Commentary on the Holy Bible

" Whether it be god or goddess, under whose protection the people and city of Carthage are placed; and thee, especially, who hast undertaken to defend this city and people; I pray, beseech, and earnestly entreat that you would forsake the people and city of Carthage, and leave their places, temples, sacred things, and city, and depart from them: and that you would inspire this people and city with fear, terror, and forgetfulness: and that, coming out from them, you would pass over to Rome, to me, and to mine: and that our places, temples, sacred things, and city may be more agreeable and more acceptable to you: and that you would preside over me, the Roman people, and my soldiers; that we may know and perceive it. If ye will do this, I promise to consecrate to your honour both temples and games."

The second, to devote the city to destruction, which it was supposed the tutelary gods had abandoned, is the following: — peradventure I shall prevail, that a. m. 2553, we may smite them, and that I An. Exod. isr. may drive them out of the land: ^°-

" Dis. Pater. Vejovis. Manes., or by whatsoever name you wish to be invoked, I pray you to fill this city of Carthage with fear and terror; and to put that army to flight which I mention, and which bears arms or darts against our legions and armies: and that ye may take away this army, those enemies, those men, their cities and their country, and all who dwell in those places, regions, countries, or cities; and deprive them of the light above: and let all their armies, cities, country, chiefs, and people be held by you consecrated and devoted, according to those laws by which, and at what time, enemies can be most effectually devoted. I also give and devote them as vicarious sacrifices for myself and my magistracy; for the Roman people, and for all our armies and legions; and for the whole empire, and that all the armies and legions which are employed in these countries may be preserved in safety. If therefore ye will do these things, as I know, conceive, and intend, then he who makes this vow wheresoever and whensoever he shall make it, I engage shall sacrifice three black sheep to thee, O mother Earth, and to thee, O Jupiter." " Whea the execrator mentions the earth, he stoops down and places both his hands on it; and when he names Jupiter, he lifts up both his hands to heaven; and when he mentions his vow, he places his hands upon his

breast." Among the ancient records, Macrobius says he found many cities and people devoted in this way. The Romans held that no city could be taken till its tutelary god had forsaken it; or if it could be taken, it would be unlawful, as it would be sacrilegious to have the gods in captivity. They therefore endeavoured to persuade the gods of their enemies to come over to their party. Virgil intimates that Troy was destroyed, only because the tutelary gods had for saken it: —

A. M. 2553. for I wot that he whom thou An. Exod. isr. blessest is blessed, and he whom ' thou cursest is cursed.

7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with ' the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam,

1^ and spake unto him the words of Balak.

8 And he said unto them, ^ Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.

9 ^ And God came unto Balaam, and said. What men are these with thee?

10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

1 1 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure "* I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.

12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt

I shall prevail infighting against him.

Excessere omnes, adytis arisque relictis, Dii, quibus imperium hoc steterat.

" All the gods, by whose assistance the empire had hitherto been preserved, forsook their altars and their temples." And it was on this account that the Greeks employed all their artifice to steal away the Palladium., on vphich they believe the safety of Troy depended.

Tacitus observes that when Suetonius Paulinus prepared his army to cross over into Mona, (Anglesea,) where the Britons and Druids made their last stand, the priestesses, Vvith dishevelled hair, white vestments, and torches in their hands, ran about like furies, devoting their enemies to destruction; and he farther adds that the, sight, the attitude, and horrible t?nprecations of these priestesses had such effect on the Roman soldiers, that for a while they stood still and suffered themselves to be pierced with the darts of the Britons, without making any resistance. Tacit. Ann., I. xiv., c. 29. Many accounts are related in the Hindoo Pooran of kings employing sages to curse their enemies when too powerful for them^ — Ward's Customs.

The Jews also had a most horrible form of execration, as may be seen in Buxtorf's Talmudical Lexicon under the word Din. These observations and authorities, drawn out in so much detail, are necessary to cast light on the strange and curious history related in this and the two following chapters.

Verse 7. The rewards of divination] Whoever went to consult a prophet took with him a present, as it was on such gratuitous offerings the prophets lived; but here more than a mere present is intended, perhaps every thing necessary to provide materials for not go with them; thou shalt A. M. 2553. not curse the people: for "^ they An.Exod.isV. are blessed. '*"•

13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

1 5 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, ° Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: p come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

1 8 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, 1 1f Balak would give me

the incantation. The drugs, &c., used on such occasions were often very expensive. It appears that Balaam was very covetous, and that he loved the wages of unrighteousness, and probably lived by it; see 2 Pet. ii. 15.

Verse 8. I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall spea/c] So it appears he knew the true God, and had been in the habit of consulting him, and receiving oracles from his mouth.

Verse 1 2. Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people] That is, Thou shalt not go with them to curse the people. With them he might go, as we find he afterwards did by God's own command, but not to curse the people; this was wholly forbidden. Probably the command. Thou shalt not go, refers here to that time, viz., the first invitation: and in this sense it was most punctually obeyed by Balaam; see

Verse 14. Balaam refuseth to come with us.] "Observe," says Mr. Ainsworth, " Satan's practice against God's word, seeking to lessen the same, and that from hand to hand, till he bring it to naught. Balaam told the princes less than God told him, and they relate to Balak less than Balaam told them; so that when the answer came to the king of Moab, it was not the word of God, but the ivord of man; it was simply, Balaam refuseth to come, without ever intimating that God had forbidden him." But in this Balaam is not to blame; he told the messengers in the most positive manner, Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you, ver. 13; and more explicit he could not be.

Verse 18. I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God] Balaam knew God too well to suppose he could reverse any of his purposes; and he respected

1 9 Now therefore, T pray you, ^ tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.

20 * And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but " yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shall thou do.

2 1 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: ^ and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

23 And ^ the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the wa}^

24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a

him too much to attempt to do any thing without his permission. Though he was covetous, yet he dared not, even when strongly tempted both by riches and honours, to go contrary to the command of his God. Many make all the professions of Balaam, without justifying them by their conduct. " They pretend," says one, " they would not do any thing against the word of God for a house full of gold, and yet will do it for a handful.'"

Verse 19. What the Lord ivill say unto me more.] He did not know hut God might make a farther discovery of his will to him, and therefore he might very innocently seek farther information.

Verse 20. If the men come — go loith them] This is a confirmation of what was observed on the twelfth verse; though we find his going was marked with the Divine displeasure, because he wished, for the sake of the honours and reiuards, to fulfil as far as possible tlie will of the king of Moab. Mr. Shuckford observes that the pronoun Kin hu is sometimes used to denote a person's doing a thing out of his own head, without regard to the directions of another. Thus in the case of Balaam, when God had allowed him to go with the messengers of Balak, if they came in the morning to call him; because he was more hasty than he ought to have been, and went to them instead of slaying till they should come to him, it was said of him, not ^\h7^ o ki halach, that he tvent, but Nin "jSin O Xi holech hu, i. e., he went of his own head — without being called; a 690

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the le^*

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

28 And the Lord ^ opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, ^ for now would I kill thee.

30 ^ And the ass said unto Balaam, A?nnot I thine ass, '' upon which thou hast ridden ^ ever since Iivas thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

and in this, Mr. Shuckford supposes, his iniquity chiefly lay. ^Connex., vol. iii., p. 115. How many are restrained from sinning, merely through the fear of God! They would gladly do the evil, but it is forbidden on awful penalties; they wish the thing were not prohibited, for they have a strong desire to do it.

