Números 24

Números 24

Click for Numbers Chapters 1-36 Numbers: Journey to God's Rest-Land by Irving Jensen- used by permission Source: Ryrie Study Bible THE BOOK OF NUMBERS "Wilderness Wandering" WALKING Numbers 1-12 WANDERING Numbers 13-25 WAITING Numbers 26-36 Counting & Camping Nu 1-4 Cleansing & Congregation Nu 5-8 Carping & Complaining Nu 9-12 12 Spies & Death in Desert Nu 13-16 Aaron & Levites in Wilderness Nu 17-18 Serpent of Brass & Story of Balaam Nu 21-25 Second Census 7 Laws of Israel Nu 26-30 Last Days of Moses as Leader Nu 31-33 Sections, Sanctuaries & Settlements Nu 34-36 Law & Order Rebellion & Disorder New Laws for the New Order Old Generation Tragic Transition New Generation Preparation for the Journey: Moving Out Participation in the Journey: Moving On Prize at end of the Journey: Moving In At Sinai Mt Sinai To Moab Mt Hor At Moab Mt Nebo En Route to Kadesh (Mt Sinai) En Route to Nowhere (Wilderness) En Route to Canaan (Plains of Moab) A Few Weeks to 2 Months 38 years, 3 months, 10 days A Few Months Christ in Numbers = Our "Lifted-up One" (Nu 21:9, cp Jn 3:14-15) Author: Moses Numbers 24:1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness. BGT Numbers 24:1 καὶ ἰδὼν Βαλααμ ὅτι καλόν ἐστιν ἔναντι κυρίου εὐλογεῖν τὸν Ισραηλ οὐκ ἐπορεύθη κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς εἰς συνάντησιν τοῖς οἰωνοῖς καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον NET Numbers 24:1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to seek for omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness. NLT Numbers 24:1 By now Balaam realized that the LORD was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, ESV Numbers 24:1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. NIV Numbers 24:1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. KJV Numbers 24:1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. YLT Numbers 24:1 And Balaam seeth that it is good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face; LXE Numbers 24:1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he did not go according to his custom to meet the omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness. ASV Numbers 24:1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. CSB Numbers 24:1 Since Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned toward the wilderness. NKJ Numbers 24:1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. NRS Numbers 24:1 Now Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. NAB Numbers 24:1 Balaam, however, perceiving that the LORD was pleased to bless Israel, did not go aside as before to seek omens, but turned his gaze toward the desert. NJB Numbers 24:1 Balaam then saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel. He did not go as before to seek omens but turned towards the desert. GWN Numbers 24:1 When Balaam saw that the LORD wanted to bless Israel, he didn't look for omens as he had done before. He turned toward the desert, saw: Nu 22:13 23:20 31:16 1Sa 24:20 26:2,25 Rev 2:14 at other times: Nu 23:3,15 Numbers 24 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PREPARATION FOR DISCOURSE #3 This section is tied with the previous description of seven altars and sacrifices (Nu 23:29-30+). Allen comments that "Again the sevens of altars and sacrifices are prepared (vv.29–30), but this time there is a significant change. Balaam does not go about his normal routine of sorcery (Nu 25:1). This time “the Spirit of God came upon him” (Nu 25:2). This unexpected language is used to prepare the reader for the heightened revelation that is about to come from the unwitting messenger. The oracles are building in intensity and in their depth of meaning." (EBC) Jensen - By this time the experiences of meeting God on the two previous occasions, and hearing in detail God’s blessings on Israel, had convinced Balaam that God would have the last word. “When Balaam perceived that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel” (24:1, Berkeley Version), he did not look for omens as on the previous occasions, but turned his face in the direction of Israel, and saw their camp in order by tribes. At this moment the Spirit of God came upon him. (EvBC-Nu) When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD (Lit - “That it was good in the eyes of Jehovah") to bless Israel - Balaam already understood before this point in the account that the LORD wanted to bless Israel. NLT - "By now Balaam realized that the LORD was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness." Bush - The Most High always esteems it good to abide by his purposes and promises. This