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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 22:12

And God said unto Balaam, thou shalt not go with them ,.... Which is a denial of the first thing Balak requested, "come now, therefore", &c.; Numbers 22:6 . thou shall not curse the people ; which was the principal thing desired, and in order to which he was solicited to go with the messengers; but this is absolutely forbidden: for they are blessed ; by the Lord himself, with an irrevocable blessing, and therefore it would be vain and fruitless, as well as dangerous for him to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 22:13

And Balaam rose up in the morning ,.... With the impression of the dream upon his mind, and of what had passed between God and him in it: and said unto the princes of Balak ; which shows what the elders were that were sent, of what honour and dignity, and may include both those of Moab and of Midian: get you into your land ; as soon as you can; set forward on your journey, it is to no purpose to stay here: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you ; he only relates... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 22:14

And the princes of Moab rose up ,.... And the princes of Midian also, immediately, without entering into a parley with him, to persuade him to go with them; perceiving by his answer that it would be to no purpose, and that he was determined to do as the Lord directed him: and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us ; as Balaam told them less than what God had said to him, so they related less to Balak than what Balaam had said to them; saying nothing of the Lord's... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:5

To Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people - Dr. Kennicott justly remarks, that "the description now given of Balaam's residence, instead of being particular, agrees with any place in any country where there is a river; for he lived by Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people. But was Pethor then near the Nile in Egypt? Or in Canaan, near Jordan? Or in Mesopotamia, near the Euphrates, and belonging to the Ammonites? This last was... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:6

Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people - Balaam, once a prophet of the true God, appears to have been one of the Moshelim, (see Numbers 21:27 ;), who had added to his poetic gift that of sorcery or divination. It was supposed that prophets and sorcerers had a power to curse persons and places so as to confound all their designs, frustrate their counsels, enervate their strength, and fill them with fear, terror, and dismay. See Genesis 9:25 ; Psalm 109:6 , Psalm 109:20 ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:7

The rewards of divination - Whoever went to consult a prophet took with him a present, as it was on such gratuitous offerings the prophets lived; but here more than a mere present is intended, perhaps every thing necessary to provide materials for the incantation. The drugs, etc., used on such occasions were often very expensive. It appears that Balaam was very covetous, and that he loved the wages of unrighteousness, and probably lived by it; see 2 Peter 2:15 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:8

I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak - So it appears he knew the true God, and had been in the habit of consulting him, and receiving oracles from his mouth. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:12

Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people - That is, Thou shalt not go with them to curse the people. With them he might go, as we find he afterwards did by God's own command, but not to curse the people; this was wholly forbidden. Probably the command, Thou shalt not go, refers here to that time, viz., the first invitation: and in this sense it was most punctually obeyed by Balaam; see Numbers 22:13 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:14

Balaam refuseth to come with us - "Observe," says Mr. Ainsworth, "Satan's practice against God's word, seeking to lessen the same, and that from hand to hand, till he bring it to naught. Balaam told the princes less than God told him, and they relate to Balak less than Balaam told them; so that when the answer came to the king of Moab, it was not the word of God, but the word of man; it was simply, Balaam refuseth to come, without ever intimating that God had forbidden him." But in this... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:5

Verse 5 5.He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam. This passage shews us, like many others, that the errors wherein Satan entangles unbelievers are derived from good principles. The modesty of king Balak appears to be worthy of praise, in that, conscious of his own weakness, and placing no confidence in human aid, he sets about imploring the help of God. For this is our only safe refuge, although earthly aids may fail us, still to maintain our courage, and to rely upon God, who is... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 22:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 22:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 22:14

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:5

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:6

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:7

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:12

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:14

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:5

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