Verse 23. And the ass saw the angel] When God granted visions, those alone who were particularly interested saw them, while others in the same company saw nothing; see Dan. x. 7; Acts ix. p.

Verse 26. And the angel — stood in a narrow place] In this carriage of the angel, says Mr. Ainsworth, the Lord shows us the proceedings of his judgments against sinners: First, he mildly shakes his rod at them, but lets them go untouched. Secondly, he comes nearer, and touches them with an easy correction, as it were wringing their foot against the wall. Thirdly, when all this is ineffectual, he brings them into such straits, that they can neither turn to the right hand nor to the left, but must fall before his judgments, if they do not fully turn to him.

Verse 28. The Lord opened the mouth of the ass] And where is the wonder of all this? If the ass had opened her own mouth, and reproved the rash prophet, we might well be astonished; but when God opens the mouth, an ass can speak as well as a man. It is worthy of remark here, that Balaam testifies no surprise at this miracle, because he saw it was the Lord's doing. Of animate and inanimate things receiving for a short

in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he ^ bowed down his head, and ° fell flat on his face.

32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out ^ to withstand thee, because tJuj way is ^ perverse before me:

33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, ^ I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it ' displease thee, I will get me back again.

35 And the angel of the Lord said unto Baliaam, Go with the men: ^ but only the word ihat I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

time the gift of speech, the heathen mythology furnishes many fictitious examples, with which I do not deem it proper to occupy the reader's time.

Verse 33. Surely now also I. had slain thee] How often are the meanest animals, and the most trivial occurrences, instruments of the preservation of our lives, and of the salvation of our souls! The messenger of justice would have killed Balaam, had not the mercy of God prevented the ass from proceeding.

Verse 34. If it displease thee, I will get me back again.] Here is a proof, that though he loved the wages of unrighteousness, yet he still feared God; and he is now willing to drop the enterprise if God be displeased with his proceeding. The piety of many called Christians does not extend thus far; they see that the thing displeases God, and yet they proceed. Reader, is this thi/ case?

3 6 And when Balak heard that a. m. 2553. Balaam was come, ' he went out An. Ex^'d. Is'r. to meet him unto a city of Moab, *°-

" which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.

37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am T not able indeed " to promote thee to honour?

38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? ° the word that ( xod putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.

39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto p Kiijath-huzoth.

40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

4 1 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the '^ high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.

Verse 38. The ivord that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.] Here was a noble resolution, and he was certainly faithful to it: though he wished to please the king, and get wealth and honour, yet he would not displease God to realize even these bright prospects. Many who slander this poor semi-antinomian prophet, have not half his piety.

Verse 40. And Balak offered oxen, cf-c] This was to gain the favour of his gods, and perhaps to propitiate Jehovah, that the end for which he had sent for Balaam might be accomplished.

Verse 41. That — he might see the utmost part of the people.] As he thought Balaam must have them all in his eye when he pronounced his curse, lest it might not extend to those who were not in sight. On this account he took him up into the high places of Baal.

Being arrived at the high places of Baal, (chap. xxii. 41,) Balaam orders Balak to build seven altars, and prepare oxen and rams for sacrifice, 1, 2. Balaam inquires of the Lord, receives an answer, with which he returns to Balak, 3-10. Balak, finding that this was a prediction of the prosperity of the Israelites, is greatly troubled, 11. Balaam excuses himself, 12. He brings him to another place, where he might see only a part of Israel, and repeats his sacrifices, 13, ]4. Balaam again consults the Lord, 15-17. Returns loith his answer, and again predicts the glory of Israel, 18-24. Balak is angry, 25; and Balaam again excuses himself. Balak proposes another trial, takes him to another place, and repeats the ame sacrifices, 26-30.

Batak and Balaam make offerings. NUMBERS.

Balaam delivers his parable.

^Q- and prepare me here seven oxen

2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam ^ offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

3 And Balaam said unto Balak, "= Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come "^ to meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And * he went to a high place,

4 f And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have oifered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

5 And the Lord ^ put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said. Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

Verse 1. Build me here seven altars, cf-c] The oxen and the rams were such as the Mosaic law had ordered to be offered to God in sacrifice; the building of seven altars was not commanded. Some think that these seven altars were built to the seveii planets: this is most gratuitously said; of it there is no proof whatever; it is mere trifling, even with conjecture. As seven was a number of perfection, Balaam chose it on this occasion, because he intended to offer a grand sacrifice, and to offer a bullock and a ram upon each of the altars; the whole to be made a burnt-offering at the same time. And as he intended to offer seven bullocks and seven rams at the same time, it could not be conveniently done on one altar, therefore he ordered seven to be built. We need go no farther to find out his reasons.

Verse 3. Stand hij thy burnt-offering] We have already seen that blessing and cursing in this way were considered as religious rites, and therefore must be always preceded by sacrifice. See this exemplified in the case of Isaac, before he blessed Jacob and Esau, Gen. xxvii., and the notes there. The venison that was brought to Isaac, of which he did eat, was properly the preparatory sacrifice.

Verse 7. And he took up his parable] \l\iro meshalo, see on chap. xxi. 27. All these oracular speeches of Balaam are in hemistich metre in the original. They are highly dignified, and may be considered as immediate poetic productions of the Spirit of God; for it is expressly said, ver. 5, that God put the word in Balaam's mouth, and that the Spirit of God came upon him, chap. xxiv. 2.

7 And he ^ took up his parable, A. M. 2553. and said, Balak, the king of An.Exod.isr. Moab, hath brougrht me from '^'

Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ' Come, curse me Jacob, and come, ^ defy Israel.

8 ^ How shall 1 curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, tvhom the Lord hath not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, ™ the people shall dwell alone, and " shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10° Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the iouxtli pay-t of Israel? Let p me die i ihe death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

1 1 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? "■ I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

12 And he answered and said, ^ Must I not

Verse 8. How shall I curse, lohom God hath not cursed f] It was granted on all hands that no incantations nor imprecations could avail, unless God concurred and ratified them. From God's communication to Balaam he saw that God was determined to bless and defend Israel, and therefore all endeavours to injure them must be in vain.

Verse 9. From the top of the rocks I see him] That is, from the high places of Baal where he went, chap, xxii. 41, that he might the more advantageously see the ivhole camp of Israel.

The people shall dwell aloiie] They shall ever be preserved as a distinct nation. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled through a period of 3300 years to the present day. This is truly astonishing.

