Numbers 23:28

_AND BALAK BROUGHT BALAAM UNTO THE TOP OF PEOR, THAT LOOKETH TOWARD JESHIMON._ Brought Balaam unto the top of Peor - the eminence on the Abarim range which stood a little north of Nebo, and nearer the Israelite encampment, commanding a view of the whole host. THAT LOOKETH TOWARD JESHIMON - the wilderness, the Arabah, or desert tract on both sides of the Dead Sea. The part of it, however, specially referred to was the site of Israel's encampment, "over against Beth-peor" (Numbers 24:2; Deuteronomy 3:29; Deuteronomy 4:6; Deuteronomy 34:6). There, for the third time, seven altars were erected, an

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 blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any change of his mind; but only a change of his way. There was sin in Jacob, and God saw it; but there was not such as might provoke him to give them up to ruin. If the Lord sees that we trust in his mercy, and accept of his salvation; that we indulge no secret lust, and continue not in rebellion, but endeavour to serve and glorify him; we may be sure that he looks upon us as accepted in Christ, that our sins are all pardoned. Oh the wonders of pro...

Verse Numbers 23:28. _UNTO THE TOP OF PEOR_] Probably the place where the famous Baal-peor had his chief temple. He appears to have been the Priapus of the Moabites, and to have been worshipped with the same obscene and abominable rites....

The position of Peor northward from Pisgah, along the Abarim heights, is approximately determined by the extant notices of Beth-peor. JESHIMON - was the waste, in the great valley below, where stood Beth-jeshimoth, “the house of the wastes.”...

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 favourable consideration on their side. The number seven was especially connected with the revelation of the tree God, the Creator of the world, and was probably observed here for this reason. The sacrifices were offered no doubt to Jehovah. NUMBERS 23:3 PERADVENTURE THE LORD WILL COME TO MEET me. It might be concluded from Numbers 24:1 that Balaam went only to look for "auguries," _i.e; _for such natural signs in the flight of birds and the like a

AND BALAK BROUGHT BALAAM TO THE TOP OF PEOR,.... The name of an high mountain in Moab, so called from a gap or opening in it; here the idol Baal was worshipped, and from hence had the name of Baalpeor, Numbers 25:3 and here, very probably, was a temple built to the honour of him, called Bethpeor, the house or temple of Baalpeor, Deuteronomy 34:6, THAT LOOKETH TOWARDS JESHIMON; as Pisgah also did, and very likely it was not far from it, since from thence they came hither, Numbers 23:14. Jeshimon is the same with Bethjesimoth, and so the Targum of Jonathan here calls it, a part of the plains of Moab, where Israel lay encamped,...

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 (Numbers 23:18) 5. Balak's request and Balaam's reply (Numbers 23:25) 6. Balaam's third parable (Numbers 24:1) 7. Balak's anger and Balaam's firmness ...

NUMBERS 23:25 TO NUMBERS 24:2. BALAK'S SACRIFICES PRELIMINARY TO BALAAM'S THIRD ORACLE. The scene of these was Peor, some mountain overlooking the desert bordering the Dead Sea on the W. The inconsistency between Balak's indignant dismissal of Balaam in Numbers 23:25 and his renewed attempt in Numbers 23:27 f. to gain what he wanted has suggested that with Numbers 23:25 one account of the episode ends, and that what follows comes from another, with editorial links. The allusion in...

JESHIMON. See note on Numbers 21:20....

_the top of_ THE _Peor_&c. An expression exactly parallel to that in Numbers 21:20 (see note). The site of -the Peor" is unknown, but it was evidently in the neighbourhood of the Pisgah. And Beth-peor (Deuteronomy 3:29; Deuteronomy 4:46; Deuteronomy 34:6; Joshua 13:20) cannot have been far distant, since it was evidently a sanctuary where the Baal or Lord of Peor (Numbers 25:3;...