성경 주석서

Numbers 23:1-26 (E ). Balaam’s two prophetic messages

1–6. Balaam demanded a seven-fold sacrifice, in order to propitiate God, that He might be willing to give His prophet a message. Balak complied with the request, hoping that the message might be a curse.

3. Balaam went some distance away, in the hope that Jehovah would meet him. It is not necessary to suppose that he went to practise enchantments like a soothsayer, e.g. to watch the clouds or the flight of birds. Jehovah had already spoken to him when he was in his own home, and he might expect Him to do so again. In the following verse, indeed, Balaam claims that in the seven-fold sacrifice he has already taken the necessary means to obtain a message.

he went to a bare height] It is not clear why he should choose a bare height. The word is perhaps corrupt. A.V. ‘a high place,’ and marg. ‘solitary’ are wrong.

7. he took up his parable] i.e. he took up upon his lips, he uttered; Numbers 23:18, Numbers 24:3; Numbers 24:15; Numbers 24:20 f., Num 24:23. Cf. Job 27:1; Job 29:1, Amos 5:1 and frequently. On the Heb. mâshâl (‘parable’), a didactic or artistic utterance, see Numbers 21:27.

Aram] i.e. Aram-naharaim. See on Numbers 22:5. The short form Aram (cf. Hosea 12:12, where the meaning is the same as here) usually denotes the more westerly regions of which Damascus was the capital.

the mountains of the East] The high ranges of the Syrian desert, the country of the nomad ‘children of the east’ (Jeremiah 49:28, Ezekiel 25:4; Ezekiel 25:10), who wandered E . of Ammon, Moab, and Edom.

7–10. Balaam’s first prophetic message. This consists of seven short couplets. Balaam declares the uselessness of Balak’s action in fetching him for the purpose of cursing (Numbers 23:7 f.); the security of Israel, their separateness from other nations, and their great numbers (Numbers 23:9-10 a); and he prays that his end may be like theirs (Numbers 23:10 b).

9. And reckoneth not itself among the nations] Israel felt themselves to be completely separate from, and superior to, other nations because they possessed Jehovah’s love and protection.

10. Or number the fourth part of Israel] involves a necessary emendation, the Heb. text (represented in R.V. marg.) being scarcely translateable.

For ‘the fourth part’ (רֹבַע) some would read ‘the myriads’ (רִבְבֹת), or perhaps, as LXX. suggests, ‘the multitude of the people of Israel’ (רֹב עַם י״).

Let me die] lit. may my soul, or my life, die.

the death of the upright ones] The plural adjective refers to Israel who are ideally considered as a nation of upright men. The singular pronoun at the end of the verse refers to the nation as a single whole.

There is no reference in the final words to a future life; it is a poetical parallel to the preceding clause. Balaam prays that the close of his life may be the peaceful end enjoyed by good men.

11–17. Balak was angry that Jehovah did not put a curse into Balaam’s mouth, and begged him to try again on another spot. The seven-fold sacrifice was again offered.

13. unto another place] It was a not infrequent practice with soothsayers, if they were unable to obtain an omen according to their wishes, to try several times in hopes of better success. Balak thought that if Balaam went to a more favourable spot, Jehovah might be persuaded to change His mind!

thou shalt see but the extremity of them … not see them all] The words are difficult, because Balaam has already seen only the end of the Israelite host; see Numbers 22:41. If the words are genuine, they may perhaps mean that Balaam would be taken to a spot whence he would still be able to see only a small part of them, but if that failed, he could finally go to a place whence he could see them all. But many writers assign the words to an editor.