Verse 10. Let me die the death of the righteous] Probably Balaam had some presentiment that he should be taken off by a premature death, and therefore he lodges this petition against it. The death of the righteous in those times implied being gathei-ed to one^s fathers in a good old age, having seen his children, and children's children; and to this, probably, the latter part of this petition applies: And let my last end be like his, (inoD 'nnnx Tim uthehi acharithi chamohu. And let my posterity be like his.) It has been generally supposed that Balaam is here praying for a happy death, such as true Christians die who die in the Lord; and in this way his words are generally applied; but I am satisfied this is not their meaning. The prayer, however, understood in the common way, is a good one, and may be offered to God profitably. A righteous man is one who is saved from his sins, who is justified and sanctified through the blood of the covenant

Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shall see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of ' Pisgah, " and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

1 6 And the Lord met Balaam, and ^ put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 And when he came to him, behold, he

and who lives, not only an innocent, but also a holy and useful life. He who would die loell should live well; for a bad death must be the issue of a bad life.

Verse 13. Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them] Balak thought that the sight of such an immense camp had intimidated Balaam, and this he might gather from what he said in the tenth verse: Who can count the dust of Jacob, &c.; he thought therefore that he might get Balaam to curse them in detached parties, till the ivhole camp should be devoted to destruction by successive execrations.

Verse 17. What hath the Lord spo/cen?] Balak himself now understood that Balaam was wholly under the influence of Jehovah, and would say nothing but what God commanded him; but not knowing Jehovah as Balaam did, he hoped that he might be induced to change his mind, and curse a people whom he had hitherto determined to bless.

Verse 19. God is not a man, that he should lie] This seems to be spoken to correct the foregoing supposition of Balak that God could change his mind. Even the heathen would not allow that their supreme god could be caught in a falsity. Hence ^schylus, in Prometh. vinct. 1068: —

" The mouth of Jove knows not to frame a lie; But every word finds full accomplishment."

Verse 21. He hath hot beheld iniquity iti Jacob, neither hath he seen pcrverseness in Israel] This is a difficult passage; for if we take the words as spoken of the people Israel, as their iniquity and their pcrverseness were almost unparalleled, such words cannot be spoken of them with strict truth. If we consider them as spoken of the patriarch Jacob and Israel, or of Jacob after he became Israel, they are most strictly stood by his ournt- offering, and A. M. 2553. the princes of Moab with him. An. Exod. is'r. And Balak said unto him, What ^^'

18 And he took up his parable, and said, ^ Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

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?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and ^ he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 ^ He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen pcrverseness in Israel: =* the Lord his God is with him, ''and the shout of a king is among them.

true, as after that time a more unblemished and nobla character {Abraham excepted) is not to be found in the page of history, whether sacred or profane; and fo-r his sake, and for the sake of his father Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham, God is ever represented as favouring, blessing, and sparing a rebellious and undeserving people; see the concluding note. Gen. xlix. In this way, I think, this difficult text may be safely understood.

There is another way in which the words may be interpreted, which w'ill give a good sense, px aven not only signifies iniquity, but most frequently trouble, labour, distress, and affliction; and these indeed are its ideal meanings, and iniquity is only an acommodated or metaphorical one, because of the pain, distress, &c., produced by sin. 7D>' amal, translated here pcrverseness, occurs often in Scripture, but is never translated pcrverseness except in this place. It signifies simply labour, especially that which is of an afflictive or oppressive kind. The words may therefore be considered as implying that God will not suffer the people either to be exterminated by the sioord, or to be brought under a yoke of slavery. Either of these methods of interpretation gives a good sense, but our common version gives none.

Dr. Kennicott contends for the reading of the Samaritan, which, instead of tO'DH N7 lo hibbit, he hath not seen, has D3X nS lo abbit, I do not see, I do not discover any thing among them on which I could ground my curse. But the sense above given is to be preferred.

Verse 22. The strength of a unicorn.] DX1 reem and D'X"1 reim. It is generally allowed that there is no such beast in nature as the unicorn; i. e., a creature of the horse kind, with one long rich curled horn in the forehead. The creature painted from fancy is represented as one of the supporters of the royal arms of Great Britain. It is difficult to say what kind of

23 Surely there is no enchantment ^ against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, ' What hath God wrought!

24 Behold, the people shall rise up «f as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: ^ he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered and said unto

beast is intended by the original word. The Septuagint translate the word fiovoKepu^, the unicorn, or onehorned animal; the A'^ulgate, sometimes, unicornus; and in the text rhinocerotis, by which the rhinoceros, a creature wliich has its name from the horn on its nose, is supposed to be meant. That no single-horned animal can be intended by the reem of Moses, is sufficiently evident from this, that Moses, speaking of Joseph, says, " he has the horns of a unicorn,'''' or reem, where the horns are spoken of in the plural, the animal in the singular. The creature referred to is either the rhinoceros, some varieties of which have tioo horns on the nose, or the wild bull, urus, or buffalo; though some think the beast intended is a species of goat; but the rhinoceros seems the most likely. There is literally a monoceros, or unicorn, with one large curled ivory horn growing horizontally out of his snout; but this is not a land animal, it is the modiodan or nurival, a marine animal of the whale kind, a horn of which is now before me, measuring seven feet four inches; but I believe the rAmocero5 is that intended by the sacred writers.

Verse 23. There is no enchantment, d^c] Because God has determined to save them, therefore no enchantment can prevail against them.

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, ^ Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh ^ toward Jeshimon.

29 And Balaam said unto Balak, ^ Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

should be read thus: " As at this time it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God worketh;" i. e., this people shall always have prophetic information of what God is about to work. And indeed, they are the only people under heaven who ever had this privilege. When God himself designed to punish them because of their sins, he always forewarned them by the prophets; and also took care to apprise them of all the plots of their enemies against them.

Verse 24. Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion] N'dS labi, the great, mighty, or old lion, the king of the forest, who is feared and respected by all the other beasts of the field; so shall Israel be the subduer and possessor of the whole land of Canaan. And as a young lion, 'IN ari from mx ai-ah, to tear off, the predatory lion, or the lion in the act of seizing and tearing his prey; — the nations against whom the Israelites are now going shall be no more able to defend themselves against their attacks, than the feeblest beasts of the forest are against the attacks of the strong lion.

Verse 28. Unto the top of Peor] Probably the place where the famous Baal-peor had his chief temple. He appears to have been the Priapus of the Moabites, and to have been worshipped with the same obscene and abominable rites.

Balaam, finding that God was determined to bless Israel, seeks no longer for enchantments, 1. The Spirit of God coming upon him, he delivers a most important prophetic parable, 2-9. Balak^s anger is kiiidled against him, and he commands him to depart to his own country, 10, 11. Balaam vindicates his conduct, 12, 13; and delivers a prophecy relative to the future destruction of Moab by the Israelites, 14—17; also of Edom, 18, 19; of the Amalekites, 20; and of the Kenites, 21, 22. Predicts also the destruction of Asshur and Eber, by the naval poiver of Chittim, tvhich should afterwards be itself destroyed, 23, 24. Balaam and Balak separate, 25.

A ND when Balaam saw that it Israel, he went not, as at pleased the Lord to bless

Verse 1. He went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments] We have already had occasion to ob- serve that the proper meaning of the word tynj nachash is not easily ascertained; see chap. xxi. 9, and see on Gen. iii. 1. Here the plural D'tlTIJ nechaskim

2 And Balaam Hfted up his

eyes, and he saw Israel " abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and '^ the Spirit of God came upon him.

