Numbers 23

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Numbers 23:11

"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. And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth?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. And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Numbers 23:27

"And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.""Another place ..." (Numbers 23:27). Balak again and again sought "another... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23

CHAP. XXIII. Balak offers sacrifices according to the orders of Balaam; who, by the impulse of God, prophesies in favour of the Israelites. Before Christ 1452. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23:1

Numbers 23:1. Build me here seven altars, &c.— That is, say some, in honour of that God who had consecrated the number seven by ceasing from his works of creation on the seventh day. That Balaam sacrificed to Jehovah, the true God, there can be no question; but Psalmanazar's reasons why he erected seven altars seem the most probable. He observes, that the kind and number of victims here mentioned is not only enjoined by the Mosaic law upon various occasions, but also to Job's three friends,... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23:3

Numbers 23:3. Stand by thy burnt-offering— By which he means not any particular offering, but the whole sacrifice offered on the seven altars. And I will go, says Balaam, i.e. I will retire into solitude and silence to meet the Lord, Numbers 23:15. (see the note on chap. Numbers 24:1.) peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: from which it is inferred, that it was customary in those early times for prophets and other pious persons, after performing the sacred rites, to retire into some... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23:5

Numbers 23:5. The Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth— Jehovah, in the original; which abundantly proves Balaam to have been a prophet of the true God. Concerning the word parable in the 7th verse, see the note on chap. Numbers 21:27. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23:9

Numbers 23:9. For from the top of the rocks I see him, &c.— That is, from the top of the rocks on which he then stood: this, and the next expression, may relate not only to the present view he had of the camp of the Israelites, but to their future settlement in Canaan, wherein they were represented to his "mind's eye" as dwelling securely under the protection of the Almighty. The people shall dwell alone, says Hebrews 1:0.e. separated from other nations by peculiar laws, religion, and... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23:10

Numbers 23:10. Who can count the dust of Jacob? &c.— God promised to Abraham, first, that his posterity should inherit the land of Canaan; and secondly, that they should be as numerous as the dust of the earth, Genesis 13:15-16. Balaam confirms this double promise: the first part in the preceding verse, the second in this; where he speaks of the prodigious multiplication of the people. These words may regard the present state of the Israelites; but they principally respect the future. The... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23:13

Numbers 23:13. Balak said,—Come—with me unto another place— Balak seems to believe, that the sight of such a numerous people had an effect upon the prophet; and therefore he wishes him now to pass to another place, that he might see only a part of them: whence it seems probable, that they conceived it necessary to have some part at least of the devoted people in view, in order to give effect to their imprecations; as we observed on Num 22:41 of the former chapter. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Numbers 23:14

Numbers 23:14. The field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah— Zophim, signifies watchmen; and the field of Zophim seems to have been a plain on the top of the mountain, where watchmen were placed in order to give a signal upon the approach of enemies. See Isaiah 21:11; Isaiah 52:8. Pisgah was a very high mountain in the country of Moab, from some parts of which almost the whole extent of Canaan might be seen. Deuteronomy 3:27. But Balak, it appears, brought Balaam to that side of it where he could... read more

Group of Brands