1And the sons of Israel pulled up stakes and camped on the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, by Jericho. 2And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3And Moab greatly feared because of the people, for it was many. And Moab was vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel. 4And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this assembly is licking up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor which is beside the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, Behold! A people has come out of Egypt. Behold! it has covered the eye of the earth, and it is sitting next to me. 6And now please come, curse this people for me, for it is stronger than I. Perhaps I will prevail, that we may strike them, that I may drive them out from the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed. 7And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the rewards of the seer in their hand. And they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him. 8And he said to them, Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, even as Jehovah may speak to me. And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9And God came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you? 10And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab has sent to me, 11 saying, Behold, a people has come out of Egypt which covers the eye of the earth. Now come, curse them for me; perhaps I will be able to overcome it and drive it out. 12And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for it is blessed. 13And Balaam rose in the morning and said to the leaders of Balak. Go to your land, for Jehovah has refused to give me leave to go with you. 14And the leaders of Moab rose up and came to Balak. And they said, Balaam refuses to come with us. 15And Balak sent yet again, more leaders and more honorable than they. 16And they came to Balaam and said to him, So says Balak the son of Zippor, Please do not be hindered from coming to me, 17for I will honor you with very much honor; and all that you say to me I will do. And please come, curse this people for me. 18And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak would give to me his house full of gold and silver, I could not go beyond the mouth of Jehovah my God, to do anything, small or great. 19And now you also please stay here tonight. And I shall know what more Jehovah may speak to me. 20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them and say only the thing that I speak to you; it you shall do. 21And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass and went with the leaders of Moab. 22And the anger of God glowed because he went. And the Angel of Jehovah set Himself in the road, as a foe against him. And he was riding on his ass, and two of his young men with him. 23And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the road, and His sword was drawn in His hand. And the ass turned out of the road and went into a field. And Balaam struck the ass, to turn it back into the road. 24And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that. 25And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and she pushed herself to the wall and crushed the foot of Balaam against the wall. And again he struck her. 26And again the Angel of Jehovah passed on and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and she lay down under Balaam. And the anger of Balaam glowed, and he struck the ass with his staff. 28And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times? 29And Balaam said to the ass, Because you have insulted me. If only there were a sword in my hand now I would kill you. 30And the ass said to Balaam, Am I not your ass on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever known to do so to you? And he said, No. 31And Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the road with His sword drawn in His hand. And he bowed and fell on his face. 32And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Why have you struck your ass these three times? Behold, I have come out as an enemy because your way is contrary to Me. 33And the ass saw Me and turned aside before Me these three times. If she had not turned aside surely now I would have killed you and saved her alive. 34And Balaam said to the Angel of Jehovah, I have sinned, for I did not know that You stood against me in the way. Now if evil is in Your eyes, I will turn back by myself. 35And the Angel of Jehovah said to Balaam, Go with the men. But only the word that I speak to you, it you shall speak. And Balaam went with the leaders of Balak. 36And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, and had gone out to meet him, to a city of Moab which is on the border of Arnon, which is in the outermost border, 37then Balak said to Balaam, Sending, did I not send to you, to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not truly able to honor you? 38And Balaam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to you. Now am I able to speak anything at all? The word which God puts in my mouth, that I will speak. 39And Balaam went with Balak. And they came to Kirjath-huzoth. 40And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam and to the leaders who were with him. 41And it happened in the morning, and Balak took Balaam and caused him to go up to the high places of Baal. And from there he saw the edge of the people.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 BALAK'S FIRST MESSAGE FOR BALAAM REFUSED. (Num. 22:1-20)
Israel . . . pitched in the plains of Moab--so called from having formerly belonged to that people, though wrested from them by Sihon. It was a dry, sunken, desert region on the east of the Jordan valley, opposite Jericho.
2 Balak--that is, "empty." Terrified (
Deut 2:25;
Exod 15:15) at the approach of so vast a multitude and not daring to encounter them in the field, he resolved to secure their destruction by other means.
4 elders of Midian--called kings (
Num 31:8) and princes (
Josh 13:21). The Midianites, a distinct people on the southern frontier of Moab, united with them as confederates against Israel, their common enemy.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam--that is, "lord" or "devourer" of people, a famous soothsayer (
Josh 13:22).
son of Beor--or, in the Chaldee form, Bosor--that is, "destruction."
