Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 22:14
And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
Verse 14. Balaam refuseth to come with us.] “Observe,” says Mr. Ainsworth, “Satan’s practice against God’s word, seeking to lessen the same, and that from hand to hand, till he bring it to naught. Balaam told the princes less than God told him, and they relate to Balak less than Balaam told them; so that when the answer came to the king of Moab, it was not the word of God, but the word of man; it was simply, Balaam refuseth to come, without ever intimating that God had forbidden him.” But in this Balaam is not to blame; he told the messengers in the most positive manner, Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you, Nu 22:13; and more explicit he could not be.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thus they lay the blame upon Balaam, which he imputed to God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the princes of Moab rose up,…. And the princes of Midian also, immediately, without entering into a parley with him, to persuade him to go with them; perceiving by his answer that it would be to no purpose, and that he was determined to do as the Lord directed him:
and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us; as Balaam told them less than what God had said to him, so they related less to Balak than what Balaam had said to them; saying nothing of the Lord’s refusing to let him go with them, but represent it as a piece of pride and obstinacy in Balaam, and which Balak was left to understand; and it seems as if he did understand it as a piece of policy in Balaam, to get a larger offer of money or honour, or both, from him, and which the following account seems to confirm.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) Balaam refuseth to come with us.It does not appear that Balaam had told the messengers of Balak the ground of the Divine prohibition; viz., for they are blessed. Balak accordingly entertained the hope that stronger inducements would prevail with Balaam.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. Balaam refuseth to come Wicked men whittle down God’s truth to as small a point as possible. Balaam reports to the princes less than God had communicated, and they in turn relate to Balak less than Balaam told them; so that when the answer came to the king it was not now the word of God, but of man only, as if God had not forbidden the cursing, but only the will of Balaam stood in the way.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
We see those that were messengers of Balak, used deception as well as Balaam. They did not say that the LORD’S hand was in it, and therefore he did not come. But that he refused to come. Probably, by what followed, they led their prince to believe he would yet come, if the offers of reward were made larger.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
they . . . said. Note what they suppressed.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Balaam refuseth: Num 22:13, Num 22:37
Reciprocal: 1Ki 21:4 – I will not