5 Nevertheless the LORD H3068 thy God H430 would H14 not hearken H8085 unto Balaam; H1109 but the LORD H3068 thy God H430 turned H2015 the curse H7045 into a blessing H1293 unto thee, because the LORD H3068 thy God H430 loved H157 thee.
The LORD H3068 did not set his love H2836 upon you, nor choose H977 you, because ye were more H7230 in number than any people; H5971 for ye were the fewest H4592 of all people: H5971 But because the LORD H3068 loved H160 you, and because he would keep H8104 the oath H7621 which he had sworn H7650 unto your fathers, H1 hath the LORD H3068 brought you out H3318 with a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and redeemed H6299 you out of the house H1004 of bondmen, H5650 from the hand H3027 of Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt. H4714
But G1161 God, G2316 who is G5607 rich G4145 in G1722 mercy, G1656 for G1223 his G846 great G4183 love G26 wherewith G3739 he loved G25 us, G2248 Even G2532 when we G2248 were G5607 dead G3498 in sins, G3900 hath quickened us together with G4806 Christ, G5547 (by grace G5485 ye are G2075 saved;) G4982
And the LORD H3068 put H7760 a word H1697 in Balaam's H1109 mouth, H6310 and said, H559 Return H7725 unto Balak, H1111 and thus thou shalt speak. H1696 And he returned H7725 unto him, and, lo, he stood H5324 by his burnt sacrifice, H5930 he, and all the princes H8269 of Moab. H4124 And he took up H5375 his parable, H4912 and said, H559 Balak H1111 the king H4428 of Moab H4124 hath brought H5148 me from Aram, H758 out of the mountains H2042 of the east, H6924 saying, Come, H3212 curse H779 me Jacob, H3290 and come, H3212 defy H2194 Israel. H3478 How H4100 shall I curse, H5344 whom God H410 hath not cursed? H6895 or how shall I defy, H2194 whom the LORD H3068 hath not defied? H2194 For from the top H7218 of the rocks H6697 I see H7200 him, and from the hills H1389 I behold H7789 him: lo, the people H5971 shall dwell H7931 alone, H910 and shall not be reckoned H2803 among the nations. H1471 Who can count H4487 the dust H6083 of Jacob, H3290 and the number H4557 of the fourth H7255 part of Israel? H3478 Let me die H4191 H5315 the death H4194 of the righteous, H3477 and let my last H319 end be like his! And Balak H1111 said H559 unto Balaam, H1109 What hast thou done H6213 unto me? I took H3947 thee to curse H6895 mine enemies, H341 and, behold, thou hast blessed H1288 them altogether. H1288 And he answered H6030 and said, H559 Must I not take heed H8104 to speak H1696 that which the LORD H3068 hath put H7760 in my mouth? H6310
And the LORD H3068 met H7136 Balaam, H1109 and put H7760 a word H1697 in his mouth, H6310 and said, H559 Go again H7725 unto Balak, H1111 and say H1696 thus. And when he came H935 to him, behold, he stood H5324 by his burnt offering, H5930 and the princes H8269 of Moab H4124 with him. And Balak H1111 said H559 unto him, What hath the LORD H3068 spoken? H1696 And he took up H5375 his parable, H4912 and said, H559 Rise up, H6965 Balak, H1111 and hear; H8085 hearken H238 unto me, thou son H1121 of Zippor: H6834 God H410 is not a man, H376 that he should lie; H3576 neither the son H1121 of man, H120 that he should repent: H5162 hath he said, H559 and shall he not do H6213 it? or hath he spoken, H1696 and shall he not make it good? H6965 Behold, I have received H3947 commandment to bless: H1288 and he hath blessed; H1288 and I cannot reverse H7725 it. He hath not beheld H5027 iniquity H205 in Jacob, H3290 neither hath he seen H7200 perverseness H5999 in Israel: H3478 the LORD H3068 his God H430 is with him, and the shout H8643 of a king H4428 is among them. God H410 brought them out H3318 of Egypt; H4714 he hath as it were the strength H8443 of an unicorn. H7214 Surely there is no enchantment H5173 against Jacob, H3290 neither is there any divination H7081 against Israel: H3478 according to this time H6256 it shall be said H559 of Jacob H3290 and of Israel, H3478 What hath God H410 wrought! H6466 Behold, the people H5971 shall rise up H6965 as a great lion, H3833 and lift up H5375 himself as a young lion: H738 he shall not lie down H7901 until he eat H398 of the prey, H2964 and drink H8354 the blood H1818 of the slain. H2491 And Balak H1111 said H559 unto Balaam, H1109 Neither curse H5344 them at all, H6895 nor bless H1288 them at all. H1288 But Balaam H1109 answered H6030 and said H559 unto Balak, H1111 Told H1696 not I thee, saying, H559 All that the LORD H3068 speaketh, H1696 that I must do? H6213
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 23
Commentary on Deuteronomy 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
De 23:1-25. Who May and Who May Not Enter into the Congregation.
