— It is very evident, from this and the following verses, that Balaam, however mercenary in disposition, and however addicted to superstition, had communications with Jehovah, the true God of heaven and earth; see _Second Principle._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD CAME UNTO BALAAM— That is, he manifested or revealed himself to him in a dream, as he had manifested himself to Abimelech, Genesis 20:3. This is the reason why Balaam said to the envoys from the two nations, _tarry here this night._ All the known nations of the world have believed that the D... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT CURSE THE PEOPLE— Though Balaam's cursing the Israelites signified nothing of itself, yet God would not permit it, because the Moabites would have paid so great a regard to what he had promised, that they would thereupon have attacked the Israelites in hopes of being able to overcome... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BALAK SENT YET AGAIN PRINCES— Balak, apprehensive that his first deputation to Balaam was not honourable enough, and that his presents and promises were not sufficiently large, made a second deputation, and sent persons more eminent, with the highest promises, Numbers 22:17. This proposal was at... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW, THEREFORE, I PRAY YOU, &C.— Here, as Bishop Butler well observes, the iniquity of his heart began to disclose itself. A thorough honest man would, without hesitation, have repeated his former answer, that he could not be guilty of so infamous a prostitution of the sacred character with which he... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE MEN COME TO CALL THEE, RISE UP, AND GO WITH THEM, &C.— This is better rendered by Houbigant, _Since the men are come to call thee, arise and go with them: but thou shalt, or wilt, be able to do nothing beyond that which I shall command thee._ God, says he, does not command Balaam to go: for,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SADDLED HIS ASS— That is, according to the usual mode of expression in Scripture, _caused his ass to be saddled;_ for he had _servants_ to wait upon him. Persons of the highest rank, in those times, were accustomed to travel upon asses. REFLECTIONS.—Balak was earnest to carry his point, and ther... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S ANGER WAS KINDLED BECAUSE HE WENT— It may seem strange that God should first strictly forbid Balaam to go; should then, secondly, suffer him, and afterwards be angry with him for going. 1. With respect to the first, why he was first forbidden, and then suffered to go, Psalmanazar judiciously r... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD— The same great _angel, or messenger of the covenant,_ as many commentators suppose, who appeared to the patriarchs; and by whom, as it is thought, God manifested himself to Balaam. This _angel_ stood to oppose him in the way; and, whether it was that he was struck... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A PATH OF THE VINEYARDS— _In the parting of the vineyards._ Hiller, 179.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BALAAM SAID UNTO THE ASS— It is strange, says Mr. Saurin, that Balaam should not shew any kind of surprise when he heard the ass speak like a human creature. Some critics have thought they solved the difficulty, by supposing, that this prophet had embraced the doctrine of the transmigration of s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASS SAID UNTO BALAAM, AM NOT I THINE ASS?— The same divine power which made the ass speak at first continued to form such an answer as might convince Balaam of his error: not that the ass understood what Balaam said, and thereupon returned this pertinent answer, as some doating interpreters have... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE LORD OPENED THE EYES OF BALAAM— i.e. He presented to his view the angel who had hitherto been invisible; or, as others interpret it, he awakened his attention, and made him take notice of the angel, whom he had not before observed. See Genesis 3:7; Genesis 21:19. Bishop Patrick understands... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THY WAY IS PERVERSE BEFORE ME— There is great difficulty, says Psalmanazar, in fixing the true meaning of the word ירטני _iretni:_ He (God) _hath given me over,_ or _shut me up into the hands of the wicked,_ as our version renders it; or, as it might be still more literally expressed, He hat... [ Continue Reading ]
UNLESS SHE HAD TURNED FROM ME, SURELY NOW ALSO I HAD SLAIN THEE, &C.— The words of the angel respecting the ass, candidly interpreted according to the Hebrew idiom, and duly compared with the context, may be thus paraphrased: "How couldst thou thus unjustly and repeatedly abuse thine innocent beast,... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SINNED; FOR I KNEW NOT THAT THOU STOODEST IN THE WAY— It is evident, that this cannot be the true meaning of Balaam's words, as Psalmanazar well remarks; for how could he be guilty in this respect, if his eyes were withheld from seeing the angel? According to the Hebrew idiom they carry a muc... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY CAME UNTO KIRJATH-HUZOTH— i.e. according to the margin, _a city of streets,_ which was, probably, the capital city of the kingdom, and so called on account of its extent.... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE HIGH PLACES OF BAAL— Balak offered peace-offerings in gratitude to his gods for sending Balaam to assist him against his enemies, Numbers 22:4 and sent to Balaam and the princes to partake of the feast upon the sacrifice; of which Balaam, as a worshipper of the true God, was certainly blame... [ Continue Reading ]