3 ® And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man *" whose eyes are open hath said:

4 He hath said, which heard the words of

is rendered enchantments; but it probably means no more than the knowledge of future events. When Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he therefore thought it unnecessary to apply for any farther prophetic declarations of God's will as he had done before, for he could safely infer every good to this people, from the evident disposition of God towards

Verse 2. The Spirit of God came upon him.] This Divine afflatus he had not expected on the present occasion, but God had not yet declared the whole of his will.

Verse 3. He took up his parable] His prophetic declaration couched in highly poetic terms, and in regular metre, as the preceding were.

The man ichose eyes are open] I believe the original Dnti' shethum, should be translated shut, not open; for in the next verse, where the opening of his eyes is mentioned, a widely different word is used, rhl galah, which signifies to open or reveal. At first the eyes of Balaam were shut, and so closely too that he could not see the angel who withstood him, till God opened his eyes; nor could he see the gracious intentions of God towards Israel, till the eijes of his understanding ivere opened by the power of the Divine Spirit. This therefore he mentions, we may suppose, with humility and gratitude, and to the credit of the prophecy which he is now about to deliver, that the Moabites may receive it as the ivord of God, which must be fulfilled in due season. His words, in their meaning, are similar to those of the blind man in the Gospel: " Once I was blind, but now I see."

Verse 1. Falling into a trance] There is no indication in the Hebrew that he fell into a trance; these words are added by our translators, but they are not in the original. SiJJ nophel is the only word used, and simply signifies falling, or falling down, perhaps in this instance by way of religious prostration.

Verse 6. Lign aloes which the Lord hath planted] Or, as the tents which the Lord hath pitched; for it is the same word, D'SrtN ohalim, which is used in the 5th verse. But from other parts of Scripture we find that the word also signifies a species of tree, called by some the sandal tree, and by others the lignum or wood aloes. This tree is described as being eight or ten feet high, with very large leaves growing at the top; and it is supposed that a forest of those at some distance must bear some resemblance to a numerous en-

God, which saw the vision of A. M. 2553. the Almighty, ^ falling into a An.' E.xod. is'r. trance, but having his eyes ^^'

6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, ^ as the trees of lign aloes ' which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

campment. As the word comes from the root Snx ahal, which signifies to spread or branch out, and therefore is applied to tents, because of their being extended or spread out on the ground; so when it is applied to trees it must necessarily mean such as were remarkable for their widely-extended branches; but what the particular species is, cannot be satisfactorily ascertained. By the Lord''s planting are probably meant such trees as grow independently of the cultivation of man. — Nullis hominum cogentibus; or, as Virgil expresses it, —

As cedar trees] Gabriel Sionita, a very learned Syrian Maronite, who assisted in editing the Paris Polyglot, a man worthy of all credit, thus describes the cedars of Mount Lebanon, which he had examined on the spot: —

" The cedar grows on the most elevated part of the mountain, is taller than the pine, and so thick that five men together could scarcely fathom one. It shoots out its branches at ten or twelve feet from the ground; they are large, and distant from each other, and are perpetually green. The cedar distils a kind of gum, to which different effects are attributed. The wood of it is of a brown colour, very solid, and incorruptible if preserved from xoet. It bears a small apple, like to that of the pine.'''

De la Roque relates some curious particulars concerning this tree, which he learned from the Maron ites of Mount Libanus: " The branches grow in parallel rows round the tree, but lessen gradually from the bottom to the top, shooting out parallel to the horizon, so that the tree is, in appearance, similar to a cone. As the snows, which fall in vast quantities on this mountain, must necessarily, by their weight on such a vast surface, break down these branches, nature, or rather the God of nature, has so ordered it, that at the approach of winter, and during the snowy season, the branches erect themselves, and cling close to the body of the tree, and thus prevent any quantity of snow from lodging on them."

Mr. Maundrell, who visited Mount Libanus in 1697, gives the following description of the cedars still growing there: —

7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall

shall be higher than ^ Agag, and his "^ kingdom shall be exalted.

8 " God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn; he shall ° eat up the nations his enemies, and shall P break their bones, and i pierce them through with his arrows,

9 ^ He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? ■ Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he * smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, " I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

1 1 Therefore now flee thou to thy place:

"' I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.

12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake 1 not also to thy messengers which thou sentesl unto me, saying,

13 "^ If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?

14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and ^ I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people y in the latter days.

15^ And he took up his parable, and said, Baalam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

1 6 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most

" These noble trees grow among the snow, near the highest part of Lebanon, and are remarkable, as well for their own age and largeness as for those frequent allusions to them in the word of God. Some of them are very old, and of a prodigious bulk; others younger, and of a smaller size. Of the former I could reckon only sixteen, but the latter are very numerous. I measured one of the largest, and found it tioelve yards and six inches in girt, and yet sound, and thirty-seven yards in the spread of its branches. At about five or six yards from the ground it was divided into five limbs, each of which was equal to a great tree." — Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 142.

Verse 7. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, 4-c.] Here is a very plain allusion to their method of raising water in different parts of the East. By the well a tall pole is erected, which serves as a fulcrum to a very long lever, to the smaller end of which a bucket is appended. On the opposite end, which is much larger, are many notches cut in the wood, which serve as steps for a man, whose business it is to climb up to the fulcrum, in order to lower the bucket into the well, which, when filled, he raises by walking back on the opposite arm, till his weight brings the bucket above the well's mouth: a person standing by the well empties the bucket into a trench, which communicates with the ground intended to be watered.

His seed shall be in many waters'] Another simple allusion to the sowing of rice. The ground must not only be ivell ivatered, bat flooded, in order to serve for the proper growth of this grain. The rice that was sown in many loaters must be the most fruitful. By an elegant and chaste metaphor all this is applied to the procreation of a numerous posterity.

is supposed to have been as common to all the Amalekitish kings as Pharaoh was to those of Egypt. But several critics, with the Septuagint, suppose that a small change has taken place here in the original word, and that instead of llii.':i meagag, than Agag, we should read JUD miggog, than Gog. As Gog in Scripture seems to mean the enemies of God's people, then the promise here may imply that the true worshippers of the Most High shall ultimately have dominion over all their enemies.

Verse 8. God brought him forth out of Egypt] They were neither expelled thence, nor came voluntarily away. God alone, with a high hand and uplifted arm, brought them forth. Concerning the unicoi"n, see on chap, xxiii. 22.

Verse 9. He couched, he lay doion as a lion, cj'c] See the original terms explained chap, xxiii. 24.

These oracles, delivered by Balaam, are evident prophecies of the victories which the Israelites should gain over their enemies, and of their firm possession of the promised land. They may also refer to the great victories to be obtained by the Lord Jesus Christ, that Lion of the tribe of Judah, over sin, death, and Satan, the grand enemies of the human race; and to that most numerous posterity of spiritual children which should be begotten by the preaching of the Gospel.

Verse 1 1. Lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.] A bitter and impious sarcasm. " Hadst thou cursed this people, I would have promoted thee to great honour; but thou hast chosen to follow the directions of Jehovah rather than mine, and what will he do for thee V

Verse 15. The man ivhose eyes are open] See on ver. 3. It seems strange that our version should have fallen into such a mistake as to render UTsVf shethum,

17 *I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come ^ a Star out of Jacob, and •= a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall ^ smite the cor-

open, which it does not signify, when the very sound of the word expresses the sense. The Vulgate has very properly preserved the true meaning, by rendering the clause cujus obturatus est oculus, he whose eyes are shut. The Targum first paraphrased the passage falsely, and most of the versions followed it.

