1Bileám řekl Balákovi: Postav mi zde sedm oltářů a připrav mi zde sedm býčků a sedm beranů. 2Balák udělal to, co Bileám řekl. Pak Balák s Bileámem obětovali na každém oltáři býčka a berana. 3Nato řekl Bileám Balákovi: Postůj u své zápalné oběti, zatímco já odejdu. Snad se se mnou Hospodin setká a to, co mi ukáže, ti oznámím. Potom odešel na holé návrší. 4Bůh se setkal s Bileámem a ten mu řekl: Sedm oltářů jsem připravil a obětoval jsem na každém oltáři býčka a berana. 5Hospodin vložil Bileámovi do úst slovo a řekl mu: Vrať se k Balákovi a promluv takto. 6Vrátil se k němu a tam u jeho zápalné oběti stál on i všechna moábská knížata. 7I pronesl svou průpověď: Z Aramu mě přivedl Balák, z východních hor moábský král: Pojď a proklej mi Jákoba, pojď a zlořeč Izraeli. 8Jak mohu proklínat, když ho Bůh neproklel, jak mohu zlořečit, když Hospodin nezlořečí? 9Jak na něj hledím z vrcholu skal, pozoruji jej z návrší, hle, je to lid, který bude přebývat odděleně, mezi národy nebude počítán. 10Kdo spočítá Jákobův prach, kdo sečte čtvrtinu Izraele? Kéž by zemřela má duše smrtí přímých a můj konec ať je jako jeho! 11Balák řekl Bileámovi: Cos mi to provedl? Nechal jsem tě přivést, abys proklel mé nepřátele, a hle, ty jim jen žehnáš. 12Odpověděl: Což nemusím dbát na to, abych promluvil to, co mi Hospodin vloží do úst? 13Potom mu Balák řekl: Pojď, prosím, se mnou na jiné místo, odkud ho uvidíš — jenom jeho okraj uvidíš, celého ho neuvidíš — a odtamtud mi ho proklej. 14Vzal ho do Sedesófímu na vrchol Pisgy. Postavil sedm oltářů a na každém oltáři obětoval býčka a berana. 15Bileám řekl Balákovi: Postůj zde u své zápalné oběti a já se s ním setkám tam. 16Hospodin se setkal s Bileámem, vložil mu do úst slovo a řekl: Vrať se k Balákovi a promluv takto. 17Přišel k němu a tam u jeho zápalné oběti stál on a s ním moábská knížata. Balák se ho zeptal: Co promluvil Hospodin? 18Nato pronesl svou průpověď: Vstaň, Baláku, a slyš, naslouchej mi, synu Sipórův! 19Bůh není člověk, aby lhal, ani syn člověka, aby litoval. Což by on řekl a neučinil, promluvil a nenaplnil to? 20Hle, dostal jsem příkaz žehnat; on požehnal, nemohu to změnit. 21Není vidět neštěstí v Jákobovi, nelze zahlédnout trápení v Izraeli. Hospodin, jeho Bůh, je s ním, královský pokřik je v něm slyšet. 22Bůh, který ho vyvedl z Egypta, je pro něj jako roh divokého tura. 23Vždyť není zaklínadlo proti Jákobovi, není věštba proti Izraeli. Nyní bude řečeno o Jákobovi a o Izraeli: Hle, co Bůh vykonal! 24Hle, povstává lid jako lvice, zvedá se jako lev. Neulehne, dokud nesežere kořist a nenapije se krve pobitých. 25Balák řekl Bileámovi: Když ho tedy neproklínáš, tak mu aspoň nežehnej! 26Bileám Balákovi odpověděl: Což jsem ti neřekl: Vše, co Hospodin promluví, to učiním? 27Balák řekl Bileámovi: Pojď, prosím, vezmu tě na jiné místo. Snad se to bude Bohu líbit a prokleješ mi ho odtamtud. 28Balák vzal Bileáma na vrchol Peóru, který shlíží směrem k Ješímónu. 29Bileám řekl Balákovi: Postav mi zde sedm oltářů a připrav mi zde sedm býčků a sedm beranů. 30Balák udělal to, co Bileám řekl, a obětoval na každém oltáři býčka a berana.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 BALAK'S SACRIFICES. (Num. 23:1-30)
Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars--Balak, being a heathen, would naturally suppose these altars were erected in honor of Baal, the patron deity of his country. It is evident, from
Num 23:4 that they were prepared for the worship of the true God; although in choosing the high places of Baal as their site and rearing a number of altars (
2Kgs 18:22;
Isa 17:8;
Jer 11:13;
Hos 8:11;
Hos 10:1), instead of one only, as God had appointed, Balaam blended his own superstitions with the divine worship. The heathen, both in ancient and modern times, attached a mysterious virtue to the number seven; and Balaam, in ordering the preparation of so many altars, designed to mystify and delude the king.
