t² l 23:27,28. Station: Peor. m 23:29,30. Offerings. n 24:1. Non-departure. o 2. Spirit upon Balaam. p 3-25. His Third and Fouth Parables.
29: And Balaam said to 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.
2: And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes (see Chapter 2); and the Spirit of God (Elohim) came upon him. (This expression occurs 8 times outside the books of Samuel [Gen.1:2; 41:38. Ex.31:5. Here. Ezek.11:24. 2 Chron.15:1; 24:20. In all other places it is rendere "the Spirit of Yehovah". Spirit in Heb. = Rûach).
p q 3-9. Balaam's third Parable. r s 10,11. Balak's anger. t 12-14. Balaam's answer. q 15-24. Balaam's fourth Parable. r t 25-. Balaam's return. s -25. Balak's departure.
q 3,4. Introduction. u¹ 5-7. Goodliness (Simile: Valleys, Gardens, Trees). v¹ -7. Exaltation. u² 8-. Strength (Simile: Rhinoceros). v² -8. Victory. u³ 9-. Security (Simile: Lions). v³ -9. Blessing.
3: And he took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor has said, And the stong man (Heb. geber) whose eyes are closed has said (Heb. shåtham, to close, i.e. “the man with closed eye”, i.e. in ecstacy; closed but seeing):
4: He has said, which heard the words from GOD (El) (=the Mighty God), Which saw the vision of the ALMIGHTY (Shaddai) (=the All-bountiful or All-sufficient), Falling into a trance (better Ellipsis=“falling to the ground”), but having his eyes closed:
5: How goodly are your tents, O Jacob (this is only in “the vision of the Almighty”. Jacob put for posterity of the natual seed of Israel ), And your tabernacles, O Israel! (put for the spiritual seed)
6: As the valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the river's side, As the trees of lign aloes which Yehovah has planted (some codices read “as tents which Yehovah has encamped), and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7: He shall pour the water out of his buckets (this refers to Millennial blessings. See Ezek. 47 and Zech. 14),
And his seed shall be in many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.
8: God (Elohim) brought him (them) forth out of Egypt; He has as it were the strength of a rhinoceros:
He shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, And pierce them through with his arrows.
9: He couched (see Gen.49:9), 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 curses you.’ ” (Heb. ’årar, exercrate, chiefly as to its effect. See 22:11; 23:8).
10: And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam (see Ex.10:28), and he smote his hands together: and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to pierce with words my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times (see Gen.26:28).
11: Therefore now flee you to your place: I thought to promote you to great honour (see 22:17,37); but, lo, the Lord (Yehovah) has kept you back from honour.”
12: And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not speak also to your messengers which you sent to me, saying,
13: ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord (Yehovah), to do either good or bad of my own mind; but what the Lord (Yehovah) says, that will I speak?’
14: And now, behold, I go to my people: come therefore, and I will advertise you what this People shall do to your people in the latter days (=in the end of days, denoting a definite period. Cp. Gen.49:1. Deut.4:30. Isa.2:2. Jer.23:20; 30:24; 48:47; 49:30. Ezek.38:16. dan.10:14. Hos.3:5. Mic.4:1).
q w¹ 15,16. Introduction. w² 17-19. Israel. w³ 20-24. The nations.
15: And he took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor has said, And the strong man whose eyes are closed have said:
16: He has said, which heard the words of God (Elohim), And knew the knowledge of Most High (Elyon) (Eng.=Most High, i.e. The High One over all the earth. See first occ. Gen.14:18. The O.T. usage of this title is always in connection with dominion in the earth), Which saw the vision of the AMIGHTY (Shaddai
0 (= the Almighty), Falling to the ground, but having his eyes closed:
w² x 17-. The Star out of Jacob. y -17,18. His enemies. x 19. The Messiah out of Jacob.
17: ‘I shall see Him, Who is not now: I shall behold Him, Who is not near: There shall come a Star out of Jacob (Heb. kôkåb = Messiah. See Luke 1:78. 2 Pet.1:19. Rev.2:28; 22:16, and cp. Matt.2:2), And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel (see Gen.49:10, and cp. Ps. 2),
And shall smite the quarters of Moab (prophecy fulfilled 400 years later. See 2 Sam.8:2), And destroy all the children of confusion (or tumolt. “Sheth [i.e. Seth] is a bad translation from the Manuscipts).
18: And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19: Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion, And shall destroy him that remains of the city.’ ”
20: And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, “Amalek (Heb.=dweller in a village) was the first that warred against Israel of the nations (see Ex.17:8. Not the first in time or of importance); But his latter end shall be destruction for ever.” (cp. Ezek.17:16)
21: And he looked on the Kenites (=sons of Cain), and took up his parable, and said, “Strong is your dwellingplace, and you put your nest in a rock (i.e. the false rock, Satan).
