Numbers 23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:17

And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering ,.... As before; Numbers 23:6 and the princes of Moab with him; Jarchi observes, that before it is said, all the princes of Moab, but not so here; for when they saw there was no hope of succeeding, some of them went away, and only some were left: and Balak said unto him, what hath the Lord spoken ? being in haste to know what it was, whether agreeable or not. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:18

And he took up his parable ,.... Pronounced the word put into his mouth: and said, rise up Balak, and hear ; not from his seat, as Eglon a successor of his did, Judges 3:20 for he was now standing by his burnt offering; but the sense is, that he would raise his attention, and stir up himself with all diligence to hear what he was about to say: hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor ; or to his word, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, which follow. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that he should lie ,.... Man is a creature consisting of a body of flesh and blood, and of a soul, a created and finite spirit; but God, though he has the parts of an human body ascribed to him in a figurative sense, yet is not to be conceived of in a corporeal manner; and though he is a Spirit, yet eternal, immense, and infinite; and much less is as a sinful man, who goes astray from the womb speaking lies; no, let God be true, and every man a liar: he is God, that cannot... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:20

Behold, I have received commandment to bless ,.... The people of Israel, to pronounce a blessing upon them, to declare them a happy people: and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it ; God has blessed them, has determined to bless them, has promised to bless them, has blessed them in the victories he has given them, and will complete the blessing of them, by bringing them into the land he has given them: so the blessings which God has designed for his spiritual Israel, and bestows... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:21

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel ,.... Not that there was no sin in them, nor any observed by the Lord; yet not so as to mark it in strict justice, and punish for it; but he forgave it, hid his face from it, and did not impute it to them; all the three Targums restrain it to idolatry, that there were none among them that worshipped idols, which was the reason why the Lord could not be prevailed upon to curse them: and Aben Ezra observes, that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:22

God brought them out of Egypt ,.... With a mighty hand and stretched out arm, and he will conduct them through the wilderness, and bring them safe to Canaan's land; he that brought them from thence will not suffer them to perish by any means; it is in vain to attempt to curse a people that is in such hands, and for whom he has done such great things: Jarchi thinks this stands opposed to what Balak had said, Numbers 22:5 , thou sayest, "lo, a people is come out of Egypt";"they did not come... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:23

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel ,.... Balaam here owns, that all his enchantments and divinations signified nothing, and would never prevail to bring a curse upon Israel; it was a vain thing for him to use them, and as vain for Balak to expect anything from them; neither he nor any other enchanter and soothsayer, using all the arts they are masters of, could ever do any hurt to such a people, who were the peculiar care of God, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:24

Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion ,.... Or rather, "as the lioness" F14 כלביא "ut leaena", V. L. Tigurine version. , which, as Aelianus says F15 Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 39. Vid. Herodot. Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 108. , is the strongest and most warlike beast, the most fierce and furious, as is believed both by Greeks and Barbarians; and he mentions the heroism of Perdiccas the Macedonian, and Semiramis the Assyrian, in engaging with and killing, not the lion or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:25

And Balak said unto Balaam, neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. Signifying that it would be as well or better to do nothing at all, than to do what he did; but the sense is not, that he would not have him curse them, that he could never say, since he had pressed it both before and after this; wherefore the words should be rendered, as they are by some F16 So Fagius, Vatablus; with which agree the Arabic version, and Noldius, p. 221. No. 1024. , "if in cursing thou dost... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:26

But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, told not I thee ,.... He appeals to him for his honesty and faithfulness, for honest and faithful he would be thought to be, both to God and man; that when he first met him, he plainly told him what he must expect: from him: saying, all that the Lord speaketh, that I must do ; which was very true, he was obliged to do as he had bid him, and speak what he had said unto him, though it was sore against his will; he would fain both have spoken and... read more

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