Números 23
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Números 23
NJB (MT versing) The Prophecies of Balaam Balaam's First Prophecy (22:41-23:12) The Four Oracles of Balaam (22:31-24:25) Balaam's First Prophecy (22:41-23:12) 22:41-23:10 22:41-23:3 22:41-23:4 23:1-3 Balaam's Prophecies 23:4-10 (7-10) 23:4-10 23:4-10 (7b-10) 23:5-6 23:7-10 (7-10) 23:11-12 23:11-12 23:11-12 23:11-12 23:11-18a Balaam's Second Prophecy Balaam's Second Prophecy 23:13-24 23:13-24 23:13-24 23:13-14 23:15 (18b-24) (18b) (19-20) (21-22) (23-24) (18b-24) 23:16-24 (18-24) 23:18b-24 (18b-24) 23:25-26 23:25-26 23:25-26 23:25 23:25-26 23:26 Balaam's Third Prophecy (23:27-24:14) Balaam's Third Prophecy (23:27-24:13) 23:27-30 23:27-30 23:27-24:9 23:27-24:9 23:27-30 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS Numbers 22-24 forms a literary unit (see NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 436-437). In this literary unit there are several oracles/poems/prophecies by Balaam. Num. 23:7-10 Num. 23:18-24 Num. 24:3-9 Num. 24:15-19 Num. 24:20 Num. 24:21-22 Num. 24:23-24 These oracles are now seen by scholarship as some of the oldest poetry in the Bible (i.e. Exodus 15).
Números 23:1-3
23:1 "seven altars" There are similar accounts recorded in Babylonian cuneiform tablets. The number seven is significant in the ANE. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4. ▣ "prepare" This VERB (BDB 465, KB 464, Hiphil IMPERATIVE) denotes some sacrificial procedures. ritual slaughter removal of internal organs (such as the liver, possibly for divination purposes) ritual dissection for burning in v. 4 a SYNONYM is used (BDB 748, KB 828, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw), which basically means "arrange in rows." It refers to the altars, not parts of the animals. This would have been a big job that took several hours and several persons. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SACRIFICES IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE. ▣ "bulls. . .rams" This was an expensive offering. Balak repeats it three times (vv. 1, 14, 29) to try to influence God to curse Israel. Possibly parts of the animals were used in the divination process (i.e., the livers; see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 945-950). 23:3 "stand beside your burnt offering" This IMPERATIVE (BDB 426, KB 427) is repeated in v. 15 and implied in v. 30. Apparently it was a way of identifying Balak and his request with the sacrifices (similar in Israel to laying one's hands on the head of a sacrifice), cf. Num. 23:6. ▣ "perhaps the Lord will come to me" This was not a dream (Num. 22:8, 19). The "bare hill" may refer to a fertility worship site. ▣ "Lord" Throughout this episode with Balaam, there are several names for Deity used. See full note at Num. 22:8. ▣ "a bare hill" This place may be contextually linked to "the high places of Ba'al" in Num. 22:41. Fertility worship was practiced at these "high places" (cf. Deut. 12:2; Jer. 2:20; 3:2; 17:2).
Números 23:4-10
23:5 This implies Balaam was a prophet of YHWH YHWH is using a Syrian diviner to make His message known (like the witch of Endor, cf. 1 Samuel 28) For me, option #1 seems best in the context of Numbers 22. 23:7 "discourse" NKJV, NRSV, REB "oracle" "prophecy" "poem" "theme" LXX, Peshitta "parable" This is the Hebrew mashall (BDB 605 II, KB 648 I; NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 1134-1136), which means "a proverb," "a parable," "a riddle," or "a wise saying." Here, it is a prophetic message (cf. Num. 24:3,15, 20, 21, 23; Isa. 14:4; Mic. 2:4; Hab. 2:6). ▣ "Aram" This would be another name for Syria. The exact site is given in Num. 22:5. ▣ These last two poetic lines of v. 7 have four IMPERATIVES (very emphatic) which state Balak's purpose in summoning Balaam. Notice YHWH's people go by the corporate title of Jacob Israel See Special Topics: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS and HEBREW POETRY. 23:8-10 Balaam expresses YHWH's unique covenant relationship with the descendants of Abraham. how can I curse whom God has not cursed? (cf. Gen. 12:1-3) synonymous parallel in Num. 23:8b a people who dwells apart, Num. 23:9c (cf. Exod. 19:5-6) a synonymous parallel in Num. 23:9d Israel's phenomenal numerical growth in Egypt under YHWH's blessing, Num. 23:10 (i.e., direct fulfillment of YHWH's promise to Abraham in Gen. 12:2; 13:16) 23:10 "dust" This is one of three metaphors used to describe Abraham's many descendants. dust ‒ Gen. 13:16; 28:14; here stars ‒ Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4 sand ‒ Gen. 22:17; 32:12; Exod. 32:13 It is this explosive growth of Israel's population that terrified Pharaoh Balak the native tribes of Canaan ▣ NASB, Peshitta "the fourth part" NKJV (footnote), NRSV. JPSOA "dust cloud" "the cloud" "the myriads" "divisions" The BDB 917 defines this root as "fourth part" (cf. 2 Kgs. 6:25). KB lists the option (1181 II) as "dust cloud" (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 1043), which makes a better parallel with "dust" in the previous line of poetry. ▣ The last two poetic lines are JUSSIVES. Balaam requests that YHWH let him die an upright person (by not cursing YHWH's special covenant people) end his life in the blessing of YHWH as Israel is in the blessing of YHWH
Números 23:11-12
23:11-12 These verses express Balak's shock at Balaam's prophecy. Instead of "cursing" them he actually blesses them (a PERFECT VERB and an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE of the same root, BDB 138, KB 159, Piel; usually the INFINITIVE comes first and is in the IMPERFECT stem). Balaam had told Balak several times that he must speak exactly what YHWH revealed to him (cf. Num. 22:20, 35; 23:5, 16, 26; 24:13).
