2 And Balaam H1109 lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and he saw H7200 Israel H3478 abiding H7931 in his tents according to their tribes; H7626 and the spirit H7307 of God H430 came upon him.
Every man H376 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall pitch H2583 by his own standard, H1714 with the ensign H226 of their father's H1 house: H1004 far off H5048 about H5439 the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 shall they pitch. H2583 And on the east side H6924 toward the rising H4217 of the sun shall they of the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Judah H3063 pitch H2583 throughout their armies: H6635 and Nahshon H5177 the son H1121 of Amminadab H5992 shall be captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Judah. H3063 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were threescore and fourteen H7657 H702 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred. H3967 And those that do pitch H2583 next unto him shall be the tribe H4294 of Issachar: H3485 and Nethaneel H5417 the son H1121 of Zuar H6686 shall be captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Issachar. H3485 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 thereof, were fifty H2572 and four H702 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967 Then the tribe H4294 of Zebulun: H2074 and Eliab H446 the son H1121 of Helon H2497 shall be captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Zebulun. H2074 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 thereof, were fifty H2572 and seven H7651 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967 All that were numbered H6485 in the camp H4264 of Judah H3063 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and fourscore H8084 thousand H505 and six H8337 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred, H3967 throughout their armies. H6635 These shall first H7223 set forth. H5265 On the south side H8486 shall be the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Reuben H7205 according to their armies: H6635 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Reuben H7205 shall be Elizur H468 the son H1121 of Shedeur. H7707 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 thereof, were forty H705 and six H8337 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred. H3967 And those which pitch H2583 by him shall be the tribe H4294 of Simeon: H8095 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Simeon H8095 shall be Shelumiel H8017 the son H1121 of Zurishaddai. H6701 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were fifty H2572 and nine H8672 thousand H505 and three H7969 hundred. H3967 Then the tribe H4294 of Gad: H1410 and the captain H5387 of the sons H1121 of Gad H1410 shall be Eliasaph H460 the son H1121 of Reuel. H7467 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were forty H705 and five H2568 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred H3967 and fifty. H2572 All that were numbered H6485 in the camp H4264 of Reuben H7205 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and fifty H2572 and one H259 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 throughout their armies. H6635 And they shall set forth H5265 in the second rank. H8145 Then the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 shall set forward H5265 with the camp H4264 of the Levites H3881 in the midst H8432 of the camp: H4264 as they encamp, H2583 so shall they set forward, H5265 every man H376 in his place H3027 by their standards. H1714 On the west side H3220 shall be the standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Ephraim H669 according to their armies: H6635 and the captain H5387 of the sons H1121 of Ephraim H669 shall be Elishama H476 the son H1121 of Ammihud. H5989 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were forty H705 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred. H3967 And by him shall be the tribe H4294 of Manasseh: H4519 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Manasseh H4519 shall be Gamaliel H1583 the son H1121 of Pedahzur. H6301 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were thirty H7970 and two H8147 thousand H505 and two hundred. H3967 Then the tribe H4294 of Benjamin: H1144 and the captain H5387 of the sons H1121 of Benjamin H1144 shall be Abidan H27 the son H1121 of Gideoni. H1441 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were thirty H7970 and five H2568 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967 All that were numbered H6485 of the camp H4264 of Ephraim H669 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and eight H8083 thousand H505 and an hundred, H3967 throughout their armies. H6635 And they shall go forward H5265 in the third rank. H7992 The standard H1714 of the camp H4264 of Dan H1835 shall be on the north side H6828 by their armies: H6635 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Dan H1835 shall be Ahiezer H295 the son H1121 of Ammishaddai. H5996 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were threescore H8346 and two H8147 thousand H505 and seven H7651 hundred. H3967 And those that encamp H2583 by him shall be the tribe H4294 of Asher: H836 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Asher H836 shall be Pagiel H6295 the son H1121 of Ocran. H5918 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were forty H705 and one H259 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred. H3967 Then the tribe H4294 of Naphtali: H5321 and the captain H5387 of the children H1121 of Naphtali H5321 shall be Ahira H299 the son H1121 of Enan. H5881 And his host, H6635 and those that were numbered H6485 of them, were fifty H2572 and three H7969 thousand H505 and four H702 hundred. H3967 All they that were numbered H6485 in the camp H4264 of Dan H1835 were an hundred H3967 thousand H505 and fifty H2572 and seven H7651 thousand H505 and six H8337 hundred. H3967 They shall go H5265 hindmost H314 with their standards. H1714 These are those which were numbered H6485 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 by the house H1004 of their fathers: H1 all those that were numbered H6485 of the camps H4264 throughout their hosts H6635 were six H8337 hundred H3967 thousand H505 and three H7969 thousand H505 and five H2568 hundred H3967 and fifty. H2572 But the Levites H3881 were not numbered H6485 among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel; H3478 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 according to all that the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses: H4872 so they pitched H2583 by their standards, H1714 and so they set forward, H5265 every one H376 after their families, H4940 according to the house H1004 of their fathers. H1
And the LORD H3068 came down H3381 in a cloud, H6051 and spake H1696 unto him, and took H680 of the spirit H7307 that was upon him, and gave H5414 it unto the seventy H7657 elders: H2205 H376 and it came to pass, that, when the spirit H7307 rested H5117 upon them, they prophesied, H5012 and did not cease. H3254 But there remained H7604 two H8147 of the men H582 in the camp, H4264 the name H8034 of the one H259 was Eldad, H419 and the name H8034 of the other H8145 Medad: H4312 and the spirit H7307 rested H5117 upon them; and they were of them that were written, H3789 but went not out H3318 unto the tabernacle: H168 and they prophesied H5012 in the camp. H4264 And there ran H7323 a young man, H5288 and told H5046 Moses, H4872 and said, H559 Eldad H419 and Medad H4312 do prophesy H5012 in the camp. H4264 And Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun, H5126 the servant H8334 of Moses, H4872 one of his young men, H979 answered H6030 and said, H559 My lord H113 Moses, H4872 forbid H3607 them. And Moses H4872 said H559 unto him, Enviest H7065 thou for my sake? would God that all the H5414 LORD'S H3068 people H5971 were prophets, H5030 and that the LORD H3068 would put H5414 his spirit H7307 upon them!