Pethor--a city of Mesopotamia, situated on the Euphrates.
6 Come . . . curse me this people--Among the heathen an opinion prevailed that prayers for evil or curses would be heard by the unseen powers as well as prayers for good, when offered by a prophet or priest and accompanied by the use of certain rites. Many examples are found in the histories of the Greeks and Romans of whole armies being devoted to destruction, and they occur among the natives of India and other heathen countries still. In the Burmese war, magicians were employed to curse the British troops.
7 the elders of Moab and . . . of Midian departed with the rewards of divination--like the fee of a fortune teller, and being a royal present, it would be something handsome.
8 Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me, &c.--God usually revealed His will in visions and dreams; and Balaam's birth and residence in Mesopotamia, where the remains of patriarchal religion still lingered, account for his knowledge of the true God. His real character has long been a subject of discussion. Some, judging from his language, have thought him a saint; others, looking to his conduct, have described him as an irreligious charlatan; and a third class consider him a novice in the faith, who had a fear of God, but who had not acquired power over his passions [HENGSTENBERG].
13 the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you--This answer has an appearance of being good, but it studiously concealed the reason of the divine prohibition [
Num 22:12], and it intimated his own willingness and desire to go--if permitted. Balak despatched a second mission, which held out flattering prospects, both to his avarice and his ambition (
Gen 31:30).
19 tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more--The divine will, as formerly declared, not being according to his desires, he hoped by a second request to bend it, as he had already bent his own conscience, to his ruling passions of pride and covetousness. The permission granted to Balaam is in accordance with the ordinary procedure of Providence. God often gives up men to follow the impulse of their own lusts; but there is no approval in thus leaving them to act at the prompting of their own wicked hearts (
Josh 13:27).
21 THE JOURNEY. (Num. 22:21-41)
Balaam . . . saddled his ass--probably one of the white sprightly animals which persons of rank were accustomed to ride. The saddle, as usually in the East, would be nothing more than a pad or his outer cloak.
22 God's anger was kindled because he went--The displeasure arose partly from his neglecting the condition on which leave was granted him--namely, to wait till the princes of Moab "came to call him" [
Num 22:20], and because, through desire for "the wages of unrighteousness" [
2Pet 2:15], he entertained the secret purpose of acting in opposition to the solemn charge of God.
24 the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards--The roads which lead through fields and vineyards are so narrow that in most parts a man could not pass a beast without care and caution. A stone or mud fence flanks each side of these roads, to prevent the soil being washed off by the rains.
28 the Lord opened the mouth of the ass--to utter, like a parrot, articulate sounds, without understanding them. That this was a visionary scene is a notion which seems inadmissible, because of the improbability of a vision being described as an actual occurrence in the middle of a plain history. Besides, the opening of the ass's mouth must have been an external act, and that, with the manifest tenor of Peter's language, strongly favors the literal view [
2Pet 2:15-16]. The absence of any surprise at such a phenomenon on the part of Balaam may be accounted for by his mind being wholly engrossed with the prospect of gain, which produced "the madness of the prophet" [
2Pet 2:16]. "It was a miracle, wrought to humble his proud heart, which had to be first subjected in the school of an ass before he was brought to attend to the voice of God speaking by the angel" [CALVIN].
34 I have sinned . . . if it displease thee, I will get me back again--Notwithstanding this confession, he evinced no spirit of penitence, as he speaks of desisting only from the outward act. The words "go with the men" was a mere withdrawal of further restraint, but the terms in which leave was given are more absolute and peremptory than those in
Num 22:20.
36 when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him--Politeness requires that the higher the rank of the expected guest, greater distance is to be gone to welcome his arrival.
38 the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak--This appears a pious answer. It was an acknowledgment that he was restrained by a superior power.
39 Kirjath-huzoth--that is, "a city of streets."
40 Balak offered oxen and sheep--made preparations for a grand entertainment to Balaam and the princes of Midian.
41 high places of Baal--eminences consecrated to the worship of Baal-peor (see on
Num 25:3) or Chemosh.