Números 23:13-24
23:13 It seems that Balak thought a different location would change the effectiveness of his offerings Balaam's intercession He tried three different locations where he could see part of the camp of Israel in the plains of Moab (the VERB, "see," BDB 906, KB 1157, is used three times in v. 13). 23:14 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, TEV "Zophim" "lookouts" JPSOA (footnote) "lookout point" "watchers" "look-out place" "watchmen" In the MT this is a Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE (BDB 859 I, KB 1044 I), which means "look out," "spy," or "keep watch." The other part of the NOUN CONSTRUCT is (BDB 961) field, open country highland (new lexical suggestion based on Num. 23:14; Jdgs. 5:18; 2 Sam. 1:21; Ps. 50:11; Jer. 13:27; 17:3; 18:14) Here, a high point on Mt. Pisgah/Nebo, where they could see a significant portion of the camp of Israel. 23:18 There are three IMPERATIVES by God directed at Balak. arise ‒ BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal (i.e., imagery for "listen clearly") hear ‒ BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal give ear ‒ BDB 24, KB 27, Hiphil Balak was not listening. He thought he could change God's mind to his will (cf. Num. 23:19). 23:19 This is a theological affirmation that God's will cannot be altered (cf. 1 Sam. 15:29; Ps. 132:11; Isa. 40:8; 55:11; Jer. 4:28). There are times when God does "repent" or "change His mind" in response to His covenant people's repentance and prayer (cf. Exod. 32:14; 2 Sam. 24:16; Ps. 106:45; Jer. 18:7-8; 26:13,19), but not a pagan king. YHWH also sometimes changes His mind even towards pagans (cf. Jon. 3:10; 4:2). See Special Topics: INTERCESSORY PRAYER and CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (OT). Also see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 333-334, and Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 80-81. ▣ "man. . .son of man" Notice the parallelism, like Ps. 8:14. "Son of Man" is a Hebrew idiom for humanity (i.e., Ezek. 2:1). See SPECIAL TOPIC: SON OF MAN. 23:22 This verse begins with a Hiphil PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE. YHWH is still in the process of the full deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The conquest is surely a major part of the divine resettlement program. 23:21-24 This part of the poem lists several things YHWH has done/will not do to Israel. YHWH has sent a blessing that cannot be revoked, Num. 23:20. YHWH has seen Israel's problems (cf. Exod. 3:9) but has not counted their sin against them, Num. 23:21a,b. YHWH is uniquely with them, Num. 23:21c. YHWH has established Himself as their King (Exod. 15:18; Deut. 33:5; 1 Sam. 8:7; 12:12; 1 Kgs. 22:19; Isa. 6:5), Num. 23:21d. YHWH brought them out of Egypt with a strong hand (i.e., imagery of the horns of a wild ox), Num. 23:22. YHWH cannot be affected by an "omen" or "divination." He is for Israel, Num. 23:23; see SPECIAL TOPIC: DIVINER. Israel will be powerful, like a young lioness, Num. 23:24 (i.e., the lioness was the hunter, protector, and provider of the pride).
Números 23:25-26
23:25 This verse contains two emphatic grammatical features. do not curse them at all ‒ INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB from the same root, BDB 866, KB 1060 bless them at all ‒ same emphatic construction as #1 but different root, BDB 138, KB 159