King James Version
Numbers 23
30 verses with commentary
Balaam's First Oracle
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's instruction to Balak—'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams'—establishes elaborate ritual preparation before attempting prophecy. The number seven signifies completeness in Hebrew thought. Balaam sought to create favorable conditions for receiving an oracle, mixing pagan divination techniques with Yahweh worship. This reveals his fundamental misundersta...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXIII.
(1) **Build me here seven altars.**—The patriarchs of old, as their pious descendants after the giving of the Law, never erected more than one altar in one place. A plurality of altars was the badge of idolatry. Hengsten-berg adduces several instances in proof that the ancients were accustomed to have recourse to sacrifice and conjuration in order to avert calamity and produce prosperity. (...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. it is a covenant of salt--**that is, a perpetual ordinance. This figurative form of expression was evidently founded on the conservative property of salt, which keeps meat from corruption; and hence it became an emblem of inviolability and permanence. It is a common phrase among Oriental people, who consider the eating of salt a pledge of fidelity, binding them in a covenant of friendship. H...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
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KJV Study Commentary
The record 'Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram' shows Balak's compliance and participation in the ritual. Both king and prophet engaged in the sacrificial ritual, uniting political and spiritual power in common purpose against Israel. Yet their joint effort would prove futile against God's will. This teaches that human alliances, no matt...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **And Balak and Balaam offered.—**It is more probable that Balak, as a king, performed priestly functions than that Balaam performed them alone. (See Note on Numbers 22:40.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. to an: or, solitary
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's instruction 'Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me' reveals his uncertainty about receiving divine revelation. The Hebrew <em>ulay</em> (peradventure/perhaps) shows he could not command God's presence. This contrasts sharply with Mosaic prophecy where God spoke regularly and reliably to His appointed prophet. Balaam's tentative approach exp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **To an high place.**—Rather, *to a bare or barren height *The heathen augurs were accustomed to choose elevated places for their auspices with an extensive prospect, especially the barren summits of mountains.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Nu 18:21-32. The Levites' Portion.
**21-22. I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve--**Neither the priests nor the Levites were to possess any allotments of land but to depend entirely upon Him who liberally provided for them out of His own portion; and this law was subservient to many important purposes--such as that, being...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
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KJV Study Commentary
The statement 'God met Balaam' shows divine initiative despite Balaam's manipulation. The Hebrew <em>vayiqar Elohim</em> (and God met) indicates God sovereignly chose to encounter Balaam, not because the ritual compelled Him but because He would protect His people. God met Balaam to put His own words in the prophet's mouth (verse 5), ensuring that blessing, not cursing, would result. This demonstr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Nu 18:21-32. The Levites' Portion.
**21-22. I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve--**Neither the priests nor the Levites were to possess any allotments of land but to depend entirely upon Him who liberally provided for them out of His own portion; and this law was subservient to many important purposes--such as that, being...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
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KJV Study Commentary
God 'put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.' This demonstrates God's sovereign control over prophetic utterance—Balaam couldn't curse Israel even for payment because God controlled his speech. The phrase 'put a word in' indicates divine compulsion; Balaam became mouthpiece for God's blessing despite personal preference for Balak's reward.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth.—“**God, who had opened the mouth of the ass,” says Bishop Wordsworth, *in loc., *“in a manner contrary to her nature, now opens Balaam’s mouth in a manner contrary to his own will.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**23. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: they shall bear their iniquity--**They were to be responsible for the right discharge of those duties that were assigned to them, and consequently to bear the penalty that was due to negligence or carelessness in the guardianship of the holy things.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam returning to Balak 'and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab' shows Balak's expectation of favorable results. The Hebrew <em>hineh</em> (lo/behold) emphasizes Balak's readiness to receive the curse. All Moab's leadership gathered expecting Balaam to spiritually destroy Israel. Their unified expectation would be dramatically disappointed. This illustrates how...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's oracle begins 'Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.' This introduction establishes the commission he received and cannot fulfill. The Hebrew parallelism—'curse me Jacob...defy Israel'—uses both covenant names for God's people. Balaam must publicly acknowledge his hiring for cursing, making ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam declares: 'How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?' This rhetorical question admits impossibility - no one can successfully oppose what God approves. The parallel Hebrew terms 'qabab' and 'za'am' (curse/defy/denounce) emphasize complete inability to harm those under divine protection. Balaam's oracle, though spoken reluctantly by a gr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**26. the Levites ... offer ... a tenth of the tithe--**Out of their own they were to pay tithes to the priests equally as the people gave to them. The best of their tithes was to be assigned to the priests, and afterwards they enjoyed the same liberty to make use of the remainder that other Israelites had of the produce of their threshing-floors and wine-presses.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's oracle 'from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him' presents God's perspective on Israel. The elevated vantage point symbolizes divine viewpoint versus earthly perspective. The Hebrew <em>ra'ah</em> (see) and <em>shur</em> (behold) emphasize careful observation. Balaam sees what God shows him: 'lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **For from the top of** **the rocks I see him . . . —**From the summit of the rocky mountain on which Balak had erected his seven altars, Balaam, according to one interpretation (see Numbers 22:41, and Note), had a full view of the outstretched camps of Israel.
