1846.] The Plains of Moab. 349 We, (the Israelites,) it is added, have utterly vanquished even these conquerors of Moab: But we cast our arrows; Perished is Heshbon to Dibon ;· We laid waste to Nophah, Whilst the main body of the people remained at Heshbon, they sent out expeditions against Jaazer, and against Og king of Bashan, and smote his people and possessed his land. After the return of this expedition, (or perhaps before the return they broke up simultaneously from the two camps,) the children of Israel left their quarters in the plain before Nebo and "set forward," and as stated in Num. 22: 1, "pitched in the plains of Moab, beyond Jordan by Jericho." Thus, verse first of the twenty-second chapter of Numbers must not be connected directly with the last verses of the preceding chapter, but with the thirty-first verse: "Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites;" so that there is a correspondence between the account given here and in Num. 33: 48: "And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and pitched in the plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho." The "plains of Moab," where the Israelites abode not only during the occurrences connected with the prophecies of Balaam, but also during the promulgation of the second law, as recorded in the book of Deuteronomy, until they passed the Jordan, were the narrow strip of land, scarcely two leagues in breadth, lying along the eastern bank of the Jordan, opposite to the plains of Jericho. The Dead Sea was on the south of it, mount Pisgah on the south-east, and the mountains of Gilead on the east ; and toward the north, losing its specific name, this plain continues, as the valley of the Jordan, even to the sea of Tiberias. This country, as has already been indicated, seems from Numbers 21: 26-30 to have been taken, but a short time previous to the arrival of the Israelites, by the Amorites from Moab, whose name it yet retained. ya, rò né In reference to the geographical designation, qav rov 'Iogðávov, beyond Jordan, it is only necessary to say here, that it is very commonly used in the Pentateuch and in the book of Joshua for the part of Palestine east of the Jordan.2 When 1 Josh. 4: 13. 5: 10, etc. The same thing is true of and They always mean beyond, trans, either with reference to the speaker or as an established geographical designation. the phrase is used to designate the country lying on the west of that river, as in Num. 32: 19. Deut. 3: 25, it has a subjective reference to the writer or speaker who had lived on the east side of the Jordan, or conceived himself as being on that side.1 The Moabites who, driven from the valley, now occupied the mountainous country, along which the Israelites passed before they entered the valley of the Jordan, were "sore afraid of the people, because they were many." They did not, however, venture to impede their course. But as the Israelites passed peaceably by their territory, purchasing food for sustenance with money,2 they looked down from their mountain-dwellings upon the long train of the wanderers, and forward to the victorious Amorites, whose conquest of them was yet fresh in their minds, thinking no doubt that these multitudes were advancing to certain ruin, and that they, therefore, would not molest them. But when they saw the busy encampment so firmly established on their ancient territory, they were "distressed because of the children of Israel." That their fears were groundless appears from Deut. 2: 9, where it is said in reference to this time, that the Lord commanded them: "Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle, for I will not give thee their land," etc. Thus Calvin in commenting upon this passage pertinently says: "Ultro data fuerat fides, promissa securitas et oblatum foedus," but, " Reprobas semper agitari vanis terroribus.-Deus singulari privilegio Moabitas exemerat ab omni molestia; ipsi autem anxietatis materiem sibi fabricant." In these circumstances the Moabites had recourse to the Midianites who dwelt upon the eastern border of their territory, and in language befitting the character of herdsmen, express their apprehensions from this strange people: "Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field." Why, if there had been danger of this, thou evil and suspicious nation, had they not already done it? Did they not, to avoid any injury to thee, go a circuitous way along thy borders? Haec continentia eos omni sollicitudine liberasset, nisi maligne sibi pravas suspiciones imaginati essent.3 These Midianites were not a warlike people, but traders, ("merchantmen," Gen. 37: 28,) and the information which they had acquired in their journeys for traffic, suggested an expedient for their delive 1 See Hengstenberg, Die Authentie des Pentateuches, Bd. II. S. 313 sq. 2 Deut. 3: 28, 29. Calvin, Comm. Numer. 22. 1. 1846.] Name and Birth-Place of Balaam. 351 rance, which they thought safer than an immediate conflict, and which doubtless met the cordial approbation of Moab. Early Life of Balaam. It is not the design of the author of the book of Numbers, to give the history of Balaam any further than it aids in unfolding the dealings of God with the Israelites. We are therefore obliged to gather the little knowledge which we have of his early life, from scattered hints. The name Balaam (more correctly Bileam, ba), seems to be derived from sa, devouring, and y, people, or from, with the unusual ending -âm,2 meaning, destroyer of the people, or simply destroyer. Thus his name is descriptive of his profession, according to the account in the passage under consideration. Whether this name was given him at his birth, in anticipation of his course of life, and indicating the employment of his family; or according to an oriental custom, after his character was developed, it is not material to inquire. Balaam was "the son of Beor." Both Simonis and Hengstenberg derive the name is from, to feed upon, consume, and make it to nearly correspond in meaning with Balaam.3-By