Números 23

Números 23

MacDonald - Balak then took Balaam to a different vantage point in hopes that the prophet would see them in a less favorable light (BBC) Holman Bible Dictionary on PISGAH - Place name perhaps meaning, “the divided one.' Mountain in the Abarim range across the Jordan River from Jericho. Some Bible scholars believe it was part of Mount Nebo; others think it could have been a separate rise, either en-Neba or near modern Khirbet Tsijaga. God allowed Moses to view the Promised Land from the heights of Pisgah (Deuteronomy 34:1 ) but would not let him cross into Canaan. Israel had camped near Pisgah (Numbers 21:20 ). Balak took Balaam to its height so the prophet could see Israel and curse them (Numbers 23:14 ). It was a limit of Sihon's kingdom (Joshua 12:23 ); Ashdoth-pisgah in KJV) and also for the tribe of Reuben (Joshua 13:20 ). Mattoon - King Balak is not getting his own way. His solution to the problem is to change the location. He takes Balaam to the top of Pisgah. The summit of Mt. Pisgah is Mt. Nebo. On a clear day the entire land of Canaan can be seen for 150 miles North to South, from Dan to Beersheba; and 40 miles from East to West, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. It is at Pisgah, that Balaam meets with the Lord again. King Balak thought a change in scenery might change Balaam's mind. Beloved, changing your location will not necessarily change God's will for you. It will not solve your problems either. If you are in a difficult situation, learn to face your problem and work them out. Moving to get your own way or to escape problems makes them more difficult and leads to further problems. Problems in us will not be corrected with a new location. Changing locations clouds the need to change the heart. Related Resources: American Tract Society Pisgah Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Pisgah Easton's Bible Dictionary Pisgah Fausset Bible Dictionary Pisgah Hitchcock Bible Names Pisgah (Hill; eminence; fortress) Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Pisgah International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Pisgah Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Pisgah McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Pisgah The Nuttall Encyclopedia Pisgah The Jewish Encyclopedia Pisgah Numbers 23:15 And he said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there." BGT Numbers 23:15 καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου ἐγὼ δὲ πορεύσομαι ἐπερωτῆσαι τὸν θεόν NET Numbers 23:15 And Balaam said to Balak, "Station yourself here by your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD there. NLT Numbers 23:15 Then Balaam said to the king, "Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the LORD." ESV Numbers 23:15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there." NIV Numbers 23:15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there." KJV Numbers 23:15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder. YLT Numbers 23:15 And he saith unto Balak, 'Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I -- I meet Him there;' LXE Numbers 23:15 And Balaam said to Balac, Stand by thy sacrifice, and I will go to enquire of God. ASV Numbers 23:15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder. CSB Numbers 23:15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the LORD over there." NKJ Numbers 23:15 And he said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there." NRS Numbers 23:15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offerings, while I meet the LORD over there. NAB Numbers 23:15 Balaam then said to Balak, "Stand here by your holocaust, while I seek a meeting over there." NJB Numbers 23:15 Balaam said to Balak, 'Stand here beside your burnt offerings while I wait over there.' GWN Numbers 23:15 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet with God over there." Nu 23:3 Nu 22:8 Numbers 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries BALAAM REPEATS THE ROUTINE And he said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there - Nu 24:1 says Balaam "did not go as at other times to seek omens." Presumably when he separated himself from Balak, he was going to seek omens. Bush - The phrase “going to meet” was probably technical with prophets and diviners. Numbers 23:16 Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." BGT Numbers 23:16 καὶ συνήντησεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Βαλααμ καὶ ἐνέβαλεν ῥῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἀποστράφητι πρὸς Βαλακ καὶ τάδε λαλήσεις NET Numbers 23:16 Then the LORD met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you." NLT Numbers 23:16 And the LORD met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message." ESV Numbers 23:16 And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak." NIV Numbers 23:16 The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message." KJV Numbers 23:16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. YLT Numbers 23:16 and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, 'Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.' LXE Numbers 23:16 And God met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, and said, return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak. ASV Numbers 23:16 And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. CSB Numbers 23:16 