1-3. He that is wounded …, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord—"To enter into the congregation of the Lord" means either admission to public honors and offices in the Church and State of Israel, or, in the case of foreigners, incorporation with that nation by marriage. The rule was that strangers and foreigners, for fear of friendship or marriage connections with them leading the people into idolatry, were not admissible till their conversion to the Jewish faith. But this passage describes certain limitations of the general rule. The following parties were excluded from the full rights and privileges of citizenship: (1) Eunuchs—It was a very ancient practice for parents in the East by various arts to mutilate their children, with a view to training them for service in the houses of the great. (2) Bastards—Such an indelible stigma in both these instances was designed as a discouragement to practices that were disgraceful, but too common from intercourse with foreigners. (3) Ammonites and Moabites—Without provocation they had combined to engage a soothsayer to curse the Israelites; and had further endeavored, by ensnaring them into the guilt and licentious abominations of idolatry, to seduce them from their allegiance to God.
3. even to the their tenth generation shall they not enter—Many eminent writers think that this law of exclusion was applicable only to males; at all events that a definite is used for an indefinite number (Ne 13:1; Ru 4:10; 2Ki 10:2). Many of the Israelites being established on the east side of Jordan in the immediate neighborhood of those people, God raised this partition wall between them to prevent the consequences of evil communications. More favor was to be shown to Edomites and Egyptians—to the former from their near relationship to Israel; and to the latter, from their early hospitalities to the family of Jacob, as well as the many acts of kindness rendered them by private Egyptians at the Exodus (Ex 12:36). The grandchildren of Edomite or Egyptian proselytes were declared admissible to the full rights of citizenship as native Israelites; and by this remarkable provision, God taught His people a practical lesson of generosity and gratitude for special deeds of kindness, to the forgetfulness of all the persecution and ill services sustained from those two nations.
9-14. When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing—from the excesses incident to camp life, as well as from habits of personal neglect and impurity.
15, 16. Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which has escaped from his master unto thee—evidently a servant of the Canaanites or some of the neighboring people, who was driven by tyrannical oppression, or induced, with a view of embracing the true religion, to take refuge in Israel.
19, 20. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother … Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury—The Israelites lived in a simple state of society, and hence they were encouraged to lend to each other in a friendly way without any hope of gain. But the case was different with foreigners, who, engaged in trade and commerce, borrowed to enlarge their capital, and might reasonably be expected to pay interest on their loans. Besides, the distinction was admirably conducive to keeping the Israelites separate from the rest of the world.
21, 22. When thou shalt vow a vow—(See on Nu 30:2).
24, 25. When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure—Vineyards, like cornfields mentioned in the next verse [De 23:25], were often unenclosed. In vine-growing countries grapes are amazingly cheap; and we need not wonder, therefore, that all within reach of a person's arm, was free; the quantity plucked was a loss never felt by the proprietor, and it was a kindly privilege afforded to the poor and wayfaring man.