3 Stand by thy burnt offering--as one in expectation of an important favor.
peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me--that is, makes known to me by word or sign.
he went to an high place--apart by himself, where he might practise rites and ceremonies, with a view to obtain a response of the oracle.
4 God met Balaam--not in compliance with his incantations, but to frustrate his wicked designs and compel him, contrary to his desires and interests, to pronounce the following benediction [
Num 23:8-
Num 23:10].
7 took up his parable--that is, spoke under the influence of inspiration, and in the highly poetical, figurative, and oracular style of a prophet.
brought me from Aram--This word joined with "the mountains of the East," denotes the upper portion of Mesopotamia, lying on the east of Moab. The East enjoyed an infamous notoriety for magicians and soothsayers (
Isa 2:6).
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?--A divine blessing has been pronounced over the posterity of Jacob; and therefore, whatever prodigies can be achieved by my charms, all magical skill, all human power, is utterly impotent to counteract the decree of God.
9 from the top--literally, "a bare place" on the rocks, to which Balak had taken him, for it was deemed necessary to see the people who were to be devoted to destruction. But that commanding prospect could contribute nothing to the accomplishment of the king's object, for the destiny of Israel was to be a distinct, peculiar people, separated from the rest of the nations in government, religion, customs, and divine protection (
Deut 33:28). So that although I might be able to gratify your wishes against other people, I can do nothing against them (
Exod 19:5;
Lev 20:24).
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob?--an Oriental hyperbole for a very populous nation, as Jacob's posterity was promised to be (
Gen 13:16;
Gen 28:14).
the number of the fourth part of Israel--that is, the camp consisted of four divisions; every one of these parts was formidable in numbers.
Let me die the death of the righteous--Hebrew, "of Jeshurun"; or, the Israelites. The meaning is: they are a people happy, above all others, not only in life, but at death, from their knowledge of the true God, and their hope through His grace. Balaam is a representative of a large class in the world, who express a wish for the blessedness which Christ has promised to His people but are averse to imitate the mind that was in Him.
13 Come, . . . with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them--Surprised and disappointed at this unexpected eulogy on Israel, Balak hoped that, if seen from a different point of observation, the prophet would give utterance to different feelings; and so, having made the same solemn preparations, Balaam retired, as before, to wait the divine afflatus.
14 he brought him into the field of Zophim . . . top of Pisgah--a flat surface on the summit of the mountain range, which was cultivated land. Others render it "the field of sentinels," an eminence where some of Balak's guards were posted to give signals [CALMET].
18 Rise up--As Balak was already standing (
Num 23:17), this expression is equivalent to "now attend to me." The counsels and promises of God respecting Israel are unchangeable; and no attempt to prevail on Him to reverse them will succeed, as they may with a man.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob--Many sins were observed and punished in this people. But no such universal and hopeless apostasy had as yet appeared, to induce God to abandon or destroy them.
the Lord his God is with him--has a favor for them.
and the shout of a king is among them--such joyful acclamations as of a people rejoicing in the presence of a victorious prince.
22 he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn--Israel is not as they were at the Exodus, a horde of poor, feeble, spiritless people, but powerful and invincible as a reem--that is, a rhinoceros (
Job 39:9;
Ps 22:21;
Ps 92:10).
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob--No art can ever prevail against a people who are under the shield of Omnipotence, and for whom miracles have been and yet shall be performed, which will be a theme of admiration in succeeding ages.
26 All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do--a remarkable confession that he was divinely constrained to give utterances different from what it was his purpose and inclination to do.
28 Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor--or, Beth-peor (
Deut 3:29), the eminence on which a temple of Baal stood.
that looketh toward Jeshimon--the desert tract in the south of Palestine, on both sides of the Dead Sea.