the authors of the Vulgate and old Syriac versions, ing was understood as a personal appellation of Balaam, and rendered "ariolum," and, but it cannot now be doubted, that it is the name of his dwelling-place, in, Pethor, with the local,4 indicating direction (to). The derivation of in from the verb (Chald. ), to interpret a dream, is generally acknowledged. It is not improbable then that this place, in accordance with its name, was inhabited by a class of people devoted to the practice of magical arts. That in later times the Babylonian Magi were collected in separate towns like the priests' cities among the Israelites seems evident from Pliny5 and Strabo.6 Pethor, it is said in Numbers 22: 5, was "by the river of the land of the children of his people." In Deut. 23: 4, " Pethor of 1 See Simonis, Onomast., p. 459, and Hengstenberg, Gesch. Bil. S. 20, Fürst, Heb. Lex. For a confutation of Gesenius' derivation of the word, see Hengstenberg, Gesch. Bil. S. 21. 3 See Simonis, Onamast., p. 88. Hengstenberg, Gesch. Bil. S. 21. For different significations, see Gesenius' and Fürst's Lexicons. See Nordheimer's Heb. Gr., §§642, 643. 5 Hist. Nat. 6, 25. 6 16, 1. Mesopotamia," is designated as Balaam's dwelling-place, which shows that the river, with the article, here as elsewhere in the Old Testament, must be the Euphrates. This too is in accordance with chapter 23: 7, where Balaam speaks of having been brought from "Aram" and from the "mountains of the east." Aram,, is undoubtedly used instead of Mesopota mia, and is parallel with "mountains of the east." So that it is evident, that Pethor was situated somewhere among the Highlands in Mesopotamia upon the Euphrates, eighteen or twenty days' journey from the Plains of Moab.-" The land of the children of his people," is probably added merely to designate Balaam as a native Aramaean, which renders his blessing of the Israelites more unexpected and wonderful, than if he had dwelt farther west, or had been in any way connected with the Israelites. We are not limited to the origin of the name of Balaam and his place of residence, for proofs that he was by profession a soothsayer. In Joshua 13: 22 he is called tip, the soothsayer. The original meaning of the verb o is probably found in the Arabic, to divide, to divide into parts, and hence like, to decide, decree, divine. The masculine participle, as well as the other forms of the verb, is always used in a bad sense to designate soothsayers and diviners. And the connection in which it is found in the passage in Joshua, also indicates the sense in which it is to be there understood. Besides in Num. 22: 7, it is said that the elders of Moab and Midian departed to go for Balaam, with the rewards of divination, 2, in their hands. It seems evident, therefore, that Balaam was known as a soothsayer or diviner before the embassy was sent to him by Balak. Numbers 23: 3, 4, 15, 16, and 24: 1, might also be referred to here in proof of his recourse to divination, but a particular examination of these verses comes more properly in a subsequent part of our discussion. This character of Balaam is also in accordance with what we are able to gather of the history of his nation and country. It is evident that idolatry was prevalent there.3 According to Joshua 24: 2, Terah the father of Abraham was a worshipper of idols, and Laban and his daughter Rachel, (Gen. 31: 30 sq.,) were more intent upon the possession of the household gods, than upon 1 24: 10. 2 See Tholuck, Vermischte Schrift. Th. I. S. 408. 3 Tholuck, Vermischte Schriften I. S. 408. 1846.] Balaam not a mere heathen Soothsayer. 353 the preservation of family ties, or even the observance of the precepts of common morality. It seems also evident, that Balaam was not, as has sometimes been contended, a mere heathen soothsayer. It is not, however, our object at present to show how far he acted the part of a true prophet, in his proclamations in reference to Israel. That topic will be alluded to in the sequel. Our present wish is to give as correct a view as we can, of his character and life previous to the time of his summons to curse the enemies of Moab and Midian. The fact that his reputation had extended so far, indicates that he did not belong to the common herd of his profession. And the circumstance that he alone is desired, and so earnestly desired, would render it probable that he was thought to be peculiarly qualified to render the curse in this particular instance efficacious. "Behold a people has come from Egypt-come now I entreat you, curse for me this people-for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed and whom thou cursest is cursed." The probability that Balaam was not a mere heathen soothsayer, but stood in a peculiar relation to the God of Israel, is strengthened by his conduct when the messengers arrived. After they had preferred the request of Balak, Balaam answered: "Lodge here this night and I will bring you word again as the Lord, (in not ,) shall speak to me." He would appear to indicate by this to the messengers, that he was accustomed to go to Jehovah, the God of Israel, in circumstances of difficulty, to seek counsel and direction. When "Balak sent again princes more and more honorable than they," offering abundant wealth and honor, and saying, "Let nothing I pray thee hinder thee from coming unto me," Balaam answered: "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, in, to do less or more" (anything), therefore tarry here this night also that "I may know what the Lord, will say unto me more." The addition, my God, contrast Jehovah, as his , to Lord, God, with i, is the in, in this verse, seems to the gods of the Moabites. God of Israel," his God," ", in distinction from the Elohîm of the heathen tribes around. Some other specifications in reference to the use of the name Jehovah,, may not be inapposite here as indications of the knowledge and claims of Balaam. In his conversations with the messengers and with Balak himself, he always uses in, except |