NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:1 Israel in the Plains of Moab. These chapters tell of Israel’s lengthy encampment in the plains of Moab at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Here they prepared to cross the Jordan and enter Canaan proper. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:7 When BALAAM says that God refused him permission to go, BALAK increases his payment offer. This suggests the original messengers had reported to Balak that Balaam would prophesy against Israel, for the right price. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img")... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:15 Money becomes much more of an issue (vv. Numbers 22:15), but again Balaam awaits God’s permission. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:19 WHAT MORE THE LORD WILL SAY TO ME. Surely Balaam understood that the Lord did not want him to prophesy against Israel (v. Numbers 22:12). Likely, he just wanted the money and the honor that Balak offered (v. Numbers 22:17; compare 2 Peter 2:15). ⇐ ⇔... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:22 The episode with the donkey exposes Balaam’s prophetic pretensions in a comical way: Balaam, the international expert on magic, cannot see the angel, but his donkey can! The encounter reinforces God’s message that Balaam must SPEAK ONLY THE WORD THAT I TELL YOU (v. Numb... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:34 IF IT IS EVIL IN YOUR SIGHT. Despite the clear statements of God (see v. Numbers 22:12) and of the angel of the Lord in v. Numbers 22:32, Balaam continues to seek a way to get what Balak had promised him (v. Numbers 22:17). Even though he had just been told that this wa... [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:36 Balaam reasserts his intention to say only what God allows him to say (v. Numbers 22:38), despite the fee he has been offered. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:39 The location of KIRIATH-HUZOTH is unknown. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 22:41 The first three attempts to persuade Balaam to curse Israel follow a similar pattern, though there are some significant differences in the third. This pattern shows that Balaam’s words, which are the opposite of what he was hired to say, are inspired by God and therefor... [ Continue Reading ]