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The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:7
With the rewards of divination. קְסָמִים, "soothsayings." Septuagint, τὰ μαντεῖα. Here the soothsayer's wages, which St. Peter aptly calls the wages of unrighteousness. The ease with which, among ignorant and supersti…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:7-14
THE FIRST VISIT TO BALAAM I. BALAK'S NOTION OF WHAT WOULD BE MOST ACCEPTABLE TO BALAAM. It is all a matter of money, Balak thinks. "Every man has his price," and the poor man who cannot pay it must go to the wall. Not t…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:8
Lodge here this night. It was therefore in the night, in a dream or in a vision (cf. Genesis 20:3; Numbers 12:6; Job 4:15, Job 4:16), that Balaam expected to receive some communication from God. If he had received none…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:13
BALAAM, AN ILLUSTRATION OF SYSTEMATIC RESISTANCE OF CONSCIENCE The final fall of Balaam was not sudden. A process of deterioration had been going on, the first clear sign of which is in the text. In trying to change God…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:15-17
THE IMPORTUNITY AND IMPUDENCE OF THE TEMPTER Such appeals as Balak sent to Balaam are constantly addressed to us, in word or substance, by human tempters, and through them by the infernal tempter. The honour offered is…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:15
More, and more honourable than they. Balak rightly judged that Balaam was not really unwilling to come, and that it was only needful to ply him with more flattery and larger promises. The heathens united a firm belief i…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:15-21
THE SECOND VISIT I. THE RESULT OF MUTILATED ANSWERS. 1. As concerns Balak. Balaam does not tell the first messengers all that God had spoken to him; they do not tell Balak all that Balaam had spoken to them. The consequ…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:18
I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God. Balaam's faith was paramount within its own sphere of operation. It did not control his wishes; it did not secure the heart obedience which God loves; but it did secure, a…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:22
And God's anger was kindled because he went, or, "that he was going." כִּי־הוֹלֵךְ הוּא. Septuagint, ὅτι ἐπορεύθη αὐτός. There can be no question that the ordinary translation is fight, and that God was angry with…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:22-35
THE ANGEL, THE PROPHET, AND THE ASS I. WE MUST LOOK NOT ONLY AT THE LETTER OF GOD'S COMMANDS, BUT THE SPIRIT OF THEM. a If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them" (Numbers 22:20). "God's anger was kindled…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:23
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord. This was clearly part of the miracle, the σήμειον which was to exhibit in such a striking manner the stupidity and blindness of the most brilliant and gifted intellect when cloude…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:25
She thrust herself unto the wall. Apparently in order to pass the angel beyond the reach of his sword; when this was clearly impossible she fell down.
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:28
And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass. On the face of it this expression would seem decisive that an audible human voice proceeded from the ass's mouth, as St. Peter beyond doubt believed: ὑποζύγιον ἀφωνον ἐν ἀν…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:29
And Balaam said unto the ass. That Beldam should answer the ass without expressing any astonishment is certainly more marvelous than that the ass should speak to him. It must, however, in fairness be considered— 1. That…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:31-35
BALAAM-THE ARREST The secret willingness of Balaam to yield to the solicitations of Balak, seen at first in the tone of his answer, "The Lord refuseth," &c; was still more manifest in his parleying with the second appea…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:31
The Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel. As on other occasions, the angel was not perceptible to ordinary sight, but only to eyes in some way quickened and purged by the Divine operation. This explains…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:32
Because thy way is perverse. יָרָט, an uncommon word, which seems to mean "leading headlong," 1.e. to destruction.
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:32
ON CRUELTY TO ANIMALS In Numbers 22:28 we are reminded of the silent protest of the brute creation against the cruelty of men. From Numbers 22:32 ("Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times?") we may learn…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:33
Unless … surely. אוּלַי־־־כִּי. It is somewhat doubtful whether this phrase can be translated as in the Septuagint ( εἰ μὴ … νῦν οὗν)and in all the versions; but even if the construction of the sentence be broken,…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:35
Go with the men. It may be asked to what purpose the angel appeared, if Balaam was to proceed just the same. The answer is that the angel was not a warning, but a destroying, angel, a visible embodiment of the anger of…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:36
Unto a city of Moab, or, "unto Ir-Moab" ( אֶל־עִיר מוֹאָב), probably the same as the Ar mentioned in Numbers 21:15 as the boundary town of Moab at that time.
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:36-38
BALAAM AND BALAK MEET AT LAST I. BALAK'S SOLICITUDE TO CONCILIATE BALAAM AND SHOW HIM HONOUR. Balak does not yet know what unhealed wounds may be in the prophet's pride, or whether that pride has been sufficiently pleas…
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:39
Kirjath-huzoth. "City of streets." Identified by some with the ruins of Shian, not far from the supposed site of Ai.
The Pulpit Commentary on Numbers 22:40
Balak offered oxen and sheep. Probably these sacrifices were offered not to Chemosh, but to the Lord, in whose name Balaam always spoke. Indeed the known fact that Beldam was a prophet of the Lord was no doubt one of Ba…