22: Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry you away captive.”
23: And he took up his parable (not a fifth parale but a continuation of the fourth), and said, “Alas, who shall survive when God (Elohim) does this!
24: And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim (=bruisers. A son of Javan, son of Japheth. Gen.10:4. Refers to the island of Cyprus, including north coastline of Mediteranian, spelt Kittim in Gen.10:4 and 1 Chron.1:7. Prophetically speaking it will be the elect giving the deadly wound to the "One World System" in the end times), And shall humble Asshur (=the Asyrians), and shall humble Eber (=the Hebrews), And he also shall perish for ever.” (i.e. who sent ships to humble Asshur and Heber, i.e. Satan)
25: And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
v³ z¹ 1-9. Balak's teaching and its results. z² 10-18. Yehovah's action and its results.
z¹ a 1-3-. Sin of the People. b -3-5. Punishment enjoined. a 6. Sin of the People. b 7-9. Punishment executed.
and the anger of the Lord (Yehovah) was kindled against Israel (cp. Ps.106:28,29).
4: And the Lord (Yehovah) said to Moses, “Take all the princes of the people (or chiefs. the number not stated here, but must have been 1,000, and included in the 24,000 ofv.9, and excluded in 1 Cor.10:8. The 23,000 mentioned in 1 Cor.10:8 "fell in one day": the day of the plague, vv.9,18. And those who were hanged prior to that [vv.4,5], are not included), and hang them up before Yehovah against the sun (i.e. impaled or nailed to a stake, as in crusifixion), that the fierce anger of the Lord (Yehovah) may be turned away from Israel.”
5: And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Slay you all every one his men that were joined (yolked) to Baal-peor.”
6: And, behold, one of the sons 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 sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
7: And when Phinehas (Heb.=mouth of brass, mouth of a serpent. Cp. Ps.106:30), the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
8: And he went after the man of Israel into the tent (Heb. kubbåh, a high and vaulted pleasure tent, used in worship of Baal. Occurs only here), and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly (Heb. kobåh,the part between the ribs and loin. Occurs only here). So the plague was stayed from the sons of Israel.
9: And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand (this includes the 1,000 previously "hanged", vv.4,5, as well as those who died of the "plague". These must have been the 23,000 of 1 or.10:8 which "fell in one day").
z² c 10-13. Phinehas and his reward. c 14-18. Midianites and their wiles.
10: And the Lord (Yehovah) spoke to Moses, saying,
11: “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the sons of Israel, while he was zealous for My sake among them, that I consumed not the sons of Israel in My jealousy.
12: Wherefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace:
13: And he shall have it (see Ps.106:30,31 and Mal.2:4,5. Cp. 1 Chron.6:4-15. 1 Sam.22:18. 1 Kings 2:27 with 1 Sam.14:17. Ezra was of his line [Ezra 7:1,5]), and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood (restored to Phinehas, and remained with him, after Eli); because he was zealous for his God (Elohim), and made an atonement for the sons of Israel.’ ” `(see Ex.29:33)
14: Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri (=musical), the son of Salu (=weighed, only occ.), a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.
15: And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi (=false, decietful), the daughter of Zur (=a rock); he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian (=strife, brawling, contention).
16: And the Lord (Yehovah) spoke to Moses, saying,
17: “Vex the Midianites (cp. Chapter 31), and smite them:
18: For they vex you with their wiles (=seductions, Heb. nêkal, occ. only here), 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 Peor's sake.” (i.e. the "one day" of 1 Cor.10:8)
A³ A 26:1-51. The People. B 26:52-62. Their inheritance. A 26:63-65. The People. B 27:1-11. Their inheritence.
A c 1-4. Command to number. d¹ 5-11. Reuben. 12-14. Simeon. 15-18. Gad. d² 19-22. Judah. 23-25. Issachar. 26,27. Zebulun. d³ 28-34. Manasseh. 35-37. Ephraim. 38-41. Benjamin. d4 42,43. Dan. 44-47. Asher. 48-50. Naphtali. c 51. The total number.
5: Reuben (=behold a son. Cp. Gen.48:8. Ex.6:14. The order is the same as in 1:20, except that Ephraim and Manasseh are reversed), the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben; Hanoch, of whom comes the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the family of the Palluites:
6: Of Hezron, pertains 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 (In Num.1:21 = 46,500, decrease of 2,770. This is an undesigned evidence of accuracy: an unispired writer would have made an increase).
8: And the sons of Pallu; Eliab.