**Lo, the people shall dwell alone . . . —**Better, *Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone, and that is not numbered, &c. *In the fac...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! me: Heb. my soul, or, my life
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam declares: 'Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!' The promise to Abraham (descendants as numerous as dust, Gen 13:16) is acknowledged by pagan prophet. Balaam's wish to 'die the death of the righteous' revealed he knew Israel's blessed state but didn't share their covenant relatio...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Who can count the dust of Jacob?—**These words point back to the promise made to Abraham: “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth,” &c. (Genesis 13:16).
**And the number of the fourth part of Israel.—**The Israelites were divided into four great encampments (Numbers 2). It is probable that Balaam could only see one of these encampments from Bamoth-Baal (Numbers 22:41); but see be...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 23
Chapter Outline
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)
**Verses 1-10**
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 ...
Read full commentary →And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balak protests to Balaam 'What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.' This reveals the futility of attempting to curse whom God has blessed. Balak's frustration demonstrates that no amount of money or influence can override God's sovereign choice to bless His covenant people. Human scheming cannot thwart divine purposes.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **Thou hast blessed them altogether.—**Hebrew, *Thou hast blessed, to bless: *an emphatic mode of stating that Balaam had continued to give utterance to nothing but blessings.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam responds 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?' This acknowledges prophetic obligation to speak God's words regardless of personal cost or preference. True prophets cannot tailor messages to audience expectations or financial incentives. Yet Balaam's later actions proved he sought loopholes when direct cursing was forbidden.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →Balaam's Second Oracle
And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balak's plea 'Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them' reveals his assumption that changing location might change the oracle's content. This exposes pagan magical thinking: manipulate circumstances to alter spiritual realities. Balak believed geography, viewpoint, or technique could force the desired outcome. This fundamentally misunderstands God's sovereign...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them . . . —**If this rendering be correct, it strongly confirms that interpretation of Numbers 22:41 according to which Balaam saw the whole host of Israel from Bamoth-Baal. The words may, however, be rendered thus: *Thou seest *(i.e., here) *but the utmost part of them, and thou dost not see them all. *If the interpretation of Numbers 22:41 is adopted...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And he brought him into the field of Zophim , to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. Pisgah: or, the hill
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KJV Study Commentary
The move to 'the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah' for a second attempt reveals Balak's desperation. Pisgah means 'summit/cleft' and was part of the mountain range where Moses would later view the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 34:1). Ironically, Balak brought Balaam to the very place God would use to show His servant Moses the blessing of the land. Geography sacred to Israel's history becomes th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **The field of Zophim.—**i.e., of watchers. Tne spot seems to be identified with that from which Moses afterwards surveyed the promised land (Deuteronomy 3:27), and which is described in Deuteronomy 34:1 as “the mountain of Nebo,” or Mount Nebo. It is possible, however, that Pisgah may have had more than one of such summits.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32. ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, &c.--**Neglect in having the best entailed sin in the use of such unhallowed food. And the holy things would be polluted by the reservation to themselves of what should be offered to God and the priests.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's instruction 'Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder' uses the same formula as before (verse 3), showing Balaam's continued belief that ritual position matters. The Hebrew <em>karah</em> (meet) indicates seeking divine encounter. Despite the first oracle's failure to curse, Balak persists with identical ritual, revealing human tendency to repeat failed methods hopin...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
God 'met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.' This second oracle followed the same pattern—God controlled Balaam's speech. The repetition emphasized divine sovereignty: attempts to manipulate Balaam into cursing failed because God, not Balak, determined prophetic content. This prefigures Jesus' teaching that disciples speak what the Spirit gives (Matth...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He stood by his burnt offering</strong> (עֹלָה, <em>olah</em>)—Balak's posture reveals his attempt to manipulate divine favor through ritual. The <em>olah</em> (burnt offering, from 'to ascend') was wholly consumed, symbolizing complete dedication to God. Yet Balaam's question <strong>What hath the LORD spoken?</strong> underscores the futility: God cannot be bought. The presence of <stron...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **What hath the Lord spoken?—**Balak here speaks of God under the name *Jehovah.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 19 Nu 19:1-22. The Water of Separation.