The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then He said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you." NKJ Numbers 23:16 Then the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, "Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak." NRS Numbers 23:16 The LORD met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say." NAB Numbers 23:16 Then the LORD met Balaam, and having put an utterance in his mouth, he said to him, "Go back to Balak, and speak accordingly." NJB Numbers 23:16 God came to meet Balaam, he put a prophecy into his mouth and said to him, 'Go back to Balak, and that is what you must say to him.' GWN Numbers 23:16 The LORD came to Balaam and told him, "Go back to Balak, and give him my message." Nu 23:5 22:35 24:1 Numbers 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Then the LORD met Balaam - This is amazing to me. Yahweh deigns to meet with Balaam again. and put a word in his mouth - Just as stated earlier, Yahweh put the word in Balaam's mouth. Now normally when one speaks for the LORD we call them a prophet and so on face value you could call Balaam a prophet since he is speaking the word from Yahweh. But that does not make Balaam a true prophet of God is the classic sense because then we could say the donkey was a "prophet" of God for clearly God put the words in his mouth to speak! and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak - Balaam was divinely constrained to speak the very words God gave him. Numbers 23:17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" BGT Numbers 23:17 καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ὅδε ἐφειστήκει ἐπὶ τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες Μωαβ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλακ τί ἐλάλησεν κύριος NET Numbers 23:17 When Balaam came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" NLT Numbers 23:17 So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. "What did the LORD say?" Balak asked eagerly. ESV Numbers 23:17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" NIV Numbers 23:17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?" KJV Numbers 23:17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken? YLT Numbers 23:17 And he cometh unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him, and Balak saith to him: 'What hath Jehovah spoken?' LXE Numbers 23:17 And he returned to him: and he also was standing by his whole-burnt-sacrifice, and all the princes of Moab with him; and Balac said to him, What has the Lord spoken? ASV Numbers 23:17 And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Jehovah spoken? CSB Numbers 23:17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?" NKJ Numbers 23:17 So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" NRS Numbers 23:17 When he came to him, he was standing beside his burnt offerings with the officials of Moab. Balak said to him, "What has the LORD said?" NAB Numbers 23:17 So he went back to Balak, who was still standing by his holocaust together with the princes of Moab. When Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?" NJB Numbers 23:17 So Balaam went to him and found him still standing beside his burnt offering and all the chiefs of Moab with him. 'What did Yahweh say?' Balak said to him. GWN Numbers 23:17 He came to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the LORD say?" What: Nu 23:26 1Sa 3:17 Jer 37:17 Numbers 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him - This is the same scene as in Nu 23:6. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken? - This time Balak asks before Balaam begins to speak (contra Nu 23:6-7). Notice that Balak uses the covenant Name Yahweh just as Balaam had done, also indicating that use of this memorial Name is no indication that they belong to Yahweh or that they are true worshippers of Yahweh. Spurgeon on what has the LORD spoken - An enquiry which we all should raise, and search the Scriptures to find the reply. Numbers 23:18 Then he took up his discourse and said, "Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor! NET Numbers 23:18 Balaam uttered his oracle, and said, "Rise up, Balak, and hear; Listen to me, son of Zippor: NLT Numbers 23:18 This was the message Balaam delivered: "Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor. ESV Numbers 23:18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor: NIV Numbers 23:18 Then he uttered his oracle: "Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. KJV Numbers 23:18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: YLT Numbers 23:18 And he taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, son of Zippor! LXE Numbers 23:18 And he took up his parable, and said, rise up, Balac, and hear; hearken as a witness, thou son of Sepphor. ASV Numbers 23:18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: CSB Numbers 23:18 Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak, get up and listen; son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say! NKJ Numbers 23:18 Then he took up his oracle and said: "Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor! NRS Numbers 23:18 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Rise, Balak, and hear; listen to me, O son of Zippor: NAB Numbers 23:18 Balaam gave voice to his oracle: Be aroused, O Balak, and hearken; give ear to my testimony, O son of Zippor! NJB Numbers 23:18 Balaam