23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shalt it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among the rest of their slain.
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.
For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; `remember' from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women;
And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
For from you hath sounded forth the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to God-ward is gone forth; so that we need not to speak anything. For they themselves report concerning us what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how ye turned unto God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc; and they glorified God in me.
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
`even' Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Oh how great is thy goodness, Which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, Which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee, Before the sons of men!
saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been wrought through them, is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs.
And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt will I show unto them marvellous things.
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, `and' himself fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses `and' his people, `saying', Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit in the midst of them? that caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses? that divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.
To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; And made Israel to pass through the midst of it; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: To him that led his people through the wilderness; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: To him that smote great kings; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever; And slew famous kings; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever: Sihon king of the Amorites; For his lovingkindness `endureth' forever; And Og king of Bashan; For his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever;
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing: Then said they among the nations, Jehovah hath done great things for them. Jehovah hath done great things for us, `Whereof' we are glad.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 23
Commentary on Numbers 23 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 23
In this chapter we have Balak and Balaam busy at work to do Israel a mischief, and, for ought that appears, neither Moses nor the elders of Israel know any thing of the matter, nor are in a capacity to break the snare; but God, who keeps Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, baffles the attempt, without any intercession or contrivance of theirs. Here is,
Num 23:1-12
Here is,
Num 23:13-30
Here is,