Numbers 22:40

_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....

36-41 Balak has now nothing to complain of, but that Balaam did not come sooner. Balaam bids Balak not depend too much upon him. He seems to speak with vexation; but is really as desirous to please Balak, as ever he had pretended to be to please God. See what need we have to pray every day, Our Father which art in heaven, lead us not into temptation. Let us be jealous over our own hearts, seeing how far men may go in the knowledge of God, and yet come short of Divine grace....

Verse Numbers 22:40. _AND BALAK OFFERED OXEN, C._] This was to gain the favour of his gods, and perhaps to propitiate Jehovah, that the end for which he had sent for Balaam might be accomplished....

EXPOSITION THE COMING OF BALAAM (Numbers 22:2). NUMBERS 22:2 BALAK THE SON OF ZIPPOR. The name Balak is connected with a word "to make waste," and "Zippor" is a small bird. Balak was, as is presently explained, the king of Moab at this time, but not the king from whom Sihon had wrested so much of his territory (Numbers 21:26). He seems to be mentioned by name on a papyrus in the British Museum (see Brugseh, ‘Geogr. Inschr.,' 2, page 32). The later Jews made him out to have been a Midianite, but this is nothing but the merest conjecture....

AND BALAK OFFERED OXEN AND SHEEP,.... Or "slew" w them, either for sacrifice; and if so Balak was the sacrificer, as it was common for kings to be priests; and then Balaam, who was sent for, was the prophet, that was to observe and explain any omen at the time of sacrificing, as Calchas did, when the chiefs of Greece sacrificed x: or rather for a feast, as the following words seem to show; though it might be for both, it being usual, when sacrifices were offered to idols, to eat part of them in a festival way, in imitation of the peace offerings of the Jews, see Numbers 25:2: AND SENT TO BALAAM, AND TO THE PRINCES THAT WERE WITH HIM; either part of it to them, or he sent for them to come, and partake of the feast, he and the princes of Moab and Midian, that had been to fetch him, and still attended him; and this the king did in a way of rejoicing, being glad that Balaam was

III. EVENTS IN THE PLAIN OF MOAB FACING THE LAND 1. Balak and Balaam and Balaam's Parables CHAPTER 22 _ 1. Balak's message to Balaam (Numbers 22:1)_ 2. The journey of Balaam (Numbers 22:21) 3. Balaam with Balak (Numbers 22:36) The last section of the wilderness book begins with the story of Balak and Balaam. An enemy, the Gentile Balaam, has to speak the words of prophecy, predicting wonderful blessing and glory for the hosts of Israel. The advancing Israelites inspired terror and Balak (waster), the king of Moab, not willing to meet Israel in open battle, sent for Balaam (devourer of the people) to put his powerful magic spell upon Israel and curse them. Balaam, or

THE MEETING OF BALAK AND BALAAM. Partly from E. and partly from J, but the distribution between the two sources is uncertain. Probably Numbers 22:36 and Numbers 22:38 belong to E, describing (in continuation of Numbers 22:21) Balaam's journey to Moab, where he is met by Balak at the frontier city of Moab (the Ar of Numbers 21:15); whilst Numbers 22:37 and Numbers 22:39 belong to J, and imply that Balak went in person to fetch Balaam, who returned with him to Kiria

At this point the narrative of E, interrupted after Numbers 22:21, is resumed. Balak went to the border of his territory to meet Balaam. A sacrificial feast was held, and on the next day Balaam was conducted to a point of vantage from which he could see Israel. These verses, however, are not without difficulties; and it is probable that with E have been fused those portions of J which related that Balaam was allowed to proceed to Moab, and that Balak received him on his arrival....

C. BALAAM YIELDS TO BALAK vv. 15-41 TEXT Numbers 22:15. And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they. 16. And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, let no thing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: 17. For I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. 18. And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19. Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more. 20. 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

BALAAM The Israelites now enter upon the last stage of their journey to Canaan. They are within sight of the land of promise, being encamped at the northern end of the Dead Sea, near the mouth of the Jordan. Up to this point they have surmounted every obstacle and conquered the tribes on the east side of the river. But now, at the end of the journey, a graver danger faces them. Balak, king of Moab, finding that he cannot prevail against them with carnal weapons, has recourse to magical arts, hoping in this way to destroy them. He sends to the Euphrates for the famous magician Balaam to come and 'curse Israel.' As the sequel shows it is all in vain. Not even the powers of darkness can stop the victorious march of Jehovah's people. The whole incident is designed to show that Israel by the grace of God is proof, not only against the sword of the enemy, but also against the evil powers of th...