» Which Balaam ſaw not, becauſe God withheld his eyes as he did the eyes of Daniel's companions, Dar. 10.7. Ir is a truth, which meer Philoſophers own, tiaat when God withdraws his concuiſe or help from any of his creatures, they cannor perform their na- tural acts and offices ; The eye cannot ſce, Ger 19. nor the car heas; nor the fire burn, as Dan. 3.
' 24 Bur the Angel of the LORD ſtood in apath of the vineyards:a wall being on this fide, anda wall on that ſide:
25 And when the aſs faw the Angel of the LORD, ſhe thruſt her ſelf unto the wall, and cruſht Balaams foot againft the wall: and he ſmote her again.
26 And the Angel of the LORD went further, and ftood in a narrow place, where 245 no way to turn, Ei- ther to the right handor to the left.
27 And when che afs ſaw the Angel of the LORD, the fell down under Balaam,and Balaams anger was kind- led, and he {mote the afs with a ſtaff.
28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the aſs o, and ſhe ſaid unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou haſt ſmitren me theſe three times ?
0 (:.e.) Conferred upon her the power of Specch and reaſoning for that time. Impudent are thoſe heathen: tht disbelieve and ſcotf at the Scripture for this and ſome ſuch relations contained in it, when there are examples of the 1ame kind of Prodigies, to wit, of Oxen and othe- brut--creatures ſpeaking ſome few words, in the greateſt and moit approved writers of the Roman Hiſtory, as Plu- zarch, volybius, Livy, and others. See the particulars in my Latin Synoplis on this place.
29 And Baiaam {aid untothe aſs p, Becauſe thou haft mocked me ; I would there were a {word in mine hand,
tor now would I kill thee.
P Balnam was not much terrified with the Affes ſpeaking, be- cauſe he was much accu'omed to converſe with evil jpirits which oit app*ared to him, and diſcourſed with him in the ſhape of ſuch creatures.
3o Arid the Afs ſaid unto Balaam, 4m not I thine FHev. who! als F upon which thou haſt ridden || ever ſince I as #-ft ridden} chine, unto this day? Was Lever wont to do ſo unto 2% 7% | thee ? and he ſaid, Nay. ub
31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, wap, &c. | and he ſaw the Angel of the LORD ſtanding in the way, and his ſword drawn in his hand: -and he bowed down his head, and ||fell flat on tis f ce 9.
q In token of :everence and ſubmiſh n.
32 And the Angei of the LORD faid unto him, Wherefore haſt thou ſmitten thine aſs theſe three times ? Behold, Iwent ourf to withſtand thee, becauſe thy way tHeb. /e-
is perverſe before me 7. ſatan, that r Howſoever thou mayeſt, deceive thy ſelf or others, I ſee the '5; *? be an perverienels of thy heart anc way; the wickednets of thy deſign and a—_ J deli:es in this jrurney, which thou haſt undertaken, nor to pleaſe *9 ****- me, but to gratitie Balak; and, if it be poſſible, to curſe my people. 33 And che afs faw rue, and curned from me theſe three times : unleſs ſhe had turned from me, ſurely now
alſo I had flain thee and ſaved her alives. 5 T had {lain thee alone, and nor her, and therefore her turning aſide and falling down was wholly for thy {ake and benefit, not for her own, and thy anger againſt her was unjuſt and unreaſonable. 24 And Balaam faid unto the Angel of the LORD, I have iinned, for I knew not that thou ſtoodeſt in the way againſt me: now therefore if ic | diſpleaſe thee #, #Heb: be 1 will get me back again. evil in : A frivolous ſuppoſition; for it was apparently diſpleaſing to *#:7e eyes. God, who had now faid that his way was perverſe, and had there- fore oppoſed him and ſought to flay him: Bur hereby he ſhews how loth he was to go back and loſe the hopes he had conceived, and beſides he ſpeaks of deliſting from the ourward afion, but ſhews no ſenſe of the plague of his heart, his vile affe&tions, which were the coor of this 11] deſigned journey. 35 And tie angel of the LORD ſaid unto Balaam, Go with the mien s: but only the word that i ſhall ſpeak unto thee, that thou ſhalt ſpeak x : ſo Balaam went with
che Princes of Balak.
#s This may be either 1. A meer permiſſion, ſince neither the convictions of rhy own conſcience,nor the experience of thy dan- ger have weaned thee from thy baſe deſigns and inclinations, I ſhal no further reſtrain thee ; my. Angel ſhalt give thee no more diſtur- bance; go on and proſper« Or 2. A conceſſion; 4 allow thee to go, upon the following terms. For the words here are more abſo- lute and unconditional than thoſe, wer. 209. x Theſe wards may expreſs either 1. The event; Or, 2. His duty.See above on wer. 20.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet Him y unto a city of Moab, which # in the border of Arnon, which & in the utmoſt coaſt z,
y That by this great honour he might give him a taſte and ear-
3 net
Ii ]
if
© 2Per. kd,
l|'Or, bowed himſelf. |
"4
—_ =
az SY,
We neſt of thoſe greatrewards he deſigned him,and thereby oblige him
to uſe his utmoſt skill and intereſt for him. = Not far from the camp of the {ſraelites, whom he deſired him to curſe.
27 And Balak faid unto Balaam, did I not earneſtly ſend unto thee, to call thee? wherefore cameſt thou not unto me 2 Am I notable indeed to promote thee to honou; ? |
28 And Balaam ſaid unto Balak, Lo, I am comeunto thee : have I now any power at allto ſay anything ? the word that God putreth in my mouth, that ſhall T ſpeak 5,
a To wit, agrezable to thy expeQation or my own inclination. þ I am forced to do ſo by his ſuperiour power, and therefore be not offended with me, it 4 ſpeak things unpleaſing to thee.
Or, - city \of ſtreets.
| i 18 ! 14 WT:
unto || Kirjath-huzoth.
$40 And Balak offered c oxen and ſheep, and ſent to Baiaam 4d, and to the princes that were with him e.
Or, killed, either for ſacrifice ; or rather for a feaſt: For the ſacrifices were offered after this, Numb. 23. 1, 2. d To invite him to the feaſt. e Whom the king had left to accompany him and at- tend upon him. ,
41 And it came to paſs on the morrow,. that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal f, that thence he might ſce the utmolt par? © the people g. *
f(G. e.) Conſecrated ro the worſhip of Bazl, 7. e. of Baa! Peor, who was their Baal or god, Numb 25; 2,3. or of Chemeſh. g (:.e) All that people, even to the utmoſt and remoteſt of them, as ap- pears by comparing this with Numb. 23. 13. He hoped that the fighr of ſuch a numerous hoft ready to break in upon his countrey, would ſtir up his paſſion and further his charms.