then declaimed his poem, as follows: Stand up, Balak, and listen, give ear to me, son of Zippor. GWN Numbers 23:18 Then Balaam delivered this message: "Stand up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor! Arise: Jdg 3:20 Numbers 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DISCOURSE #2 Then he took up his discourse and said, "Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor! - Balaam gives 3 quick commands to arrest Balak's full attention! Bush on Arise, O Balak, - Hengstenberg well remarks: “He calls upon the king to rise mentally, as the importance of the prophecy he was about to utter demanded. This ‘Rise up’ is applicable not to Balak only, but to all who approach the holy Scripture. Whoever would understand God’s Word, must free himself from his natural sloth and mental dissipation—must gird himself up and collect his mental powers.” Such an internal state would, however, ordinarily express itself by suitable outward gestures; the words are therefore equivalent to an intimation that he should hearken with every token of becoming reverence to a message brought from God, even as Ehud, Judg. 3:20, told Eglon that he had brought him such a message; it is said that “he arose out of his seat.”....The authoritative tone which Balaam here assumes, in commanding Balak’s attention, is to be referred to the same general afflatus or impulse under which he speaks throughout. The words are a fit preface to the solemn enunciation that follows, which, in point of style, rises to the highest pitch of sublimity and grandeur. Mattoon - When Balaam returned from his meeting with the Lord, Balak wanted to know what the Lord said. King Balak got an ear-full. God is not a man and His Word is sure. What He says will happen because He keeps His promises. God's message is the same for the world today. Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? BGT Numbers 23:19 οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεὸς διαρτηθῆναι οὐδὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀπειληθῆναι αὐτὸς εἴπας οὐχὶ ποιήσει λαλήσει καὶ οὐχὶ ἐμμενεῖ NET Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? NLT Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? ESV Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? NIV Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? KJV Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? YLT Numbers 23:19 God is not a man -- and lieth, And a son of man -- and repenteth! Hath He said -- and doth He not do it? And spoken -- and doth He not confirm it? LXE Numbers 23:19 God is not as man to waver, nor as the son of man to be threatened; shall he say and not perform? shall he speak and not keep to his word? ASV Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good? CSB Numbers 23:19 God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill? NKJ Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? NRS Numbers 23:19 God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? NAB Numbers 23:19 God is not man that he should speak falsely, nor human, that he should change his mind. Is he one to speak and not act, to decree and not fulfill? NJB Numbers 23:19 God is no human being that he should lie, no child of Adam to change his mind. Is it his to say and not to do, is it his to speak and not fulfil? GWN Numbers 23:19 God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn't change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it. God: 1Sa 15:29 Ps 89:35 Hab 2:3 Mal 3:6 Lu 21:33 Ro 11:29 Titus 1:2 Heb 6:18 Jas 1:17 or hath he: 1Ch 17:17 Mic 7:20 Numbers 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE NON-LYING GOD God is not a man, that He should lie - Jensen writes that "As an answer to Balak’s hope that God had changed His mind, the message was not a man, that He should lie, etc." And so Balaam begins with this immutable attribute of God. He is always truthful. He has said he would bless Israel (Ge 12:3) and He would not lie (See His attribute Truth) FSB - Indicates that God will not change something He has decreed or promised. See 1 Sam 15:29, 35; Ex 32:9–14; Jonah 3:10. The message for Balak is that nothing he does will induce God to permit Balaam to curse Israel. Bush - God is not a man that he should lie, etc. The rendering of the Chald. is here peculiar: “The word of God is not like the speeches of the sons of man, (for) the sons of man do say and lie.” The language implies a virtual reproach, as much as to say, “Wouldst thou make God a liar?” No more fearful mistake is made than when we judge the Lord from ourselves. Men change their minds, and therefore break their word; they lie, because they repent. But God does neither. He never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promises. His very name, “Jehovah,” implies the unchangeable as well as the eternal. “He is of one mind; and who can turn him?” This immutability makes it “impossible for him to lie,” and consequently he can never swerve from his purpose of preservation and benediction towards his people. Ronald Allen - The words “God is not a man, that he should lie” describe the immutability of the Lord and the integrity of his word. Balaam is himself a foil (ED: a person or thing that gives contrast to another) for God. Balaam is constantly shifting, prevaricating, equivocating, changing—he is himself the prime example of the distinction between God and man. (EBC)