c The ſun or ſucceſſour of him whom S:hcn had ſpeiled of part of his Kingdom, N#umb.21. 26. Of him ſee Fudg. 11. 25. Mic. 6. 5.
3 And Moab was ſore afraid 4 of the people beczuſe they were many, and Moab was diſtreſſed becauſe of the chiidren of Ifrael.
d As it was foretold both in general of all Nations, Deut.2.25. and particularly concerning Moab, Exod. 15, 15.
4 And Moab ſaid unto the elders of Midian e : Now thal this company lick up f all 7bat are round about us g, as the ox licketh up the graſs of the field. And Balak the fon of Zipporwas King of the Moabites at that time.
e Called the Kings of Midian, Namb. 31.8. and Princes of Midian, 7of. 13. 21. who though divided into their Kingdoms,y et were now u- nited upon the approach of the Jſraelires their common Enemy, and being,as it ſeems,a potent and crafty people, and Neighboursto the Monbites, theſe ſeek Confederacy with them. We read of Midianites near mount Sina, Exod. 2: and 3. which ſeem to have been a part or colony of this people, tnat went out to ſeek new quarters, as the manner of thoſe times was, but the body of that people were ſeated in thoſe parts, as is evident from many Scriptures. f (7.e:) Con- ſume and utterly deſtroy, in which ſenſe the fire is ſaid to lick up the water and ſacrifices, 1 King, 18. 38, The meaning is, we can expeCt no mercy from them, they will utterly root us out as they did the Amorites, if we donot make a fiout and timely oppoſiticn. g ( 7.e.) All our people, who lived in the Country and Territory adjoyning to cach City, where the Princes reſided.
{on of Beor ; to Pethor k, which #s by. the river of the
againſt me #7.
þ Whois called a Propher, 2 Pet. 2. 16. becauſe God was pleaſed ro inſpire and dirett him to ſpeak;the following propheſy, as he did inſpice Caiaphas to ipeak thoſe words, Joh.11.51,52.and as ſometimes he c1d for a time inſpire other wicked men, bur in truth he was a Jothſayer, as he is called, of. 13. 22. See Numb. 24.1: # Or Boſor 2 Pet. 2, 15. for he had two names, as many others had. k A City in Meſopotamia or Aram, ſee Numb: 23. 7, Deut: 23. 4. I(5.e. ) By Euphrates, which 1s oft called the River, by way of eminency, as Ger 15. 18. Joſ. 24, 2, 15.and here the River of Balaams land or country, ro wit, of Meſopotamia Or Aram, Numb: 23. 7. m They are encamped in my neigh>ourhood, ready to invade my Kingdom.
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curſe me » this people, for they are too mighty for me : peradventure I jhal prevail, :#at we may {mite them o, and rbat I may drive them out of the land:for I wot that he whom thou
blefleſt, is bleſied,and he whom thou curſeſt,js curſed p.
2 ( i.e? ) Curſe them for my ſake and benefit; uſe thy utmoſt power, which thou haſt with thy gods or infernal ſpirits, to blaſt and ruine them, o Thou by thy magical imprecations, and I by my ſword joyned with them. p He had ſome experience of, or, at leaſt, a great confidence in Balaam: skill and power in theſe matters.
departed, with the rewards of divination qin their hands, and they came unto Balaam, and ſpake unto him the words of Balak.
q Reb. with divinations, by which he underſtands not the Inſtry- ments of Divination,which it was needleſs and abſurd to bring to ſo eminent a Diviner, who doubtleſs was throughly furniſhed for his own trade ; but the Rewards of it,asit is explained 2 Per.2.15.and as in the Hebrew, 2 Sam: 4.10. good tydings is put for the reward of good ty dings- Nor isit probable, they would £0 to, or could expett to prevail with ſuch a perſon, eſpecially being noted for his covetouſ- neſs, as appears from the ſtory, without that powerful engine,
$ And heſaid unto them, Lodge here this night », and I will bring you word again, as the LORD s ſhal ſpeak unto me : and the princes of Moab z abode with Balaam, r The night was the time when God uſed to reveal his mind b dreams. Here is the firſt diſcovery of his Wickedneſs, that he takes time to conſider,and doth his endeavour to effe& that wicked motion of curſing the Iſraelites, which he ſhould have rejeQed and abhorred at the firſt mention of it. 5s Heb. Jehovah, the true God, whom he here mentions, either for his own greater reputation, as if he conſulted not with inferiour ſpirits, as other Soothſayers did, but with the ſupreamGod, ; or rather becauſe this was Jrae!'s God,
and
* chap.
<
land ofthe children ef his people 1, to call him, ſaying, , Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt : behold, Jude. ;1 they cover the jface of the earth, and they abide over Rev. 2.14.
7 And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian
3. X11;
1 I 3,
5 * He ſent meilengers therefore unte BaJazam h the *Joſ.29?g! Ne. 13.1,2
ic. 6. 5! Per.2.15,
Heb. eyey
——— — — rr PO EIIIOD
fGer
{
9 Ie eee Ie GROSS wt
i .
" Chap. XX NOM ſec that all onr endeavours and repeated ſacrifices are to no purpoſe, and can make no impreſlion in God, nor induce him to curie thoſe
| vhom he hath purpoſed, and ſolemnly and frequently promiſed, to
| bleſs. & Is he like a man that oft ſpeaks and promiſes what he ei- ther never intends, or cannot or will not perform?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bleſs ]:
and he hath blefied, and I cannot reverſe it.
{ Or. I have received a bleſſmg, to wit, a ſentence of bleſſing, which Ged hath put into my mind and mouth, and which I cannor for- bear to utter. Heb. 1 have received to bleſs. "The infinitive put for
the noun, as 1s frequent. TELE: 27 : 2: tie hath not beheld iniquity in-Jacob, neither hath
he ſeen perverſeneſs in Iſrael m: the LURD his God «
with him », and theſbout of a King # among them o.
” He, (i. e.) God, underſtood, v. 20. and expreſſed, v. 19- hath not or doth nor behold or ſee iniquity or perverſeneſs, i.e. any fin, in Jacob Or Iſrael; Which cannot be meant of a ſimple ſeeing or knowing of him, for ſo God did ſee and obſerve, yea and chattiſe their fins, as is manifeſt, Exod. 32. 9. Deur. g. 13. But of ſuch a ſighr of their fins as ſhould provoke God utterly ro torſake and curſe and deſtroy them, which was Balak's delire,, and Balaam's hope and delign. For as Balaam knew that none bur J/raels God could curſe or deſtroy 1ſr2e!, EY: ſo he knew that nothing bur their ſin could move him fo to do ;