Numbers 23:18-24

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 should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent:

Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not execute it? Behold, I have received insructions to bless:

He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He beholds not iniquity in Jacob, And sees not fault (sorrow) in Israel:

Yahweh his God is with him, And the shout of a king is in him. God brought them out of Egypt: Their strength is like that of a room. For there is no incantation against Jacob, Neither any divination against Israel: At the time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel,

What hath God wrought (done)! Behold, the people like a lioness shall rise, And like a young lion ripe in strength (literally lift up itself); He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,

And drink the blood of the slain.'

Rise up, х quwm (H6965)]. This verb is often used in the imperative as a term of incitement. Since Balak was already standing (Numbers 23:17), the expression is equivalent to 'Come, now, attend to me.'

Verse 19. God is not a man, that he should lie - i:e., violate his faith.

Neither the son of man., х ben (H1121) 'aadaam (H120) signifies in the Old Testament a frail mortal: cf. Job 25:6; Ezekiel 2:1; Ezekiel 2:3.]

That he should repent - i:e., change His purpose. (See Pye Smith's 'Testimony,' vol 2:, part 1, p. 97, note.) The counsel and promises of God respecting Israel were unchangeable; and no attempt to prevail on Him to reverse them could succeed, as they might with a man.

Verse 21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob. Many flagrant sins were observed and punished in this people; but no such universal and hopeless apostasy had as yet appeared to induce their heavenly King and Guardian to abandon them.

The Lord his God is with him - has a favour for them.

And the shout of a king is among them - i:e., such joyful acclamations as of a people rejoicing in the presence of a powerful and gracious sovereign. Verse 22. He (Israel) hath as it were the strength of an unicorn, х rª'eem (H7214)]. This word occurs seven times in the Old Testament; and in four of the passages it is found in parallelism with bulls (Deuteronomy 22:21; Deuteronomy 29:6; Deuteronomy 33:17; Isaiah 34:6), thus affording a strong presumption that it denotes an animal of the bovine species. Gesenius, whose opinion is adopted by Robinson ('Biblical Researches,' 3:, p. 306), thinks it denoted a wild buffalo; Bochart ('Hierozoicon,' lib. 3:, cap. 27), followed by Rosenmuller ('Scholia on Num.') and Winer ('Realworterbuch'), that it designated a fierce species of antelope (oryx leucoryx). Others think that the rhinoceros is intended, that animal being represented on the monuments even of the twelfth dynasty as the Egyptian unicorn (Rawlinson's 'Herodotus,' b. 2:, p. 267, Colossians 1:1; also Rawlinson's 'Ancient Monarchies,' vol.

i., p. 284, note). But there are objections to its identification; and, besides, the name 'unicorn,' which is a translation, not of the Hebrew, but of the Greek term, monokeroos, and the Latin unicornis does not correspond with the Biblical descriptions. It is referred to in this passage, and also in Numbers 24:8, as an emblem of strength; and the meaning of Balaam is, that Israel was not as they were at the exodus-a horde of poor, feeble, spiritless people-but powerful, impetuous, and invincible as a reem.

Verse 23. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob. No art can ever prevail against a people who are under the shield of omnipotence, and for whom miracles have been and yet shall be performed, which will be a theme of admiration to succeeding ages.

According to this time it shall be said, х kaa`eet (H6256)]. At the time - i:e., now, as well as hereafter-the world shall speak of the wonderful and glorious works which He did in the interest of Israel-namely, by the miraculous passage of the Jordan and the subjugation of Canaan, etc.

Verse 24. Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion ... The energy and rapidity of Israel's campaigning in Canaan, as well as their unceasing course of victorious war, until they were full established in the occupation of the promised land, are graphically portrayed under the image of a prowling ravenous lion.