Numbers 23:13-24

E. BALAAM'S SECOND BLESSING vv. 13-24
TEXT

Numbers 23:13. And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from whence thou mayest see them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. 14. And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15. And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. 16. And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. 17. And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken? 18. And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: 19. 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 make it good? 20. Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. 21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. 22. God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn. 23. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! 24. Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey and drink the blood of the slain.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 23:13. And Balak said to him, Come, please, to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only the nearest of them, not all of them: then curse them for me there.

14. And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and build seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15. And he said unto Balak, Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. 16. And the Lord met Balaam and put a message in his mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and speak to him so. 17. And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him, What has the Lord said? 18. And Balam began his speech, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; listen to me, you son of Zippor: 19. God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he spoken, and will he not perform it? or has he foretold, and will he not make it good? 20. Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 21. He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen perverseness in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and the trumpeting of a king is in their midst. 22. God is bringing out of Egypt; he has, as it were, the strength of a wild ox. 23. Surely there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor any divination in Israel: in due time it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, What has God wrought! 24. Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he has eaten of the prey, and drunk the blood of the slain.

COMMENTARY

The field of Zophim (the watchers), to which Balaam is now brought, permits a broad view of the surrounding country side, including the camp of the Israelites. The peak of Pisgah, from which Moses will later be allowed to inspect the Promised Land, rises sharply above the surrounding terrain. The exact meaning of the two phrases which refer to the sight before Balaam is not clear. The first seems to suggest that he is able to see the entire company, while the second says he sees only a portion of the camp. A reconciliation of the thoughts is probably found in the possibility that, while the outermost reaches of the camp of Israel are visible from the spot from which Balaam looks, some areas are not within sight, being obscured by projections of the mountain at a lower level, or by intervening peaks.
For the second time seven altars are erected and seven sacrifices offered. Just as had done the first time, Balaam leaves Balak beside the spot as he consults the Lord about the message for Balak. When the answer comes, it is by far the most complete and definitive of which we have record. There would be no way for Balaam to misconstrue God's words without deliberately lying. When Balaam returns to Balak, he quickly responds to the king's inquiry by taking up his parable, or oracle.
The premise upon which Balaam bases all he is now to tell Balak is the unchanging nature of God and the immutability of His will. He is no mere man, whose whimsies and fickle desires result in inconstant conduct. His decrees are unalterable, and they are to be executed precisely as they are given. Any terms used to express such attributes are anthropomorphic, but the impact is only strengthened by use of this figure. The second oracle goes beyond the first in that it is more than a refusal to curse Israel; it is a strong declaration of blessing upon the nation.
Eight emphatic points are established in the poem: 1) God's blessing is irreversibly upon Israel: 2) the nation is found less iniquitous than others (certainly not perfect, and not without sin among the individual citizens, but relative to other nations, the people are not without virtue); 3) God is with them as their King, which is an occasion for their shouting; 4) the hand of God has already brought about some wonderful works, such as their delivery from slavery in Egypt, with a strength like that of the wild ox (the term unicorn is an unfortunate and inaccurate translation from the Septuagint herethe animal intended resembles a large bison); 5) no manner or number of auguries, enchantments, or other divination can prevail against the chosen people of God; 6) future generations will marvel at all the great and glorious things He has accomplished through His people; 7) the people will be much feared, as a hunting lion; and, 8) they will not stop their exploits until their enemies are fully subjugated. Balak could find nothing hopeful in this!

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

442.

Using a good Bible gazette, review the area of Mt. Pisgah. Where might the Israelites have been encamped?

443.

Why did Balak and Balaam go through the time-consuming process of building seven more altars and offering fourteen more animals?

444.

Upon what firm basis are all of Balaam's words premised?

445.

How is the figure of anthropomorphism used in the passage?

446.

List the eight points emphasized in the message Balaam delivered.

447.

Explain the appearance of the word unicorn in the text. What is actually intended?

448.

What portions of the prophecy referred to the past, and what to the future of Israel?