fact respecting the Lord it is said that Balaam “saw,” by which we are to understand that he became assured of it from the internal consciousness of being overruled in his utterance by a superior power which he could not resist. He did not go as at other times to seek (lit - to meet) omens - At other times is literally “as time after time” or “as time on time.” This refers to the two previous discourses. Recall that Balaam was offered fees for divination (Nu 22:7+) (which he did not refute as an abomination) and here he seeks omens, which it says he did at other times. Were any of the times he sought omens described? Most likely these were the two times that he separated himself from Balak (Nu 23:3+, Nu 23:15+ and also Nu 22:8+ when he separated from Balak's emissaries). NN on omens - The word נְחָשִׁים (néchashim) means “omens,” or possibly “auguries.” Balaam is not even making a pretense now of looking for such things, because they are not going to work. God has overruled them. Bush - He went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments. Heb. “Not at (this) time as the time (before).” Gr. “According to his custom.” Seeing there was no likelihood of obtaining leave from God to curse his people, he resolves no more to seek for enchantments, but sets his face towards the wilderness, that is, towards the place where Israel lay encamped, apparently giving himself up to the influence which had proved too strong for his wicked will, and perhaps disposed in his own mind to make a virtue of the necessity that he felt laid upon him. His object in retiring on the former occasions, while Balak was left standing by his altars, was not expressly stated, but here we are informed in effect that it was to practise in private those cabalistic and magical arts which were common to sorcerers, and which he was in hopes might have made him master of his impious purpose, wherein, however, he was disappointed. These devices he now abandoned, because he saw they were fruitless, although his heart was in reality no better than before, as we infer from the sequel of the narrative. The original word for “enchantments” (nehâshim) is closely related to the Heb. term for serpent (nahash) and the relation between the ideas conveyed by serpent and divination or augury is undoubtedly recognized in more places than one in the original Scriptures. The literal rendering in the present instance is “to meet enchantment or magic-omens.” The phrase undoubtedly implies the meeting, or seeking an interview with the Lord, for the purpose of making him propitious to his design by certain ceremonies of a cryptic or mysterious nature known as divinations or auguries. Balaam was inspired by the Spirit to declare God’s will, but that does not necessarily mean that Balaam was a true believer in Yahweh. Omen (05173) nachash rom verb nachash - see Divine below) means divination, enchantment. Only found in Nu 23:23 and Nu 24:1. The Septuagint translates nachash with the noun oionos which Liddell-Scott says literally means "a large bird, bird of prey, such as a vulture or eagle, and so distinguished from a common bird, Homer, etc. II. a bird of omen or augury, Homer, etc.:-the flight to (not from) the right, i.e. towards the East, was fortunate, and vice versa. 2. an omen, presage, drawn from these birds, Lat. auspicium or augurium, according as taken from seeing their flight or hearing their cry, Il., etc.; dechomai ton oionon = accept the omen, hail it as favourable, Hdt." Divine (05172)(nachash not to be confused with Hebrew word for serpent nachash = "Because of the similarity of nacḥash to nācḥāsh meaning "snake," some make a connection to snake charming. More contend that there is a similarity of hissing sounds between enchanters and serpents and hence the similarity of words." - TWOT) means to practice divination, observe signs and is only in the Piel intensive stem. First use of Laban to Jacob " I have divined that the LORD has blessed me on your account.” (Ge 30:27). "Both in Genesis 44:5, 15 the doubly intensive form (infinitive absolute plus finite verb) occurs. There we learn that Joseph claimed for his brothers' benefit that he could "divine" with a special cup and so knew secret things such as that his brothers, still unaware of who he was, had his cup in their possession. But divination is outlawed in Leviticus 19:26 and is spoken of with condemnation in 2 Kings 17:17 and 2 Kings 21:6 (cf. 2 Chron. 