Numbers 23:3

_AND BALAAM SAID UNTO BALAK, STAND BY THY BURNT OFFERING, AND I WILL GO: PERADVENTURE THE LORD WILL COME TO MEET ME: AND WHATSOEVER HE SHEWETH ME I WILL TELL THEE. AND HE WENT TO AN HIGH PLACE._ Stand by thy burnt offering - as one in expectation of an important favour. SHOWETH ME - i:e., makes known to me by word or sign. WENT TO AN HIGH PLACE - a part by himself, where he might practice rites and ceremomies, with a view to obtain a response of the oracle....

3._And Balaam said unto Balak. _In this respect, also, he imitates the true servants of God: for he seeks retirement, because God has almost always appeared unto His servants when they have been separated from the company of men. You would say that he was another Moses, when he exhorts the king to persevering prayer, and, in order that he may be more earnest in supplication, bids him remain perfectly still by the altars. Meanwhile he withdraws himself from the crowd, and the eyes of the witnesses, so that he may be more ready to receive the revelation. Since, however, there was no sincerity in him, we may probably conclude, that in vain ostentation he imitated the servants of God, that, like one of God’s councillors, he might bring forth the secrets from the shrines of heaven. I know not why some render the word שפי, _shephi, alone, _others, _sad; _(155) it is more

1-10 With the camps of Israel full in view, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and a bullock and a ram to be offered on each. Oh the sottishness of superstition, to imagine that God will be at man's beck! The curse is turned into a blessing, by the overruling power of God, in love to Israel. God designed to serve his own glory by Balaam, and therefore met him. If God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, who would have defied God and Israel, surely he will not be wanting to those who desire to glorify God, and to edify his people; it shall be given what they should speak. He who opened the mouth of the ass, caused the mouth of this wicked man to speak words as contrary to the desire of his heart, as those of the ass were to the powers of the brute. The miracle was as great in the one case as in the other. Balaam pronounces Israel safe. He owns he could do no more than God suffered...

Verse Numbers 23:3. _STAND BY THY BURNT-OFFERING_] We have already seen that blessing and cursing in this way were considered as religious rites, and therefore must be always preceded by sacrifice. See this exemplified in the case of _Isaac_, before he blessed Jacob and Esau, Genesis 27:19; Genesis 27:28-1; Genesis 27:33-1, and the notes there. The venison that was brought to Isaac, of which he did eat, was properly the preparatory sacrifice....

Balaam apparently expected to mark some phenomenon in the sky or in nature, which he would be able, according to the rules of his art, to interpret as a portent. It was for such “auguries” (not as the King James Version “enchantments” Numbers 23:23) that he now departed to watch; contrast Numbers 24:1. AN HIGH PLACE - Or, “A bare place on the hill,” as opposed to the high place with its grove of trees....

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 BALAAM SAID UNTO BALAK, stand by thy burnt offering,.... By which it appears that the sacrifices offered were of this sort, and there might be one, which was more peculiarly the burnt offering of Balak; though he might be more or less with Balaam concerned in them all; at which he was directed to stand while it was burning, presenting that and himself to the Lord, that he would have respect to both: AND I WILL GO; depart from thence, at some little distance, unto some private place: PERADVENTURE THE LORD WILL COME TO MEET ME; upon the offering of these sacrifices to him, though he could not be certain of it, he having lately shown some displeasure and resentment unto him; and this was also in the daytime, when it was in the night he usually came unto him: AND WHATSOEVER HE SHOWETH ME I WILL TELL THEE; the whole of it, truly as it is, whether agreeable or not: AND HE WENT TO AN HI...

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 22:41 TO NUMBERS 23:6. BALAK'S SACRIFICES PRELIMINARY TO BALAAM'S FIRST ORACLE. This section proceeds from E. Balak brought Balaam to Bamoth-baal (Numbers 22:41 _mg._), the site of a sanctuary placed where Balaam could have the objects of his expected curse before him. The sacrifices offered by Balak were designed to dispose God to favour his wishes; and the altars and the victims were reckoned by sevens, because seven was a sacred number among many ancient peoples (Genesis 21:28; Joshua 6:4, Verg. _Æ n._ vi. 38). The sacredness attaching to

THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ See App-4. MEET: in. neutral sense. Hebrew. _kar'a._ HE WENT. Hebrew he went solitary. Compare Numbers 24:1....