Numbers 23

1 Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven male sheep for me."

2 Balak did what Balaam asked, and they offered a bull and a male sheep on each of the altars.

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering and I will go. If the Lord comes to me, I will tell you whatever he shows me." Then Balaam went to a higher place.

4 God came to Balaam there, and Balaam said to him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar.

5 The Lord told Balaam what he should say. Then the Lord said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message."

6 So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and all the leaders of Moab were still standing beside his burnt offering

7 when Balaam gave them this message: "Balak brought me here from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains. Balak said, 'Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for me. Come, call down evil on the people of Israel.'

8 But God has not cursed them, so I cannot curse them. The Lord has not called down evil on them, so I cannot call down evil on them.

9 I see them from the top of the mountains; I see them from the hills. I see a people who live alone, who think they are different from other nations.

10 No one can number the many people of Jacob, and no one can count a fourth of Israel. Let me die like good men, and let me end up like them!"

11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have only blessed them!"

12 But Balaam answered, "I must say what the Lord tells me to say."

13 Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place, where you can also see the people. But you can only see part of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there."

14 So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim, on top of Mount Pisgah. There Balak built seven altars and offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar

15 So Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering, and I will meet with God over there."

16 So the Lord came to Balaam and told him what to say. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and say such and such."

17 So Balaam went to Balak, where he and the leaders of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. Balak asked him, "What did the Lord say?"

18 Then Balaam gave this message: "Stand up, Balak, and listen. Hear me, son of Zippor.

19 God is not a human being, and he will not lie. He is not a human, and he does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he makes come true

20 He told me to bless them, so I cannot change the blessing.

21 He has found no wrong in the people of Jacob; he saw no fault in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and they praise their King

22 God brought them out of Egypt; they are as strong as a wild ox.

23 No tricks will work on the people of Jacob, and no magic will work against Israel. People now say about them, 'Look what God has done for Israel!'

24 The people rise up like a lioness; they get up like a lion. Lions don't rest until they have eaten, until they have drunk their enemies' blood."

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, "You haven't cursed these people, so at least, don't bless them!"

26 Balaam answered Balak, "I told you before that I can only do what the Lord tells me."

27 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, I will take you to another place. Maybe God will be pleased to let you curse them from there."

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, the mountain that looks over the desert.

29 Balaam told Balak, "Build me seven altars here and prepare for me seven bulls and seven male sheep."

30 Balak did what Balaam asked, and he offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar.

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Numbers 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

Balak's sacrifice, Balaam pronounces a blessing instead of a curse. (1-10) Balak's disappointment, and second sacrifice, Balaam again blesses Israel. (11-30)

Verses 1-10 With the camps of Israel full in view, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and a bullock and a ram to be offered on each. Oh the sottishness of superstition, to imagine that God will be at man's beck! The curse is turned into a blessing, by the overruling power of God, in love to Israel. God designed to serve his own glory by Balaam, and therefore met him. If God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, who would have defied God and Israel, surely he will not be wanting to those who desire to glorify God, and to edify his people; it shall be given what they should speak. He who opened the mouth of the ass, caused the mouth of this wicked man to speak words as contrary to the desire of his heart, as those of the ass were to the powers of the brute. The miracle was as great in the one case as in the other. Balaam pronounces Israel safe. He owns he could do no more than God suffered him to do. He pronounces them happy in their distinction from the rest of the nations. Happy in their numbers, which made them both honourable and formidable. Happy in their last end. Death is the end of all men; even the righteous must die, and it is good for us to think of this with regard to ourselves, as Balaam does here, speaking of his own death. He pronounces the righteous truly blessed, not only while they live, but when they die; which makes their death even more desirable than life itself. But there are many who desire to die the death of the righteous, but do not endeavour to live the life of the righteous; gladly would they have an end like theirs, but not a way like theirs. They would be saints in heaven, but not saints on earth. This saying of Balaam's is only a wish, not a prayer; it is a vain wish, being only a wish for the end, without any care for the means. Many seek to quiet their consciences with the promise of future amendment, or take up with some false hope, while they neglect the only way of salvation, by which a sinner can be righteous before God.

Verses 11-30 Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any change of his mind; but only a change of his way. There was sin in Jacob, and God saw it; but there was not such as might provoke him to give them up to ruin. If the Lord sees that we trust in his mercy, and accept of his salvation; that we indulge no secret lust, and continue not in rebellion, but endeavour to serve and glorify him; we may be sure that he looks upon us as accepted in Christ, that our sins are all pardoned. Oh the wonders of providence and grace, the wonders of redeeming love, of pardoning mercy, of the new-creating Spirit! Balak had no hope of ruining Israel, and Balaam showed that he had more reason to fear being ruined by them. Since Balaam cannot say what he would have him, Balak wished him to say nothing. But though there are many devices in man's heart, God's counsels shall stand. Yet they resolve to make another attempt, though they had no promise on which to build their hopes. Let us, who have a promise that the vision at the end shall speak and not lie, continue earnest in prayer, ( Luke 18:1 ) .

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 23

This chapter gives an account of the sacrifices offered by Balak and Balaam, and how God met Balsam, and put a word into his mouth, which he delivered in the presence of the king of Moab and his princes, Nu 23:1-7, the substance of which are, the separate state and condition of Israel from other nations, their number, and the happiness of the righteous at death, Nu 23:8-10, which made Balak uneasy, since instead of cursing he blessed Israel, and therefore he had him to another place to take a view of the people, Nu 23:11-13 where having offered sacrifices, another word was put into the mouth of Balaam, and which he also delivered before the king and his nobles, Nu 23:14-18, in which were expressed the unchangeableness of God, the irreversibleness of the blessing of Israel, the strength, safety, happiness, and glory of that people, Nu 23:19-24 which made Balak more uneasy still; but willing to try him a third time, he carried him to another place, and there built altars, and offered sacrifices, the consequence of which is related in the next chapter, Nu 23:25-30.