Chapter XXIV
Ver. 1-25. Balaam Foretelleth Israel's Happiness.
1. To seek for—I'.c.toHSC enchantments, lllsexperienco on the two former occasions had taught hlin tliat theso superstitious accompaniments of his worship were use-
less, and therefore he now slmpl.v looked towards the camp of Israel, either with a secret design to curse tlieni, or to await the Divine alllatus. 3. lie saw Israel abiding in Ills tents according to tlieir tribes—i. in the orderly distribution of the camp (ch. 2). the Spirit of »Jod
Balaam PropJieiieth. NUMBEES XXV, XXVI. Tarael Ifunihered.
came npon 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, Hnd Balaam was one of these. (Deuteronomy 23.5.) 3. The malt whose eyes are open i. e., a seer (1 Samuel 9.
mltted the double oflTence of idolatry and licehtlousnesj*. *. Tl»e I.ord said unto Moses, Take all tlie heads of tlie people and hang them up—Israelite criminals, who were capitally punished, were first stoned or slain, and then gibbeted. The persons ordered here for execution were the principal delinquents in the Baal-poor outrage —the subordinate officers, rulers of tens or hundreds, before the Lord—For vindicating the honour of the tru# God. against the sun i. e., as a mark of public ignominy; but they were to be removed towards sunset . (Deuteronomy 21. 23.) 5. Judges of Israel—the seventy elders, who were commanded not only to superintend tlie execution within their respective jurisdictions, but to inflict the punishment with their own hands. (See on 1 Samuel 15.33.) 6, 7. Behold, one of the children of Israel brought a Mldianltlsh woman—This flagitious act most probably occurred about the time when the order was given, and before its execution, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle—some of the rulers and welldisposed persons were deploring the dreadful wickedness of the people, and supplicating the mercy of God to avert impending judgments, the plague—some sudden and widespread mortality. 9. Those that died In the plague were twenty and four thousand—Only 23,000 perished
9), a prophet, to whom tlie visioned future was disclosed— sometimes when falling into a sleep (Genesis 15. 13-15), frequently into "a trance." 5-1. How goodly are thy tents, O Israel !—a fine burst of admiration, expressed in highly poetic."!] strains. All travellers describe the beauty which the circular range 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. G. As the valley — Heb., broolvs, the water-courses of the moun-
tains, llgn 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 huml)le origin, rapid progress, and prosperity of Israel. 7. His king shall be higher than Agag—The Amalekites were tlien the most power-
ful of all the desert tribes, and Agag a title common to their kings. 10-14:. Balak's auger was kiiidleA against Balaam, and he smote his hands together—Tlie " smiting of the hands togetlier"' is, amongst Orienfal people, an indication of the most violent rage (see Kzekiel 21. 17
(1 Corinthians 10. 8) from pestilence. Moses includes those who died by the execution of the judges. 10-13. Phinehas . . . hath turned away my wi-ath—This assurance was a signal mark of honour, that the stain of blood, instead of defiling, confirmed him in office, and that his posterity should continue as long as the national existence of Israel, l*. Zlmrl, a prince among the Slmeonltes—The slaughter of a man of such high laiik Is mentioned as a proof of the undaunted zeal of Phinehas, for there might be numerous avengers of his' blood. 17, Vex the MIdianltes, and smite them—Tliey seem to have been the most guilty parties. (Cf. cli. 22. 4 ; 31. 8.) 18. They vex you with their wiles—Instead of open war, they plot insidious ways of accomplisliing your ruin hy idolatry and corruption, their sister—tlieir countrywoman.
22. 13), and Ignominious dismissal. 15. he took up his parable—or prophecy, uttered in a poetical style. 17. I shall see him—rather, "I do see" or "have seen him,"—
prophetic siglit, like that of Abraham. (John 8. 56.) him —t. e., Israel, there shall come a Star ont of aTacob, 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 Messiali (see on Genesis 49. 10). corners—border, often put for a whole country. (Exodus 8. 2; Psalm
74. 17.) children of Sheth—some prince of Monb; or, according to some, " tlie children of the East." 18. Edom shall be a possession—This prophecy was accomplished by David. (2 Samuel 8. 14.) Selr—seen in tlie south, and poetically used for Edom. The double conquest of Moab and Edom is alluded to. (Psalm 60. 8 ; 108. 9.) 19. Out of •Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion—David, and particularly Christ, that remalneth of the city-those who flee from the field to fortified places. (Psalm 60. 9.) HO. Amalek . . . his latter end shall be that he perish for ever—Their territory was seen at the remote extremity of the desert. (See on Exodus 17. 14; also 1 Samuel 15.) 21. Kenlte . . . 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. (Judges 1. 16; 4. 11; 16. 17; also 2 Kings 15.29; 17. 6.) 23. Who shall live when <So<l doeth this T—Few shall escape the desolation that shall send a Nebuchadnezzar to scourge all tliose regions, a*. Chlttlm—the countries lying on the Mediterranean, particularly Greece and Italy. (Daniel 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. (Genesis 10. 24.) he also shall perish—i. e., 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 ch. 31. 8.)