and by. The Septua to determine the precise meaning of gint Translation, which some follow, is tame: ovz čorai pózvos ἐν Ιακώβ οὐδὲ ὀφθήσεται πόνος ἐν Ισραήλ. Besides, in the preceding verse and the succeeding part of this verse, Jehovah is the subject of the verb, and a change to the passive here is without good reason. Hengstenberg, Gesch. Bil. 112, also derives an argument to the same effect from the parallel passages in Habakkuk 1: 3, 13, which he says must have been written with the attention of the author directed to the passage now under consideration. There it is God, who, in verse 3rd, sees the bag, and both the and, in verse 13. The most probable explanation of seems to be, that it is used in its usual signification of iniqui ty, wickedness; and means, not to take notice of by punishing, to overlook, as we sometimes say in English; so in the passages quoted, Hab. 1: 3 and 13; and so in Ps. 10: 14 without the negative, signifies not to overlook, to punish. boy means the sorrow, the punishment, consequent upon iniquity. is often used for the joy felt at the destruction of one's enemies, as in Ps. 54, 9. 22: 18. 118: 7 et alibi; and here with the negative, the opposite of that: God does not look with delight upon the sorrow of his people. Rosenmueller prefers to consider the preposition as signifying against and renders: God beholds not, i. e. cannot endure to behold iniquity cast upon Jacob, nor can he bear to see affliction, vexation, trouble, wrought against Israel. This meaning seems to be perfectly congruous with the context, and the only difference in the two explanations is that in the one, iniquity and sorrow are subjective to the Israelites, whilst in the other they are inflicted upon them by their enemies. The former seems to be the most natural and easy exposition. The shouting of the king is in his midst, iba ngan. The acclamations which attend the presence of a great and victorious king are among them. The noun is from 2, to make a loud noise, to shout, to sound a trumpet; and hence the phrase here may be understood as referring to the presence of God as the victorious leader of the Israelites. This then is parallel with the preceding stichos, " God is with him." Calvin says: Nomen enim quod alibi vetus Interpres Jubilationem vertit, videtur hic sumi pro gratulatoriis canticis. Sed quia tubae clangorum significat, non male quadrabit, populum fore terribilem suis hostibus; quia audacter prosiliet ac descendet in praelium, quasi Deo tuba clangente. This passage has been adduced in argument against the Mosaic origin of the account of Balaam, as implying that the 1846.] The Favor of God to Israel. 705 Israelites were governed by a king at the time of its composition. But it is only necessary to inquire if they were not surrounded by kingdoms, which might suggest this language; and furthermore, was not God their king, and might not the language be properly used in reference to him? See also Hengst. Beitr. III. S. 204, 5. and 246 sq. on the allusions in the Pent. to a future kingdom, and also note upon 24: 7 below. Verse 22. God bringeth them out of Egypt, 7X20 ONIXIO ON. In 22: 5, Balak in his message to Balaam says: A people have come out of Egypt, etc., but Balaam says here: God bringeth them out of Egypt. The use of the participle in this case indicates that the act is yet incomplete. See Ewald kl. Gr. § 350. They are not yet in the promised land. But all effort against them is without avail, the God who changes not is with them, and his plans cannot be thwarted by any opposition. His protection and guidance hitherto, is a sure guaranty that the work will be consummated. The use of a plural suffix here, with a singular one preceding and following, referring to the same collective noun, breaks up the monotony, and is entirely in accordance with Hebrew usage. The second stichos may perhaps be considered as a consequence of the preceding. It is on account of the favor of God which is shown in bringing them out of Egypt, that they have the vigor of the buffalo which will enable them to escape all enemies. The vigor of the buffalo is his, sir. Literally, like the vigor of the Buffalo is to him. The precise signification of rayin is difficult to determine. The Septuagint renders it by doğa, the Vulgate, fortitudo. It is derived from the Hiphil form of 7, to be weary, and hence may mean that which maketh weary, the vigorous. It is most often rendered, swiftness, and undoubtedly includes that idea, but is more comprehensive. Fürst considers it as from , used by a common transposition of the letters for , to be bright, shining; and hence he derives the idea of swiftness in the course, which he says is also found as a secondary meaning in other verbs of shining, glittering, etc. Hengstenberg does not fully assent to either of these meanings, and contends that, efforts, exertions, is the only one which is supported by the etymology, the context and the other passages in which the word is used; see Gesch. Bil. S. 119 sq. Whatever the etymology may be, the general idea is plain: Israel is able to escape his enemies, whatever qualifications they may have for annoying him. That here designates the buffalo, bos bubalus, a wild and ferocious animal, common in Palestine, seems to be pretty well decided. See this word in Gesenius' Lexicon. 