**2. This is the ordinance of the law--**an institution of a peculiar nature ordained by law for the purification of sin, and provided at the public expense because it was for the good of the whole community.
**Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, &c.--**This is the only case in which the color of ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam begins the second oracle 'Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor.' This formal introduction commands Balak's attention for God's authoritative word. The imperative 'rise up' (Hebrew 'qum') indicates standing for solemn pronouncement. Balaam's role as messenger delivering words he didn't author demonstrates the prophetic office—not personal opinion but divine revelatio...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-6. ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest that he may bring her forth without the camp--**He was the second or deputy high priest, and he was selected for this duty because the execution of it entailed temporary defilement, from which the acting high priest was to be preserved with the greatest care. It was led "forth without the camp," in accordance with the law regarding victims laden wit...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent.</strong> Balaam declares God's unchangeable nature in contrast to human fickleness. This profound theological statement establishes God's absolute truthfulness—He cannot lie because deception contradicts His essential nature. Unlike humans who speak falsely out of weakness, ignorance, or malice, God's word...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Neither the son of man, that he should repent.—**The adoption of these words, with slight variation, by Samuel (1Samuel 15:29) affords evidence of his familiarity with this portion of the Pentateuch.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-6. ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest that he may bring her forth without the camp--**He was the second or deputy high priest, and he was selected for this duty because the execution of it entailed temporary defilement, from which the acting high priest was to be preserved with the greatest care. It was led "forth without the camp," in accordance with the law regarding victims laden wit...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam states 'I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.' The phrase 'I cannot reverse it' emphasizes absolute impossibility—no power can undo God's blessing once pronounced. God's blessing on Israel wasn't conditional on perfect obedience but flowed from His sovereign choice and covenant faithfulness. This anticipates the New Testament teaching that nothi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-6. ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest that he may bring her forth without the camp--**He was the second or deputy high priest, and he was selected for this duty because the execution of it entailed temporary defilement, from which the acting high priest was to be preserved with the greatest care. It was led "forth without the camp," in accordance with the law regarding victims laden wit...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam declares 'He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.' This doesn't claim Israel was sinless (Numbers abundantly documents their sins), but that God doesn't view His people through their sin but through His covenant grace. 'The shout of a king' refers to God's royal presence among the...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **He hath not beheld iniquity . . . —**The same combination of the words *aven *(iniquity, or injustice) and *amal *(perverseness, or, rather, suffering or grievance) occurs in Habakkuk 1:3.