Verse 17. / shall see him, but not now^ Or, / shall see him, but he is not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh — / shall have a full view of him, but the time is yet distant. That is, The person of whom I am now prophesying does not at present exist among these Israelites, nor shall he appear in this generation. Thei-e shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel — a person eminent for luisdom, and foi-midahle for strength and power, shall arise as king among this people. He shall smite the corners of Moab — he shall bring the Moabites perfectly under subjection; (See 2 Sam. viii. 2;) and destroy all the children of Sheth. The original word "^Plp karkar, from rr^p karah, to meet, associate, join, blend, and the like, is variously translated: vastabit, he shall waste, Vulgate. — npovo/ievaet, shall prey on, Sept. —:Jl'7Ji''' yishlot, shall rule ouer,TARGUM. — Shall shake, A^kkbic. — Jv»j^ barbend, shall put a yoke on, Pers. — Shall umvall, AiNswoRTH, &c., &c.

The Targum of Onkelos translates the whole passage thus: " I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but he is not near. When a king shall arise from the house of Jacob, and the Messiah be anointed from the house of Israel, he shall slay the princes of Moab, and rule over all the children of men."

The Jerusalem Targum is a little different: " A king shall arise from the house of Jacob, a redeemer and governor from the house of Israel, who shall slay the chiefs of the Moabites, and empty out and destroy all the children of the East."

Rabbi Moses ben Maimon has, in my opinion, perfectly hit the meaning of the prophecy in the following paraphrase of the text: " I shall see him, but not now. This is David. — I shall behold him, but not nigh. This is the king Messiah. — A Star shall come out of Jacob. This is David. — And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel. This is the king Messiah. — And shall smite the corners of Moab. This is David, (as it is written, 2 Sam. viii. 2."And he smote Moab, casting them down to the ground.) — And shall destroy all the children of Sheth. This is the king Messiah, of whom it is written, (Psa. Ixii. 8,) He shall have dominion from sea to sea.''"'

Verse 18. And Edom shall be a possession] That is, to David; as it is said: " And all they of Edom became David's servants;" 2 Sam. viii. 14.

ners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

18 And « Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

1 9 *■ Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

Seir also shall be a possession] That is, unto the king Messiah; as it is said: " And saviours shall come upon Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's;" Obad., ver. 21. See Ainsworth.

Verse 19. Out of Jacob shall come, dfc] This ia supposed to refer to Christ, because of what is said Gen. xlix. 10.

It is exceedingly difficult to fix the true sense of this prophecy in all its particulars. Probably the star, ver. 17, is only an emblem of kingly power. Among the Egyptians a star is said to have been the symbol of the Divine Being. The sceptre refers to the kingly power in exercise. The corners or outskirts may mean the petty Moabitish governments, as the Chaldee has understood the term. If karkar, which we translate utterly destroy, be not the name of a place here, as it is in Judg. viii. 10, (which is not very likely,) it may be taken in one of those senses assigned to it, (see on ver. 17,) and signify the blending together the children of Sheth, that is, all the inhabitants of the earth; for so the children of Sheth must necessarily be understood, unless we consider it here as meaning some king of the Moabites, according to Grotius, or a city on the borders of Moab, according to Rabbi Nathan. As neither Israel nor the Messiah ever destroyed all the children of men, we must (in order to leave the children of Sheth what they are generally understood to be, all the iiihabitants of the ivoi'ld) understand the whole as a prophecy of the final universal sway of the sceptre of Christ, when the middle wall of partition shall be broken down, and the Jews and Gentiles become one united, blended fold, under one shepherd and bishop of their souls.

I cannot think that the meteoric star which guided the wise men of the east to Bethlehem can be intended here; nor do I think that Peter refers to this prophecy when he calls Christ the day star, 2 Epist. i. 19; nor that Rev. ii. 28, where Christ is called the morning star, nor Rev. xxii. 16, where he is called the bright and morning star, refers at all to this prophecy of Balaam. Nor do I think that X\\e false Christ who rose in the time of Adrian, and who called himself Barcochab, which literally signifies the son of a star, did refer to this prophecy. If he had, he must have defeated his own intention, because the son of the star is not the star that should arise, but at the utmost a descendant; and then, to vindicate his right to the Jewish throne, he must show that the person who was called the star, and of whom he pretended to be the son or descendant, had actually reigned before him. As the sun, moon, stars, planets, light, splendour, efful-

of the nations; but his latter end ^ shall be

2 1 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

22 Nevertheless ' the Kenite shall be wasted, ^ until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

gence, day, &c., were always considered among the Asiatics as emblems oi royalty, gocernment, &c., therefore many, both men and women, had these names given to them as titles, surnames, &c. So the queen of Alexander the Great, called Roxana by the Greeks, was a Persian princess, and in her native tongue her name was m**3^ Roushen, splendour. Hadassah, who became queen to Ahasuerus, in place of the repudiated Vashti, and is called Esther by Europeans in general, was called in the language of Persia ^^^ Sitareh; from whence by corruption came both Esther, the Persian queen, and our word star. And to waive all farther examples, a Mohammedan prince, at first named

Eesouf or Joseph, was called jr^^ U^i5 Roushen Akhler when he was raised to the throne, which signifies a splendid or luminous star. This prince, by a joyful reverse of fortune, was brought from a gloomy prison and exalted to the throne of Hindostan; on which account the following couplet was made, in which there is a paronomasia or play on the name Roushen Akhter; and the last line alludes to the history of the patriarch Joseph, who T "^ brought out of prison and exalted to the 'j^^ ^^^^^^ it w.l^" ^gypt.

Verse 20. Amalek \va.s the first of the natio7is] The most ancient and most powerful of all the nations or states then within the view of Balaam; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever, or his posterity in"inx acharitho, shall be destroyed, or shall utterly fail. This oracle began to be fulfilled by Saul, 1 Sam. XV. 7, 8, who overthrew the Amalekites, and took their king, Agag, prisoner. Afterwards they were nearly destroyed by David, 1 Sam. xxvii. 8, and they wore finally exterminated by the sons of Simeon in the days of Hezckiah, 1 Chron. iv. 41—13; since that time they have ceased to exist as a people, and now no vestige of them remains on the face of the earth; so completely is their posterity cut off, according to this prophecy. The jnarginal reading does not appear to give the proper sense.