33:6). It is in the list of forbidden occult practices of Deut. 18:10. (TWOT) Gilbrant - The practice of divination was widespread throughout the ancient Near East. Omens were taken before attempting a wide variety of significant events, such as engaging in warfare or building projects. Further, omens were used at Mari as a check against individuals who made claims that a god was communicating through them. Omens stem from observation of the natural world with the assumption that anything which deviates from the natural order does so under the influence of the divine realm as a means of communication. Unusual events in the political order could be tied to unusual events in the natural order, the subject of omens. An unusual sheep liver, discovered in the course of ritual sacrifice, was understood by the peoples surrounding the Israelites as the announcement of a coming event. There existed long lists of the significance of particular omens in Akkadian literature, and a number of liver models (for learning divination) have been discovered throughout Mesopotamia and Syria-Palestine. Though an integral part of other ancient societies, the practice was banned among the ancient Israelites, who were to communicate legitimately with God through prayer and prophetic utterances (Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10). One of the causes for the captivity of the northern tribes was the practice of divination (2 Ki. 17:17). Among his many other occultic practices, King Manasseh likewise was guilty of practicing divination (2 Ki. 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6). Laban divined that the Lord had blessed him because of Jacob (Gen. 30:27). Joseph gave the impression that he practiced divination with the cup he had hid in Benjamin's saddlebag (Gen. 44:5, 15). When king Ahab defeated the Syrian army, the officers of Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, carefully watched Ahab for an omen of mercy (1 Ki. 20:33) and interpreted Ahab's use of the term "brother" as a good sign; on the basis of this sign, they negotiated a favorable peace treaty with Ahab. (Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary) The word for Divination (07081) is qesem in Nu 22:7 ("fees for divination") Nachash - 10x - divination(1), divined(1), enchantments(1), indeed practice divination(1), indeed uses(1), interprets omens(1), practice divination(1), took as an omen(1), used divination(2). Ge 30:27; Ge 44:5; Ge 44:15; Lev. 19:26; Dt. 18:10; 1 Ki. 20:33; 2 Ki. 17:17; 2 Ki. 21:6; 2 Chr. 33:6 Omens (05173)(nachash from verb nachash - see above) means divination, enchantment. Only found in Nu 23:23 and Nu 24:1. The Septuagint translates nachash with the noun oionos which Liddell-Scott says literally means "a large bird, bird of prey, such as a vulture or eagle, and so distinguished from a common bird, Homer, etc. II. a bird of omen or augury, Homer, etc.:-the flight to (not from) the right, i.e. towards the East, was fortunate, and vice versa. 2. an omen, presage, drawn from these birds, Lat. auspicium or augurium, according as taken from seeing their flight or hearing their cry, Il., etc.; dechomai ton oionon = accept the omen, hail it as favourable, Hdt." But he set his face toward the wilderness - The Septuagint has apostrepho indicating that he first turned away from, rejected or repudiated and in context would refer to his turning from omens and enchantations and toward the wilderness where the Israelites were camped. Was he looking at the Shekinah glory cloud ? We cannot say for certain, but it is possible he saw the cloud over the Tabernacle. In any event at this point Balaam finally saw the entire encampment of Israel. He now knew that there was to be a blessing on Israel and he commences with one of the most comprehensive blessings of Israel in the Old Testament! Prior to this time, Balak had allowed him to see only the very edges of the people of God; now he sees them in their full force. Milgrom - The meaning here is clear: Rather than timorously catching a glimpse of the edge of the Israelite camp, Balaam now boldly steps forward so that he can see all of Israel. NN on set his face - The idiom signifies that he had a determination and resolution to look out over where the Israelites were, so that he could appreciate more their presence and use that as the basis for his expressing of the oracle. Bush - "He set his face toward the wilderness. Heb. el hammidbar, the usual term to denote the dreary desert through which Israel had wandered after leaving Egypt, but implying in this connection a region which could only be comparatively denominated a desert or wilderness, as they were encamped in the valley of the Jordan, while Balaam was beholding them from the heights above." Thomas