9: And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation (Heb. "the called of the congregation"), who struggled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they struggled against the Lord (Yehovah) (cp. Ex.2:13. Lev.24:10. 2 Sam.14:6. Cp. Num.16:2,3):
{10: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign (i.e. a warning).}
11: Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not (cp. 16:32,35.They were Assir, Elkanah, and Abisaph [Ex.6:24]. Their descendants were prominent in the Temple worship [1 Chron.6:22-38]. Of them came Samuel [cp. 1 Chron.6:33,34 with 1 Sam.1:20], and Heman [cp. 1 Chron.6:33 with 25:4,6]. Two groups of Psalms are associated with them [42-49 and 84-88]).
12: 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:
13: 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 (I Num.1:23 = 59,300,decrease of 37,000).
15: 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:
16: Of Ozni, the family of the Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites:
17: Of 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 (In Num.2:15 = 45,50, decrease of 5,150).
19: 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 Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.
21: 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 (In Num.2:4 = 74,600, increase of 1,900).
23: Of the sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the 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 (In Num.2:6 = 54,400 , increase of 9,900).
26: Of the 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 (In Num.2:8 = 57,400, increase of 3,100).
28: The sons of Joseph after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim (Manasseh comes before Ephraim here, because the ribe had increased. In Num.2:18,20 Ephraim comes first, because he is the standard-bearer, and because of the blessing in Gen.48:14).
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 (cp. 32:39,40 and Josh.17:1): of Jeezer (In Josh.17:2 Abiezer. Only this tribe, and Judah had great-grandsons as "heads". Cp. Gen.50:23), the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:
31: And of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites:
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 (cp. 27:1; 36:1-12, and Josh.17:3,4): 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 and two thousand and seven hundred (In Num.2:21 32,000, increase of 20,500).
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 (some codices have "Edan....Edanites").
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 (In Num.2:19 = 40,500, decrease of 7,500). 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 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.
41: These are the sons of Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred (In Num.2:23 = 35,400, increase of 10,200).
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.
43: All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred (In Num.2:26 = 62,700, increase of 1,700).
44: Of 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; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred (In Num.2:28 = 41,500, increase of 11,900).
48: Of the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites:
49: Of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50: These are the families of Naphtali according to their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred (In Num.2:32 = 53,400, decrease of 8,000).
51: These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty(In Num.2:32 = 603,550, total decrease of 1,820. The total number accomplished the command, v.2. In Egypt they increased like fishes, Ex.1:7, now they decrease. Cp. Ps.78:17-33. Seven tribes increased – Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Manassh, Dan, Benjamin, Asher – total 59,200 beside the Levites. Five tribe decreased – Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, and Naphtali – total 61,020. Leah increase: in Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Levi; and decrease in Reuben, Simeon. Total decrease 23,970. Rachel, increase: In manasseh,Benjamin; and decrease in Ephraim; total increase 22,700. Zilpah, increase:in Asher; and decrease in Gad; total decrease 6,700. Bilhah, increase: in Dan;and decrease in Naphtali; total decrease 6,300. So, in the four camps: East camp, all increased; South camp decreased; West camp, Benjamin and Manasseh increased, Ephraim decreased; North camp, Dan and Asher increased, Naphtali decreased. On the whole, cp. Job 12:9,10,14,23).
B e¹ 52-56. Inheritance by number. e² 57-62. Levi no inheritance.
52: And the Lord (Yehovah) spoke to Moses, saying,
53: “Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54: To the greater number you shall give the greater inheritance, and to the smaller in number you shall give the smaller inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
55: Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot (="upon": i.e. "contingently upon" [see v.56]. By Eleazar [34:17], because, as high priest, he had the Urim and the Thummim, which were the lots cast. The high priest must be present for the lot to speak, and give Yehovah's decision [Josh.17:4. Cp. Ezra 2:61-63. Neh.7:63-65. The lot "came up" [Josh.18:11]; "came forth" [Josh.19:1]; "came out" [Josh.19:17] of the bag containing the Urim and Thummim, which was in or behind thebreastplate. See Ex.28:30, and cp. Prov.16:33; 18:18): according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
56: According to the mouth of the lot (as though the "lot" spoke and was personified, by the Fig. Prosopopoœia, see v.55) shall the possession thereof be divided between great and small.”
57: And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: 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. v
59: And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed (=whose glory is Yehovah. Cp. Ex.2:1 and 6:20), the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt (this explains apparent discrepancy between her age and that of Amram): and she bare to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60: And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
61: And Nadab and Abihu died (cp. Lev.10:2. Num.3:4. 1 Chron.24:2), when they offered strange fire before the Lord (Yehovah).
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 sons of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the sons 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 sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65: For the Lord (Yehovah) had said of them (40 years before. Cp. 14:28-33), “They shall surely die in the wilderness” (see Gen.2:17; 26:28). And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun (cp. 14:24,30,38. The whole congregation therefore composed of men over 20, and none older than 60).