23 And he took up his parable, A. M. 2.553. and said, Alas, who shall live An.Exod. isr. when God doeth this! ^*^'

24 And ships shall come from the coast of ^ Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict •" Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

25 And Baalam rose up, and went and " returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.

Verse 2 1. He looked on the Kenites^ Commentators are not well agreed who the Kenites were. Dr. Dodd's opinion is, I think, nearest to the truth. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, is called a priest or prince of Midian, Exod. iii. 1, and in Judg. i. 16 he is called a Kenite; we may infer, therefore, says he, that the Kenites and the Midianites were the same, or at least that the Kenites and the Midianites wero confederate tribes. Some of these we learn from Judg. i. followed the Israelites, others abode still among the Midianites and Amalekites. When Saul destroyeci the latter, we find he had no commission against the Kenites, 1 Sam. xv. 6, for it appears that they were then a small and inconsiderable people; they had doubtless been tvasted, as the text says, though by what means does not appear from history. On the other hand, it may be observed that the Midianites mentioned here lived close to the Dead Sea, at a great distance from the Midian where Jethro lived, which was near Horeb. Perhaps they were a colony or tribe that had migrated from the vicinity of Mount Sinai. It seems that at this time the Kenites occupied a very strong position: Strong is thy divelhng place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock; where there is a play on the original word pp, which signifies both a Kenite and a nest. High rocks in these countries were generally used as their strong places.

Verse 22. Until Asshur shall carry thee aicay captive.^ The Assyrians and Babylonians who carried away captive the ten tribes, 2 Kings xvii. 6, and the Jews into Babylon, 2 Kings xxv., probably carried away the Kenites also. Indeed this seems pretty evident, as we find some Kenites mentioned among the Jews after their return from the Babylonish captivity, 1 Chron. ii. 55.

Verse 23. Who shall live when God doeth this!] There are two senses in which these words may be taken: — 1. That the event is so distant that none then alive could possibly live to see it. 2. That the times would be so distressing and desolating that scarcely any should be able to escape. The words are very similar to those of our Lord, and probably are to be taken in the same sense: " Wo to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days."

Verse 24. Ships shall come /row the coast of Chittim] Some think by Chittim the Romans, otiiers the Macedonians under Alexander the Great, are meant. It is certain that the Romans did conquer the Assy- rians, including all the people of Syria, Mesopotamia, &c.; but Calmet strongly contends that by Chittim Macedonia is meant, and that the prophecy refers to the conquests of Alexander. Chittim was one of the sons of Javan, the son of Japheth, the son of Noah, Gen. X. 4; and his posterity, according to Josephus, Antiq., 1. iii., c. 22, settled in Cilicia, Macedonia, Cy- • prus, and Italy also; and therefore, says Mr. Ainsworth, the prophecy may imply both the troubles that befell the Assyrians and Jews by the Greeks and Seleucidae, in the troublous days of Antiochus.

And shall afflict Eber] Probably not the Hebrews, as some think, but the people on the other side the Euphrates, from "\3>* ahar, to pass over, go beyond; all which people were discomfited, and their empire destroyed by Alexander the Great.

Verse 25. And Balaam — returned to his place] Intended to have gone to Mesopotamia, his native country, (see Deut. xxiii. 4,) but seems to have settled among the Midianites, where he was slain by the Israelites; see chap. xxxi. 8.

Though the notes in the preceding chapters have been extended to a considerable length, yet a few additional remarks may be necessary: the reader's attention is earnestly requested to the following propositions: —

1. It appears sufficiently evident from the preceding account that Balaam knew and worshipped the true God.

2. That he had been a true prophet, and appears to have been in the habit of receiving oracles from God.

3. That he practised some illicit branches of knowledge, or was reputed by the Moabites as a sorcerer, probably because of the high reputation he had for wisdom; and we know that even in our own country, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, persons who excelled their contemporaries in wisdom were reputed as magicians.

4. That though he was a believer in the true God, yet he was covetous; he loved the loages of unrighteousness.

5. That it does not appear that in the case before us he loished to curse Israel when he found they were the servants of the true God.

6. That it is possible he did not know this at first. Balak told him that there was a numerous people come out of Egypt; and as marauders, wandering hordes, freebooters, &c., were frequent in those days, he might take them at first for such spoilers, and the more readily go at Balak's request to consult God concerning them.

7. That so conscientiously did he act in the whole business, that as soon as he found it displeased God he cheerfully offered to return; and did not advance till he had not only the permission, but the authority of God to proceed.

8. That when he came in view of the Israelitish camp he did not attempt to make use of any means of sorcery, evocation of spirits, necromantic spells, &c., to accomplish the wish of Balak.

9. That he did seek to find out the will of the true God, by using those means which God himself had prescribed, viz., supplication and prayer, and the sacrifice of clean beasts.

10. That though he knew it would greatly displease Balak, yet he most faithfully and firmly told him all that God said on every occasion.

1 1. That notwithstanding his allowed covetous disposition, yet he refused all promised honours and proffered rewards, even of the most extensive kind, to induce him to act in any respect contrary to the declared will of God.

12. That God on this occasion communicated to him some of the most extraordinary prophetic influences ever conferred on man.

13. That his prophecies are, upon the whole, clear and pointed, and have been fulfilled in the most remarkable manner, and furnish a very strong argument in proof of Divine revelation.

14. That notwithstanding the wicked counsel given to the Midianites, the effects of which are mentioned in the following chapter, on which account he p'-obably lost his life, (chap. xxxi. 8,) the badness of this man's character has been very far overrated; and that it does not appear that he was either a hypocrite, false prophet, or a sorcerer in the common acceptation of the term, and that he risked even life itself in following and fulfilling the will of the Lord!

15. That though it is expressly asserted, chap, xxxi. 16, and Rev. ii. 14, that Israel's committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab was brought about by the evil counsel given by Balaam to cast this stumbling-block in their way, yet. it does not appear from the text that he had those most criminal intentions which are generally attributed to him; for as we have already seen so much good in this man's character, and that this, and his love of money (and who thinks this a sin?) are almost the only blots in it, it must certainly be consistent with candour and charity to suggest a method of removing at least some part of this blame.

16. I would therefore simply say that the counsel given by Balaam to Balak might have been " to form alliances with this people, especially through the medium of matrimonial connections; and seeing they could not conquer them, to endeavour to make them their friends. "' Now, though this might not be designed by Balaam to bring them into a snare, yet it was a bad doctrine, as it led to the corruption of the holy seed, and to an unequal yoking with unbelievers; which, though even in a matrimonial way, is as contrary to sound policy as to the word of God. See the notes on chap. xxv. 3, 6.

17. That it was the Moabitish women, not Balaam, that called the people to the sacrifice of their gods; and it argued great degeneracy and iniquity in the hearts of the people on so slight an invitation to join so suddenly so impure a worship, and so speedily to cast off the whole form of godliness, with every portion of the fear of the Almighty; therefore the high blame rests ultimately with themselves.

While Israel abode in Shittim the people commit whoredom ivith the daughters of Moab, 1. They become idolaters, 2. The anger of the Lord is kindled against them, and he commands the ringleaders to be hanged, 3, 4. Moses causes the judges to slay the transgressors, 5. Zimri, one of the Israelitish princes of the tribe of Simeon, brings a Midianitish princess, named Cozbi, into his tent, while the people are deploring their iniquity before the tabernacle, 6. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, incensed by this insult to the laics and worship of God, runs after them and pierces them both ivith a javelin, 7,8. Twenty -four thousand die of the plague, sent as a punishment for their iniquity, 9. The Lord grants to Phinehas a covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood, 10—13. The name and quality of the Israelitish man and Midianitish looman, 14, 15. God commands the Israelites to vex and smite the Midianites, who had seduced them to the ivorship of Baal-peor, 16—18.