2. For, ; what has been said of Israel is true, for,, no enchantment, x, availeth against,, Jacob and no divination, DO, against Israel. Some, e. g. Hengstenberg, consider here as meaning in: There is no enchantment in Israel, etc. i. e. they do not practise it. But there seems to be an allusion to the inability which Balaam felt, and expressed to Balak, of cursing the Israelites, since God blesses them. All such attempts, he says, are fruitless. Even this most celebrated soothsayer is compelled to acknowledge the futility of all the arts of his profession, when exerted against the purposes of God. But the last half of the verse is antithetical with this. According to the time, nz, in the proper time, Sept. xarà xaór, is it told, to Jacob, etc. what God doeth, . God maketh known his designs to Israel at the fitting time, whilst divination hath no power over him. For the use of the future, dici solet, to designate customary action; see Ewald Gr. § 264, and Stuart's Ed. of Roediger's Gesen. § 125. 4. (b); and for the use of the praeter, b, for a future action, see Ewald, 262, and Stuart's Roediger, § 124. 4. Many render before and p, concerning: Soon it shall be told concerning Jacob and Israel what God hath done for them. So Calvin: Deum praeclara opera exinde editurum pro defensione populi sui, quae cum admiratione narrentur. But this explanation destroys the antithesis, which seems plainly to be intended here, between divination and true prophecy. Verse 24. Behold a people riseth up like a lioness, The omission of the article which we might expect before D, may be considered as poetical. It gives life to the representation. It is as if the author had said: Behold this is a people, etc., extending his hand, perhaps, toward them. x is a poetic word from x, and means, literally, the roarer; here, as frequently, lioness. pp, riseth up after repose, to seek his prey.—Like as a lion, .to pull in pieces ; hence the puller in pieces, אָרָה from אֲרִי . כַּאֲרִי -It will not lie down, . This word is often used of persons lying down to sleep, and here, of returning to a state of repose; the exact reverse of p and , it will not return to the state from which it has arisen, until it shall have devoured the prey, The image of the wild beast is here kept up, as also in the next stichos. There is a plain allusion in this verse to Gen. 49: 9: “A young lion is Judah... he croucheth, he lieth down like a lion and a 1846.] The third Prophecy. 707 lioness; who will rouse him? What is said of Judah in Genesis is applied by Balaam to all of Israel. The comparison should not be pressed too far. The cruelty and rapacity which might seem to be indicated, by devouring the prey and drinking the blood of the slain, are not intended. The strength and courage and nobleness of the lion, which feareth no open force or snares, but promptly resisteth all assaults, and attacketh his enemy with certainty of complete conquest, is what is here brought into view. Such is the antagonist against which Balak is contending, and to him he will surely fall a prey. The Third Prophecy. When Balak had listened to the second blessing of Israel, by him from whom he had hoped to hear nothing but curses, he seems for a moment to lose all expectation of accomplishing anything by means of Balaam, and only beseeches him, if he will not curse the people, at least not to bless them. But when Balaam more positively than before affirms, that he is compelled to speak what is given him to speak by Jehovah, the king of Moab relying upon the strong desire of the soothsayer to comply with his request, again takes courage, and says to him: "Come now to another place, peradventure it may seem good to God that you curse him for me from thence. And he took him to the top of Peor," a height consecrated to the God of the Moabites of that name, which overlooked the desert of Jericho. After all preparation had been made as before, Balaam went not to seek enchantments, as on previous occasions, but relied upon the revelations of God's will, which had already been made to him. When he had turned his face to the desert, the direction in which the tents of the Israelites were pitched, and beheld them, each tribe in its own proper place in the encampment, "The spirit of God came upon him, and he spake the words of his prophecy and said:" Verse 3. Thus saith Balaam the son of Beor, Thus saith the man with closed eyes, 4. Thus saith he who heareth the words of God, Falling down, and with open eyes: 1 Nordheimer, Heb. Gram. § 1096. 5, renders the phrase apn No3 ap 03 5. How beautiful are thy tents, Jacob, 6. Like valleys they are spread out, And his seed is upon many waters. He devoureth the nations his enemies, And their bones he crauncheth, And with his arrows he dasheth in pieces. 9. Like a lion he croucheth and lieth down to rest, Blessed are those who bless thee, And cursed are thy cursers. from b Verse 3. The poetical words, from ts, like three times repeated here, and also in verses 15, 16, is seldom used with the genitive of a human author; Hengstenberg says, it never is, except in Numbers xxiv, and 2 Samuel 23: 1, and Prov. 30: 1, which last are imitations of the prophecies of Balaam. It is very often used with in, as x, especially in the later prophecies; see Hengstenberg, Authentie L 359, and Gesch. Bil. S. 133. It seems natural then to suppose that Balaam uses the word here to indicate that he received his oracles, and communicated them, from God. So Mark: non aliter se spectat tamen, quam ut dictorum ministrum, quae ipsi aliunde inspirarentur. in the construct state before with paragogic; see note on 23: 18. The repeated use of this antique form is certainly unaccountable, if the prophecies of Balaam were written subsequently to the age of Moses. That it was not current in the time of David, appears from the change to in his imitation of our passage, in 2 Sam. 23: 1, where we should naturally expect the same form. With closed eyes, The word is considered by Rosenmueller, Maurer, Gesenius and others, as meaning open. The Septuagint too renders this phrase: φησὶν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἀληθινώς ooor, and the Chaldee Paraphrase, 87 (vir pulchrè videns). But Fürst and Hengstenberg seem to be right in giving |