**The shout of a king.—**The word which is rendered shout (*teruah*) is the same which occurs in Leviticus 23:24, and which is there rendered *blowing of trumpets. *(Comp. Joshua 6:5; Joshua 6:20, where t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-6. ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest that he may bring her forth without the camp--**He was the second or deputy high priest, and he was selected for this duty because the execution of it entailed temporary defilement, from which the acting high priest was to be preserved with the greatest care. It was led "forth without the camp," in accordance with the law regarding victims laden wit...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam continues 'God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.' The 'unicorn' (Hebrew 're'em', likely wild ox) symbolized untamable strength. God's deliverance from Egypt demonstrated His irresistible power on Israel's behalf. This redemptive act formed the foundation of Israel's identity and security—they belonged to the God who broke Pharaoh's power.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) G**od brought them out of Egypt.—**Literally, *is bringing them. *The use of the participle denotes the continuance of the action. He who brought them forth out of Egypt was still conducting them on their march. There is an obvious allusion in these words to those of Balak in Numbers 22:5 : “Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt.” Seeing that the people did not come out of Egypt in ob...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. the priest shall be unclean until the even--**The ceremonies prescribed show the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, while they typify the condition of Christ when expiating our sins (2Co 5:21).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! against: or, in
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam declares 'Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.' The terms 'enchantment' (Hebrew 'nachash', serpent divination) and 'divination' (Hebrew 'qesem', fortune-telling) indicate occult practices. No magic can harm those under God's protection. This explains why Balaam's cursing failed—not his lack of skill but God's sovereign shield over His...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob . . . —**The verse may be rendered as follows: *For there is no augury in Jacob, and there is no divina-Hon in Israel. At the *(*set*)* time it is told to Jacob and to Israel what God hath done *(or, *doth*)*. *The ordinary meaning of the words *nahash *(omen, or augury) and *kesem *(soothsaying, or divination), the use of the same preposition in...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam prophesies that of Israel 'it shall be said, What hath God wrought!' (literally 'done' or 'accomplished'). This exclamation anticipates nations marveling at God's mighty works for Israel. The phrase became famous through Samuel Morse's first telegraph message in 1844, recognizing God's sovereign work in human achievements. All who observe God's people should see His mighty acts, not human a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **As a great lion.—**Better, *as a lioness. *(Comp. Genesis 49:9.) Balaam transfers to the whole nation that which Jacob had prophesied of Judah.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam describes Israel's future: 'Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.' This warrior imagery prophesies Israel's conquest of Canaan with fierce, unstoppable power. The lion, king of beasts, symbolizes royal dominion and irresistible strength—characteristics fulfilled...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam concludes 'He shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.' This graphic victory imagery intensifies the lion metaphor, prophesying total conquest of enemies. Yet Israel's history shows incomplete fulfillment in Canaan conquest, pointing toward Christ's ultimate victory over all spiritual enemies (1 Corinthians 15:25, Colossians...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →Balaam's Third Oracle
And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence</strong>—Balak's third attempt (אוּלַי יִישַׁר בְּעֵינֵי הָאֱלֹהִים <em>ulay yishar be'einei ha'Elohim</em>, 'perhaps it will be right in God's eyes') reveals pagan superstition that changing locations might alter divine will. After...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Peradventure it will please God . . . —**Here Balak makes mention of God as *Elohim. *He appears to be satisfied that Balaam was hindered by God from uttering the curses which he desired him to pronounce upon Israel (comp. Numbers 24:11). Or the words may have been spoken ironically (comp. Numbers 24:11, and Note).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon</strong>—The location shift to <strong>Peor</strong> (פְּעוֹר <em>Pe'or</em>, named for the Baal-peor deity) situated Balaam overlooking <strong>Jeshimon</strong> (הַיְשִׁימוֹן <em>haYeshimon</em>, 'the wasteland'), the barren wilderness where Israel camped. This third venue choice is doubly ironic: (1) Peor would ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Unto the top of Peor.—**Mount Peor was one peak of the northern part of the mountains of Abarim. It was nearer than the other heights to the camp of the Israelites. It looked toward, or over the face of *Jeshimon, i.e., *the waste (or, desert). See Numbers 21:20.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams</strong>—Balaam's third repetition of the seven-altar ritual (identical to 23:1-2, 23:14) demonstrates either spiritual manipulation (exploiting Balak's superstition for profit) or genuine prophetic protocol (establishing proper conditions for receiving divine word). The sevenfold patt...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar</strong>—Balak's third obedient execution (כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר בִּלְעָם <em>ka'asher amar Bil'am</em>, 'as Balaam had said') of the sacrificial ritual demonstrates his desperate commitment to the cursing project. The cumulative expense—21 bulls and 21 rams across three locations (23:2, 23:14, 23:30)—represented en...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-30**
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. ...
Read full commentary →