A ND Israel abode in ^ Shittim, and ^ the people began to

2 And " they called the people unto ^ the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and ® bowed down to their gods.

3 And Israel joined himself mito Baal-peor: and ^ the anger of the Lord was kindled against

4 And the Lord said unto Moses, ^ Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, ^ that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.

Verse 3. Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor^ The same as the Priapus of the Romans, and worshipped with the same obscene rites as we have frequently had occasion to remark.

The joining to Baal-peor, mentioned here, was probably what St. Paul had in view when he said, 2 Cor. vi. 14: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And this joining, though done even in a matrimonial way, was nevertheless fornication, (see Rev. ii. 14,) as no marriage between an Israelite and a Midianite could he legitimate, according to the law of God. See the propositions at the close of the preceding chapter.

Verse 4. Take all the heads of the people, <5fC.] Meaning the chiefs of those who had transgressed; as if he had said, " Assemble the chiefs and judges, institute an inquiry concerning the transgressors, and hang them who shall be found guilty before the Lord, as a matter required by his justice." Against the sun — in the most public manner, and in daylight.

Dr. Kennicott has remarked that the Samaritan and Hebrew texts must be both taken together, to make the sense here complete: And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto all the heads of the people; and

PEOR; and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, &c.

5 And Moses said unto ' the judges of Israel, ^ Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.

6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, ^ who luere weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

7 And "" when Phinehas ^ the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a jave lin in his hand;

8 And he went after the man of Israel int»

Verse 5. Slay ye every one his men] In the different departments where you preside over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, slay all the culprits that shall be found.

Verse 6. One of the children of Israel] Zitnri,i\\Q son of Salu, a prince of a chief family in the tribe of Simeon, ver. 14, brought a Midianitish ivoman, Cozbi, daughter of Zur, head over a people of one of the chief families in Midian, ver. 15. The condition of these two persons plainly proves it to have been a matrimonial alliance, the one was a prince, the other a princess; therefore I must conclude that fornication or whoredom, in the common sense of the word, was not practised on this occasion. The matter was bad enough, as the marriage was in flat opposition to the law of God; and we need not make it worse by representing the woman as a common prostitute, as the Vulaate and several others have done. In such a case this is absolutely inadmissible. Josephus positively says that Zimri had married Cozbi, Antiq., 1. iv., cap. 6; and if he had not said so, still the thing is nearly self-evident. See the conclusion of chap. x.tiv.

The children of Israel, who were weeping] This aggravated the crime, because the people were then in a state of great humiliation, because of the late impure and illegal transactions.

Verse 8. Thrust both of them through] Inspired undoubtedly by the Spirit of the God of just.ce to do

A. M. 2553. the tent, and thrust both of them An. Exod. Isr. through, the man of Israel, and *^' the woman through her belly.

So ° the plague was stayed from the children

9 And p those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous ^ for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in ^ my jealousy.

12 Wherefore say, ' Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:

1 3 And he shall have it, and " his seed after him, even the covenant of " an everlasting priesthood; because he was "■'' zealous for his

this act, which can never be a precedent on any common occasion. An act something similar occurs in our own history. In 1381, in the minority of Richard II., a most formidable insurrection took place in Kent and Essex; about 100,000 men, chiefly under the direction of Wat Tyler, seized on London, massacred multitudes of innocent people, and were proceeding to the greatest enormities, when the king requiring a conference in Smithfield with the rebel leader, Sir William Walworth, then mayor of London, provoked at the insolence with which Tyler behaved to his sovereign, knocked him off his horse with his mace, after which he was instantly despatched. While his partisans were bending their bows to revenge the death of their leader, Richard, then only sixteen years of age, rode up to them, and with great courage and presence of mind thus addressed them: " What, my people, will you kill your king! be not concerned for the death of your leader; follow me, and I will be your general." They were suddenly appeased, and the rebellion terminated. The action of Sir William Walworth was that of a zealot, of essential benefit at the time, and justified only by the pressing exigencies of the case.

Verse 9. Those that died — were twenty and four thousand.] St. Paul, 1 Cor. x. 8, reckons only twentythree thousand; though some MSS. and versions, particularly the latter Syriac and the Armenian, have twenty-four thousand, with the Hebrew text. Allowing the 24,000 to be the genuine reading, and none of the Hebrew MSS. exhibit any various reading here, the two places may be reconciled thus: 1000 men were slain in consequence of the examination instituted ver. 4, and 23,000 in consequence of the orders given ver. 5; making 24,000 in the whole. St. Paul probably refers only to the latter number.

Verses 12, 13. My covenant of peace — of an everlasting priesthood] As the word peace implied all kinds of blessings, both spiritual and temporal, it may mean

God, and ^ made an atonement for a. m. 2553, the children of Israel. Au. Exod. isr

14 Now the name of the Israel- '^^'

ite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, ^^a5 Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of ^ a chief houst among the Simeonites.

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of ^ Zur; he loas head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian.

18 For they vex j^ou with their ''wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peer's sake.

no more here than the pr^ raise of God, to grant him and his family the utmost prosperity in reference to both worlds. The everlasting priesthood refers properly to the priesthood of Christ which was shadowed out by the priesthood under the law; no matter in what family it was continued. Therefore the dSiJ/' njriD kehunnath olam, or eternal priesthood, does not merely refer to any sacerdotal ministrations which should be continued in the family of Phinehas, during the Mosaic dispensation, but to that priesthood of Christ typified by that of Aaron and his successors. The priesthood alone is everlasting, and a covenant or grant of that was made to Phinehas, and his descendants. The Jews reckon twelve high priests of the race of Phine has, from this time to the days of Solomon, nine more from that time to the captivity, (see 1 Chron. vi. 4, 15,) and fifteen from their return to the time of Antiochiis Eupator, the last of whom was Onias, slain by Lysias. Ezra, the great priest and scribe, was of this line, Ezra vii. 1, 5. The family of Ithamar, uncle of Phinehas, had the priesthood for about 150 years; but it was restored to the family of Phinehas in the person of Zadok the priest, 1 Chron. vi. 50, in which it continued in the whole about 950 years. Probably the Maccabees were of the same family; but though this is not certain, there is no evidence against it. See Calmet. God therefore sufliciently fulfilled his promise; he gave to him and his descendants almost the utmost temporal j-^ngth that could be given of that priesthood which is, in its own nature, eternal. Here then the word dSi>' olarn means, not a limited time, but what is eternal in its duration. See the note on Gen. xxi. 33.

Verse 17. Vex the Midianites, dfc] See this order fulfilled, chap. xxxi. 1-20. Twelve thousand Israelites attacked the Midianites, destroyed all their cities, slew their five kings, every male, and every grown up woman, and took all their spoils.

