Numbers23
English Standard Version
1And to , for here , and for me and .
2 as had . And and on each a and a .
3And to , your , and I will . the Lord will to me, and he me I will you. And he to a bare ,
4and . And Balaam to him, I have the and I have on each a and a .
5And the Lord a in and , to , and you shall .
6And he to him, and , he and the of were his .
7And Balaam his and , From has me, the of from the : , for me, and , !
8 can I whom has ? can I whom the Lord has ?
9 from the of the I him, from the I him; , a , and counting among the !
10 can the of or the of ? Let me the of the , and let my be like his!
11And to , have you to me? I you to my , and , you have done but them.
12And he and , Must I take to the Lord in my ?
13And to him, with me to , from you may them. You shall a of them and shall them . Then them for me .
14And he him to the of , to the of , and and a and a on each .
15Balaam to , your , while I the Lord over .
16And the Lord and a in his and , to , and shall you .
17And he to him, and , he was his , and the of with him. And to him, has the Lord ?
18And Balaam his and , , , and ; to me, O of :
19 is , that he should , or a of , that he should change his . Has he , and will he it? Or has he , and will he it?
20 , I a command to : he has , and I it.
21He has in , has he in . The Lord their is with them, and the of a is among them.
22 brings them of and is for them like the of the .
23 there is against , against ; it shall be of and , has !
24 , a ! As a it rises and as a it itself; it does lie it has the and the of the .
25And to , them at , do them at .
26But , Did I you, that the Lord , that I must ?
27And to , , I will you to . it will that you may them for me .
28So to the of , which the .
29And to , for me and for me and .
30And as had , and a and a on each .
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Numbers 23.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Balak's sacrifice, Balaam pronounces a blessing instead of a curse. (1–10). Balak's disappointment, and second sacrifice, Balaam again blesses Israel. (11–30).
vv1-10
With the camps of Israel full in view, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and a bullock and a ram to be offered on each. Oh the sottishness of superstition, to imagine that God will be at man's beck! The curse is turned into a blessing, by the overruling power of God, in love to Israel. God designed to serve his own glory by Balaam, and therefore met him. If God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, who would have defied God and Israel, surely he will not be wanting to those who desire to glorify God, and to edify his people; it shall be given what they should speak. He who opened the mouth of the ass, caused the mouth of this wicked man to speak words as contrary to the desire of his heart, as those of the ass were to the powers of the brute. The miracle was as great in the one case as in the other. Balaam pronounces Israel safe. He owns he could do no more than God suffered him to do. He pronounces them happy in their distinction from the rest of the nations. Happy in their numbers, which made them both honourable and formidable. Happy in their last end. Death is the end of all men; even the righteous must die, and it is good for us to think of this with regard to ourselves, as Balaam does here, speaking of his own death. He pronounces the righteous truly blessed, not only while they live, but when they die; which makes their death even more desirable than life itself. But there are many who desire to die the death of the righteous, but do not endeavour to live the life of the righteous; gladly would they have an end like theirs, but not a way like theirs. They would be saints in heaven, but not saints on earth. This saying of Balaam's is only a wish, not a prayer; it is a vain wish, being only a wish for the end, without any care for the means. Many seek to quiet their consciences with the promise of future amendment, or take up with some false hope, while they neglect the only way of salvation, by which a sinner can be righteous before God.
vv11-30
Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any change of his mind; but only a change of his way. There was sin in Jacob, and God saw it; but there was not such as might provoke him to give them up to ruin. If the Lord sees that we trust in his mercy, and accept of his salvation; that we indulge no secret lust, and continue not in rebellion, but endeavour to serve and glorify him; we may be sure that he looks upon us as accepted in Christ, that our sins are all pardoned. Oh the wonders of providence and grace, the wonders of redeeming love, of pardoning mercy, of the new-creating Spirit! Balak had no hope of ruining Israel, and Balaam showed that he had more reason to fear being ruined by them. Since Balaam cannot say what he would have him, Balak wished him to say nothing. But though there are many devices in man's heart, God's counsels shall stand. Yet they resolve to make another attempt, though they had no promise on which to build their hopes. Let us, who have a promise that the vision at the end shall speak and not lie, continue earnest in prayer, Lu 18:1.
Key Words
בִּלְעָם: Bilam, a Mesopotamian prophet; also a place in Palestine
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
בָּלָק: Balak, a Moabitish king
בָּנָה: to build (literally and figuratively)
זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
שֶׁבַע: seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number
מִזְבֵּחַ: an altar
כּוּן: properly, to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous)
פַּר: a bullock (apparently as breaking forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof)
אַיִל: properly, strength; hence, anything strong; specifically a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support); an oak or other strong tree
Cross References
Numbers 23Explicit parallel on God's unchangeable character: God is not a man that He should lie or repent.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Moses' blessing echoes Balaam's oracle: Israel shall dwell in safety alone as a peculiar people.
Supported by JFB
Balaam's phrase 'dust of Jacob' refers to the fulfillment of God's populous promise to Abraham.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Balaam's poetic numbering of Israel directly echoes the dust-of-the-earth promise given to Jacob.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Verbal echo of Jacob's blessing comparing Israel's conquering strength to a lion and young lion.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Parallel offering of seven bullocks and seven rams as a complete, solemn sacrifice.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical confirmation that Balak hired Balaam from Mesopotamia (Aram-naharaim) to curse Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explains the biblical imagery and formidable strength associated with the wild ox or unicorn.
Supported by JFB
Balaam repeats this exact lion prophecy in his subsequent oracle to Balak.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Scripture explicitly notes God refused to listen to Balaam, turning his curse into a blessing.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Reflects the divine separation of Israel from other nations in religion, laws, and protection.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Reiterates Balaam's constraint that he can only speak the word that God puts in his mouth.
Supported by John Calvin
Direct repetition of the phrase 'God brought them out of Egypt... strength of a unicorn.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Micah calls Israel to remember what Balak consulted and what Balaam answered him.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Confirms the East was notoriously infamous for magicians, sorcerers, and soothsayers.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB