NUMBERS 22-24. ( JE). THE EPISODE OF BALAK AND BALAAM. It may reasonably be assumed that the Moabites at first regarded with some satisfaction the defeat of their former conquerors, the Amorites, by their own kinsmen the Israelites. But the latter's occupation of the Amorites-' land aroused their je... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Numbe... [ Continue Reading ]
BALAAM'S THIRD ORACLE. This varies the tenor of the two previous utterances by dwelling upon the fertility of Israel's soil, and the eminence of its ruler. It was probably constructed, like the preceding oracle, in distichs, but in two places this arrangement has been disturbed. The reference to a k... [ Continue Reading ]
BALAK'S DISMISSAL OF BALAAM. Balak shows his contempt for the seer, who had failed to earn the promised reward, by clapping his hands together (a mark of scorn, Job 27:23); whilst Balaam, before departing, utters unasked another oracle concerning the future relations of Israel with Moab.... [ Continue Reading ]
BALAAM'S FOURTH ORACLE. In this it is predicted that Israel, previously declared to be formidable to its foes in general, will bring destruction upon Moab and Edom in particular. NUMBERS 24:17. NOT NOW. NOT NIGH: _i.e._ the prediction relates to the distant future. A STAR: a figure for an illustrio... [ Continue Reading ]
THREE APPENDED ORACLES. These additional oracles, relating to other peoples than the Moabites, are probably derived from neither E nor J, but have been inserted by an editor from other sources. NUMBERS 24:20. ON AMALEK. This prophecy, predicting the destruction of Amalek, received a fulfilment in... [ Continue Reading ]