Moses and Eleazar are commanded to take the sum of the Israelites, in the plains of Moab, 1-4. Reuben and his posterity, 43,730, fer. 5-11. Simeon and his posterity, 22,200, ver. 12-14. Gad and his posterity, 40,500, t)er. 15-18. Judah and his posterity, 16,500, ver. 19-22. Issa-chai and his posterity, 64,300, ver. 23-25. Zebulun and his posterity, 60,500, ver. 26, 27. Manasseh and his posterity, 52,700, ver. 28-34. Ephraim and his posterity, 32,500, ver. 35-37. Benjamin and his posterity, 45,600, ver. 38-41. Dan and his posterity, 64,400, ver. 42, 43. Asher and his posterity, 53,400, ver. 44-47. Naphtali a7id his posterity, 45, 400, rer. 48-50. Total amount of the twelve tribes, 601,730, ver. 51. The land is to be divided by lot, and how, 52-56. The Levites and their families, 57, 58. Their genealogy, 59-61. Their number, 23,000, ver. 62. In this census or enumeration not one man was found, save Joshua and Caleb, of all ivho had been reckoned 38 years before, the rest having died in the wilderness, 63-65.

2 ^ Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, ^ from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel.

3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them " in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

4 Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the Lord <^ commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.

5 ® Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:

6 Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

7 These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

8 And the sons of Pallu; Eliab.

Verse 2. Take the sum of all the congregation] After thirty-eight years God commands a second census of the Israelites to be made, to preserve the distinction in families, and to rejrulate the tribes previously to their entry into the promised land, and to ascertain the proportion of land which shoidd be allowed to each tribe. For though tiie whole was divided by lot, yet the portions were so disposed that a numerous tribe did not draw where the lots assigned small inheritances. See verses 53-56, and also the note on chap. i. 1.

Verse 10. Together with Korah] The Samaritan text does not intimate that Korah was swallowed up,

ivhich were ^ famous in the congregation who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the Lord:

10^ And the earth opened her mouth, and sv/allowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: ^ and they became a sign.

1 2 The sons of Simeon after their families: of •' Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites: of ' Jachin, the family of the Jachinites:

1 3 Of " Zerah, the family of the Zarhites: of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.

1 5 The children of Gad after their families: of " Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites:

but that he was burnt, as appears in fact to have been the case. And the earth swallowed them up, what time that company died; and the fire devoured Korah xoUh the two hundred and fifty 7nen, ivho became a sign.

Verse 11. The children of Korah died not.] It is difficult to reconcile this place with chap. xvi. 27, 31-33, where it seems to be intimated that not only the men, but the wives, and the sons, and the little ones of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, were swallowed up by the earthquake; see especially ver. 27, collated with ver. 33, of chap. xvi. But the text here expressly says, The children of Korah died not; and on a close in-

1 7 Of P Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

18 These are the families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.

19 1 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

20 And ^ the sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharezites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

2 1 And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22 These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.

23 ^ Of the sons of Issachar after their famines • of Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, me family of the Punites:

24 Of " Jashub, the family of the Jashubites: of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

25 These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.

26 " Cythe sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred.

28 '" The sons of Joseph after their families loere Manasseh and Ephraim.

29 Of the sons of Manasseh: of ^ Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.

30 These are the sons of Gilead: of^ Jeezer, the family of the Jeezcrites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:

spection of ver. 27 of the above-mentioned chapter, we shall find that the sons and the Utile ones of Dathan and Abiram alone are mentioned. So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out — and

32 And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

33 And '^ Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34 These are the families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty an<^ two thousand and seven hundred.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of •* Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites

37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.

38 ^ The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites: of " Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites:

39 Of <i Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40 And the sons of Bela were ^ Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites: and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

4 1 These ore the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them loere forty and five thousand and six

42 ^ These are the sons of Dan after their families: of ^ Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.

their xuives, and their sons, and their little ones. Here is no mention of the children of Korah, they therefore escaped, while it appears those of Dathan and Abiram perished with their fathers. See the note on chap. xvi. 30.

44 ^ 0/" the children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah.

47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them; toho were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

48 ' O/" the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the G unites:

49 Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of

Verse 5 1. These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty. 1 The following comparative statement will show how much some of the tribes had increased, and others had diminished, since the enumeration in chap. i.

Let it be observed, 1. That among these there was not a man of the former census, save Joshua and Caleb, see ver. 64, 65. 2. That though there was an increase in seven tribes of not less than 74,800 men, yet so great was tl>e decrease in the other five tribes, that the balance against the present census is 1,820, as appears above: thus we find that there was an increase of 601,728 from 603,550 in the space of thirtv.eight years.

50 These are the famihes of ^'

Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them luere forty and five thousand and four hundred.

5 1 ^ These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.

53 "" Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

54 " To many thou shall ° give the more in heritance, and to few thou shall p give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.

55 Notwithstanding the land shall be 1 divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

Notwithstanding the amazing increase in some and decrease in other tribes, the same sort of proportion is preserved in the east, west, north, and smith divisions, as before; so as to keep the division of Judah, which was always in the front or van, the largest; and the division of Dan, which was always in the rear, the next in number. But it is worthy of remark that as they are now, properly speaking, to commence their grand military operations, so their front, or advaiiced division, is increased from 186,400 to 201,300; and their rear from 157,600 to 163,200. The first division is strengthened 14,900 men, and the last division 5,600 men. The reasons for this are sufficiently obvious.

Mr. Ainsworth has a curious remark on the number of families in the 12 tribes. " Here are families,

" In all 57; to whom if we add the 1 2 patriarchs, and Jacob their father, the whole number is 70, the exact number of the souls in Jacob's house that went down to Egypt, Gen. xlvi. 27." In a variety of things in this ancient economy there is a most surprising proportion kept up, which never could have been a fortuitous effect of general causes. But proportion, harmo7iy, and order distinguish all the works of God, both in the natural and moral world.

^^- 57 ' And these are they that

were numbered of the Levites after their fami hes: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites: of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites: of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58 These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram.

59 And the name of Amram's wife was 'Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, w^hom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

60 ' And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

6 1 And "* Nadab and Abihu died, when they

word 7l1J goral, translated lot, is supposed by some to signify the stone or pebble formerly used for the purpose of what we term casting lots. The word Woc hlot is Anglo-Saxon, from Weocan, to divide, or portion out, i. e., fortuitously: it answers to the Greek K7^T]pog, which some think comes from KXao, to break; because the lot, being a sort of appeal to God, ("The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord," Prov. xvi. 33,) broke off all contentions and litigations relative to the matter in dispute. From this original division of the promised land by lot to the children of Israel, all portions, appointments, offices, shares, or divisions in spiritual and ecclesiastical matters, were termed lots. So in the New Testament, the word KXrjpog, lot, is used to signify a portion of spiritual blessedness, and K^Tjpovofiia, a division by lot, an inheritance; and Klripoi, the lotted or appointed persons to different works, shares, &c.; hence our word clergy, kXtjpoi, persons appointed by lot to a lot, portion, or inheritance; see the case of Matthias, Acts i. 26. Persons thus appointed were by accommodation termed inheritors, because originally, when there could be no claims of exclusive right, all lands where a wandering tribe chose to take up its residence were divided by lot, as the promised land in the case before us. So Judah says to Simeon his brother, Judg. i. 3: " Come up with me into my Zo/." And as God

62 ' And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward; '^ for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was ^ no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel ^ in the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho.

64 '^ But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

65 For the Lord had said of them. They ^ shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, ^ save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.