Numbers 23:21

He, i.e. God, understood Numbers 23:20, and expressed Numbers 23:19, hath not or doth not behold or see iniquity or perverseness, i.e. any sin, in Jacob or Israel; which cannot be meant of a simple seeing or knowing of him, for so God did see and observe, yea, and chastise their sins, as is manifest, Exodus 32:9 Deuteronomy 9:13; but of such a sight of their sins as should provoke God utterly to forsake and curse and destroy them, which was Balak's desire, and Balaam's hope and design. For as Balaam knew that none but Israel's God could curse or destroy Israel, so he knew that nothing but their sin could move him so to do; and therefore he took a right, though wicked, course afterwards to tempt them to sin, and thereby to expose them to ruin, Num 25. And Balaam had now hoped that God was incensed against Israel for their sins, and therefore would be prevailed with to give them up to the curse and spoil. But, saith he, I was mistaken, I see God hath a singular favour to this people, and though he sees and punisheth sin in other persons and people with utter destruction, as he hath now done in Sihon and Og and the Amorites, yet he will not do so with Israel; he winks at their sins, forgets and forgives them, and will not punish them as their iniquities deserve. In this sense God is said not to see sins, as elsewhere he is said to forget them, Isaiah 43:25 Jeremiah 31:34, and to cover them, Psalms 32:1, which keeps them out of sight, and so out of mind; and to blot them out, Psalms 51:1,9, and to cast them behind his back, Isaiah 38:17, or into the depth of the sea, Micah 7:19, in which cases they cannot be seen nor read. And men are oft said not to know or see those sins in their children or others, which they do not take notice of so as to punish them. And this sense best agrees with the context; God hath decreed and promised to bless this people, and he hath blessed them, and I cannot reverse it, Numbers 23:20, and he will not reverse it, though provoked to do so by their sins, which he will take no notice of. Others thus, He hath not beheld, as hitherto he hath not, so for the future he will not behold, i.e. so as to approve it, as that word is oft used, as Genesis 7:1 Isaiah 66:2 Habakkuk 1:13, or so as to suffer it, injury against Jacob, &c. For aven, here rendered iniquity, is oft used in that sense, as Job 5:6,7 Pr 12:21 22:8. And the other word, amal, rendered perverseness, oft notes vexation and trouble, as Job 5:6,7 Psa 25:17 36:4; and the particle beth, rendered in, is oft used for against, as Exodus 14:25, Exodus 20:16 Numbers 12:1. So the sense is, God will not see them wronged or ruined by any of their adversaries, whereof the following words may be a good reason, for God is with him, &c. The Lord his God is with him, i.e. he hath a favour for this people, and will defend and save them. So the phrase of God's being with a person or people signifies, as Judges 6:13 Psalms 46:7 Isaiah 8:10. The shout of a king is among them, i.e. such joyful and triumphant shouts as those wherewith a people congratulate the approach and presence of their king when he appears among them upon some solemn occasion, or when he returns from battle with victory and spoils. The expression implies God's being their King and Ruler, and their abundant security and just confidence in him as such. And here is an allusion to the silver trumpets which were made by God's command, and used upon great solemnities, in which God their King was present in a special manner, Numbers 10:9 Joshua 6:16,20 1 Samuel 4:5 2 Chronicles 13:12.