Numbers 22

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:18

I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God - Balaam knew God too well to suppose he could reverse any of his purposes; and he respected him too much to attempt to do any thing without his permission. Though he was covetous, yet he dared not, even when strongly tempted both by riches and honors, to go contrary to the command of his God. Many make all the professions of Balaam, without justifying them by their conduct. "They pretend," says one, "they would not do any thing against the word... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:19

What the Lord will say unto me more - He did not know but God might make a farther discovery of his will to him, and therefore he might very innocently seek farther information. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:20

If the men come - go with them - This is a confirmation of what was observed on the twelfth verse; though we find his going was marked with the Divine displeasure, because he wished, for the sake of the honors and rewards, to fulfill as far as possible the will of the king of Moab. Mr. Shuckford observes that the pronoun הוא hu is sometimes used to denote a person's doing a thing out of his own head, without regard to the directions of another. Thus in the case of Balaam, when God had... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:23

And the ass saw the angel - When God granted visions those alone who were particularly interested saw them while others in the same company saw nothing; see Daniel 10:7 ; Acts 9:7 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Numbers 22:26

And the angel - stood in a narrow place - In this carriage of the angel says Mr. Ainsworth the Lord shows us the proceedings of his judgments against sinners: First he mildly shakes his rod at them but lets them go untouched. Secondly he comes nearer and touches them with an easy correction as it were wringing their foot against the wall. Thirdly, when all this is ineffectual, he brings them into such straits, that they can neither turn to the right hand nor to the left, but must fall before... read more

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