_BALAK, KING OF MOAB, SENDS FOR BALAAM TO CURSE THE CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL: AN ANGEL MEETS BALAAM IN THE WAY: GOD OPENS THE MOUTH OF
BALAAM'S ASS: BALAK TAKES BALAAM UP INTO AN HIGH MOUNTAIN, FROM WHENCE
HE MIGHT SEE THE CAMP OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL._
_Before Christ 1452._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SET FORWARD— After the entire conquest of
the kingdom of Bashan, the Israelites marched back to the southward,
and then bent their course toward the land of Canaan. They _pitched in
the plains of Moab:_ plains which had formerly belonged to Moab, but
were now in the posses... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOAB WAS SORE AFRAID— i.e. Balak the king, and the people of
Moab; for they were ignorant of God's commands, prohibiting the
Israelites to disturb the Moabites in their possessions. Thus was
fulfilled what Moses foretold, Exodus 15:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MOAB SAID UNTO THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN— Said, i.e. by messengers,
whom he sent to them as being his neighbours and allies; and whom, as
his first step, he endeavoured to join in a confederacy against the
Israelites, as their common enemy. The _elders of Midian_ means their
king and princes; see ch.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT MESSENGERS, THEREFORE, &C.— There is nothing for _therefore_
in the original; and all the sacred historian seems to express is,
that after first confederating the Midianites, Balak thought proper,
as the next step, to call in the aid of Balaam. As the miracles
performed in Egypt were designe... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAID UNTO THEM, LODGE HERE THIS NIGHT— It is very evident, from
this and the following verses, that Balaam, however mercenary in
disposition, and however addicted to superstition, had communications
with Jehovah, the true God of heaven and earth; see _Second
Principle._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD CAME UNTO BALAAM— That is, he manifested or revealed himself
to him in a dream, as he had manifested himself to Abimelech, Genesis
20:3. This is the reason why Balaam said to the envoys from the two
nations, _tarry here this night._ All the known nations of the world
have believed that the D... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT CURSE THE PEOPLE— Though Balaam's cursing the
Israelites signified nothing of itself, yet God would not permit it,
because the Moabites would have paid so great a regard to what he had
promised, that they would thereupon have attacked the Israelites in
hopes of being able to overcome... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BALAK SENT YET AGAIN PRINCES— Balak, apprehensive that his first
deputation to Balaam was not honourable enough, and that his presents
and promises were not sufficiently large, made a second deputation,
and sent persons more eminent, with the highest promises, Numbers
22:17. This proposal was at... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW, THEREFORE, I PRAY YOU, &C.— Here, as Bishop Butler well
observes, the iniquity of his heart began to disclose itself. A
thorough honest man would, without hesitation, have repeated his
former answer, that he could not be guilty of so infamous a
prostitution of the sacred character with which he... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE MEN COME TO CALL THEE, RISE UP, AND GO WITH THEM, &C.— This
is better rendered by Houbigant, _Since the men are come to call thee,
arise and go with them: but thou shalt, or wilt, be able to do nothing
beyond that which I shall command thee._ God, says he, does not
command Balaam to go: for,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SADDLED HIS ASS— That is, according to the usual mode of
expression in Scripture, _caused his ass to be saddled;_ for he had
_servants_ to wait upon him. Persons of the highest rank, in those
times, were accustomed to travel upon asses.
REFLECTIONS.—Balak was earnest to carry his point, and ther... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S ANGER WAS KINDLED BECAUSE HE WENT— It may seem strange that
God should first strictly forbid Balaam to go; should then, secondly,
suffer him, and afterwards be angry with him for going. 1. With
respect to the first, why he was first forbidden, and then suffered to
go, Psalmanazar judiciously r... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD— The same great _angel, or
messenger of the covenant,_ as many commentators suppose, who appeared
to the patriarchs; and by whom, as it is thought, God manifested
himself to Balaam. This _angel_ stood to oppose him in the way; and,
whether it was that he was struck... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A PATH OF THE VINEYARDS— _In the parting of the vineyards._
Hiller, 179.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BALAAM SAID UNTO THE ASS— It is strange, says Mr. Saurin, that
Balaam should not shew any kind of surprise when he heard the ass
speak like a human creature. Some critics have thought they solved the
difficulty, by supposing, that this prophet had embraced the doctrine
of the transmigration of s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ASS SAID UNTO BALAAM, AM NOT I THINE ASS?— The same divine power
which made the ass speak at first continued to form such an answer as
might convince Balaam of his error: not that the ass understood what
Balaam said, and thereupon returned this pertinent answer, as some
doating interpreters have... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE LORD OPENED THE EYES OF BALAAM— i.e. He presented to his
view the angel who had hitherto been invisible; or, as others
interpret it, he awakened his attention, and made him take notice of
the angel, whom he had not before observed. See Genesis 3:7; Genesis
21:19. Bishop Patrick understands... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THY WAY IS PERVERSE BEFORE ME— There is great difficulty,
says Psalmanazar, in fixing the true meaning of the word ירטני
_iretni:_ He (God) _hath given me over,_ or _shut me up into the hands
of the wicked,_ as our version renders it; or, as it might be still
more literally expressed, He hat... [ Continue Reading ]
UNLESS SHE HAD TURNED FROM ME, SURELY NOW ALSO I HAD SLAIN THEE,
&C.— The words of the angel respecting the ass, candidly interpreted
according to the Hebrew idiom, and duly compared with the context, may
be thus paraphrased: "How couldst thou thus unjustly and repeatedly
abuse thine innocent beast,... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SINNED; FOR I KNEW NOT THAT THOU STOODEST IN THE WAY— It is
evident, that this cannot be the true meaning of Balaam's words, as
Psalmanazar well remarks; for how could he be guilty in this respect,
if his eyes were withheld from seeing the angel? According to the
Hebrew idiom they carry a muc... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY CAME UNTO KIRJATH-HUZOTH— i.e. according to the margin, _a city
of streets,_ which was, probably, the capital city of the kingdom, and
so called on account of its extent.... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE HIGH PLACES OF BAAL— Balak offered peace-offerings in
gratitude to his gods for sending Balaam to assist him against his
enemies, Numbers 22:4 and sent to Balaam and the princes to partake of
the feast upon the sacrifice; of which Balaam, as a worshipper of the
true God, was certainly blame... [ Continue Reading ]