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 G1161 one G1520 G5100 of G1537 them, G846 named Caiaphas, G2533 being G5607 the high priest G749 that same G1565 year, G1763 said G2036 unto them, G846 Ye G5210 know G1492 nothing at all, G3756 G3762 Nor G3761 consider G1260 that G3754 it is expedient G4851 for us, G2254 that G2443 one G1520 man G444 should die G599 for G5228 the people, G2992 and G2532 that the whole G3650 nation G1484 perish G622 not. G3361 And G1161 this G5124 spake he G2036 not G3756 of G575 himself: G1438 but G235 being G5607 high priest G749 that G1565 year, G1763 he prophesied G4395 that G3754 Jesus G2424 should G3195 die G599 for that G5228 nation; G1484
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 24
Commentary on Numbers 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
Nu 24:1-25. Balaam Foretells Israel's Happiness.
1. to seek for—that is, to use enchantments. His experience on the two former occasions [Nu 23:3, 15] had taught him that these superstitious accompaniments of his worship were useless, and therefore he now simply looked towards the camp of Israel, either with a secret design to curse them, or to await the divine afflatus.
2. he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes—that is, in the orderly distribution of the camp (Nu 2:1-34).
the spirit of God came upon him—Before the regular ministry of the prophets was instituted, God made use of various persons as the instruments through whom He revealed His will, and Balaam was one of these (De 23:5).
3. the man whose eyes are open—that is, a seer (1Sa 9:9), a prophet, to whom the visioned future was disclosed—sometimes when falling into a sleep (Ge 15:12-15), frequently into "a trance."
5-7. How goodly are thy tents, … O Israel!—a fine burst of admiration, expressed in highly poetical strains. All travellers describe the beauty which the circular area of Bedouin tents impart to the desert. How impressive, then, must have been the view, as seen from the heights of Abarim, of the immense camp of Israel extended over the subjacent plains.
6. As the valleys—Hebrew, "brooks," the watercourses of the mountains.
lign aloes—an aromatic shrub on the banks of his native Euphrates, the conical form of which suggested an apt resemblance to a tent. The redundant imagery of these verses depicts the humble origin, rapid progress, and prosperity of Israel.
7. his king shall be higher than Agag—The Amalekites were then the most powerful of all the desert tribes, and "Agag" a title common to their kings.
10-14. Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together—The "smiting of the hands together" is, among Oriental people, an indication of the most violent rage (see Eze 21:17; 22:13) and ignominious dismissal.
15. he took his parable—or prophecy, uttered in a poetical style.
17. I shall see him—rather, "I do see" or "I have seen him"—a prophetic sight, like that of Abraham (Joh 8:56).
him—that is, Israel.
there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel—This imagery, in the hieroglyphic language of the East, denotes some eminent ruler—primarily David; but secondarily and pre-eminently, the Messiah (see on Ge 49:10).
corners—border, often used for a whole country (Ex 8:2; Ps 74:17).
children of Sheth—some prince of Moab; or, according to some, "the children of the East."
18. Edom shall be a possession—This prophecy was accomplished by David (2Sa 8:14).
Seir—seen in the south, and poetically used for Edom. The double conquest of Moab and Edom is alluded to (Ps 60:8; 108:9).
19. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion—David, and particularly Christ.
that remaineth of the city—those who flee from the field to fortified places (Ps 60:9).
20. Amalek … his latter end shall be that he perish for ever—Their territory was seen at the remote extremity of the desert. (See on Ex 17:13; also 1Sa 15:1-35).
21. Kenites … nest in a rock—Though securely established among the clefts in the high rocks of En-gedi towards the west, they should be gradually reduced by a succession of enemies till the Assyrian invader carried them into captivity (Jud 1:16; 4:11, 16, 17; also 2Ki 15:29; 17:6).
23. who shall live when God doeth this!—Few shall escape the desolation that shall send a Nebuchadnezzar to scourge all those regions.
24. Chittim—the countries lying on the Mediterranean, particularly Greece and Italy (Da 11:29, 30). The Assyrians were themselves to be overthrown—first, by the Greeks under Alexander the Great and his successors; secondly, by the Romans.
Eber—the posterity of the Hebrews (Ge 10:24).
he also shall perish—that is, the conqueror of Asher and Eber, namely, the Greek and Roman empires.
25. Balaam rose up, and went … to his place—Mesopotamia, to which, however, he did not return. (See on Nu 31:8).