23. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob--No art can ever prevail against a people who are under the shield of Omnipotence, and for whom miracles have been and yet shall be performed, which will be a theme of admiration in succeeding ages.
26. All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do--a remarkable confession that he was divinely constrained to give utterances different from what it was his purpose and inclination to do.
28. Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor--or, Beth-peor ([De 3:29]), the eminence on which a temple of Baal stood.
that looketh toward Jeshimon--the desert tract in the south of Palestine, on both sides of the Dead Sea.
Chapter 24
Nu 24:1-25. Balaam Foretells Israel's Happiness
1. to seek for--that is, to use enchantments. His experience on the two former occasions [Nu 23:3, 15] had taught him that these superstitious accompaniments of his worship were useless, and therefore he now simply looked towards the camp of Israel, either with a secret design to curse them, or to await the divine afflatus.
2. he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes--that is, in the orderly distribution of the camp ([Nu 2:1-34]).
the spirit of God came upon him--Before the regular ministry of the prophets was instituted, God made use of various persons as the instruments through whom He revealed His will, and Balaam was one of these ([De 23:5]).
3. the man whose eyes are open--that is, a seer ([1Sa 9:9]), a prophet, to whom the visioned future was disclosed--sometimes when falling into a sleep ([Ge 15:12-15]), frequently into "a trance."
5-7. How goodly are thy tents, ... O Israel!--a fine burst of admiration, expressed in highly poetical strains. All travellers describe the beauty which the circular area of Bedouin tents impart to the desert. How impressive, then, must have been the view, as seen from the heights of Abarim, of the immense camp of Israel extended over the subjacent plains.
10-14. Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together--The "smiting of the hands together" is, among Oriental people, an indication of the most violent rage (see [Eze 21:17]; ) and ignominious dismissal.
15. he took his parable--or prophecy, uttered in a poetical style.
17. I shall see him--rather, "I do see" or "I have seen him"--a prophetic sight, like that of Abraham ([Joh 8:56]).
him--that is, Israel.
there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel--This imagery, in the hieroglyphic language of the East, denotes some eminent ruler--primarily David; but secondarily and pre-eminently, the Messiah (see on [Ge 49:10]).
corners--border, often used for a whole country ([Ex 8:2]; [Psa 74:17]).
children of Sheth--some prince of Moab; or, according to some, "the children of the East."
18. Edom shall be a possession--This prophecy was accomplished by David ([2Sa 8:14]).
Seir--seen in the south, and poetically used for Edom. The double conquest of Moab and Edom is alluded to ([Psa 60:8]; ).
19. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion--David, and particularly Christ.
that remaineth of the city--those who flee from the field to fortified places ([Psa 60:9]).
20. Amalek ... his latter end shall be that he perish for ever--Their territory was seen at the remote extremity of the desert. (See on [Ex 17:13]; also [1Sa 15:1-35]).
21. Kenites ... nest in a rock--Though securely established among the clefts in the high rocks of En-gedi towards the west, they should be gradually reduced by a succession of enemies till the Assyrian invader carried them into captivity ([Jud 1:16]; , [16, 17]; also [2Ki 15:29]; ).
23. who shall live when God doeth this!--Few shall escape the desolation that shall send a Nebuchadnezzar to scourge all those regions.
24. Chittim--the countries lying on the Mediterranean, particularly Greece and Italy ([Da 11:29], ). The Assyrians were themselves to be overthrown--first, by the Greeks under Alexander the Great and his successors; secondly, by the Romans.
Eber--the posterity of the Hebrews ([Ge 10:24]).
he also shall perish--that is, the conqueror of Asher and Eber, namely, the Greek and Roman empires.
25. Balaam rose up, and went ... to his place--Mesopotamia, to which, however, he did not return. (See on [Nu 31:8]).
Chapter 25
Nu 25:1-18. The Israelites' Whoredom and Idolatry with Moab
1. Israel abode in Shittim--a verdant meadow, so called from a grove of acacia trees which lined the eastern side of the Jordan. (See [Nu 33:49]).
3. Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor--Baal was a general name for "lord," and Peor for a "mount" in Moab. The real name of the idol was Chemosh, and his rites of worship were celebrated by the grossest obscenity. In participating in this festival, then, the Israelites committed the double offense of idolatry and licentiousness.
4. The Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up--Israelite criminals, who were capitally punished, were first stoned or slain, and then gibbeted. The persons ordered here for execution were the principal delinquents in the Baal-peor outrage--the subordinate officers, rulers of tens or hundreds.
before the Lord--for vindicating the honor of the true God.
against the sun--that is, as a mark of public ignominy; but they were to be removed towards sunset ([De 21:23]).
5. judges of Israel--the seventy elders, who were commanded not only to superintend the execution within their respective jurisdictions, but to inflict the punishment with their own hands. (See on [1Sa 15:33]).
6-7. behold, one of the children of Israel ... brought ... a Midianitish woman--This flagitious act most probably occurred about the time when the order was given and before its execution.
who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle--Some of the rulers and well-disposed persons were deploring the dreadful wickedness of the people and supplicating the mercy of God to avert impending judgments.
8. the plague--some sudden and widespread mortality.
9. those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand--Only twenty-three thousand perished ([1Co 10:8]) from pestilence. Moses includes those who died by the execution of the judges [Nu 25:5].
11-13. Phinehas ... hath turned my wrath away--This assurance was a signal mark of honor that the stain of blood, instead of defiling, confirmed him in office and that his posterity should continue as long as the national existence of Israel.
14. Zimri, ... a prince ... among the Simeonites--The slaughter of a man of such high rank is mentioned as a proof of the undaunted zeal of Phinehas, for there might be numerous avengers of his blood.
17. Vex the Midianites, and smite them--They seem to have been the most guilty parties. (Compare [Nu 22:4]; ).
18. they vex you with their wiles--Instead of open war, they plot insidious ways of accomplishing your ruin by idolatry and corruption.