Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 23:14

And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on [every] altar.

14. to the field of Zophim ] The site is unknown. phim means ‘watchers,’ and it was evidently high ground which afforded an extensive outlook.

the top of the Pisgah ] See on Num 21:20. There were probably many places in the mountains of Moab which would be useful as posts for sentinels. This one is defined as lying somewhere among the western headlands.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The field of Zophim – Or, of watchers. It lay upon the top of Pisgah, north of the former station, and nearer to the Israelite camp; the greater part of which was, however, probably concealed from it by an intervening spur of the hill. Beyond the camp Balaams eye would pass on to the bed of the Jordan. It was perhaps a lion coming up in his strength from the swelling of that stream (compare Jer 49:19) that furnished him with the augury he awaited, and so dictated the final similitude of his next parable.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Zophim, a place so called from the spies and watches which were kept there. Pisgah, a high hill in the land of Moab, so called Deu 3:27; 34:1.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14. he brought him into the field ofZophim . . . top of Pisgaha flat surface on the summit of themountain range, which was cultivated land. Others render it “thefield of sentinels,” an eminence where some of Balak’s guardswere posted to give signals [CALMET].

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And he brought him into the field of Zophim,…. Or Sede Tzophim, as Hillerus i reads it, so called from the watch tower, and watchmen in it: Jarchi says, it was a high place, where a watchman stood to observe if an army came against a city, and so a very proper place to take a view of the armies of Israel from:

to the top of Pisgah; a high hill in this place, where perhaps the watch tower was, or, however, the watchman stood: this looked towards Jeshimon or Bethjesimoth, in the plain of Moab, where Israel lay encamped, see Nu 21:20: and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar: as he had done before, Nu 23:2.

i Onomastic Sacr. p. 935.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Verses 14-24:

“Zophim,” from tsophim, “watchers,” a field near the peak of Mount Pisgah. Its exact location is not known.

“Pisgah,” a mountain on the northeast shore of the Dead Sea, see Nu 21:20.

“While I meet the Lord yonder.” The words “the Lord” are not in the original text. It appears Balaam was following the usual pattern of divination to determine the future, or to please those who hired him.

Once more Jehovah met with Balaam, not in the manner of His own true prophets, such as Moses and Aaron; but as an adversary, to oppose and overrule his purposes. God mandated that Balaam should take the reply to Balak which He Himself would dictate.

Balaam returned to the altars where Balak and his princes waited. The king demanded to know what Jehovah had said.

Balaam first reminded Balak of the character of Jehovah. He was no capricious deity or fickle man to change his mind at the whim of another. He is true and faithful, and will do exactly as He has said: This meant that Jehovah would not alter His purpose with Israel.

“Commandment” (verse 20) is in italics, meaning that it is not in the ancient text. This means that God had not given Balaam instructions, but an inner revelation which he was powerless to change or to conceal.

Verse 21 does not mean that God closed His eyes to the murmuring, complaining, unbelief, and idolatry of Israel, Rather, it means that Israel’s sin was that of a rebellious child; it affected their fellowship, but not their relationship with Jehovah, see Ps 37:23, 24; 89:27-37.

The “shout” is that of a triumphant people acclaiming their victorious king, see 1Sa 4:5, 6.

“Unicorn,” reem, “buffalo, wild ox, roaring animal” This term denotes the now-extinct auroch, a powerful, untamable wild ox that stood about six feet at the shoulder. It was at one time plentiful in Palestine.

“Enchantment,” nachash, “whisper,” or muttering as of a spiritist medium. The Law expressly forbade this practice in Israel, Le 19:26.

“Divination,” qesem, “the soothsayer’s art,” also translated “witchcraft,” 1Sa 15:21.

“According to the time,” or “in an appropriate season.”

The meaning: God does not rely upon incantations or witchcraft to accomplish His purpose. He will bring about His will by His own power, in His own good time.

The rising of a lion from its hiding place was a favorite expression among the ancients, to denote majesty and irresistible power.

Balaam’s “parable” clearly portrays the faithfulness and power of God, revealed in His dealings with Israel.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(14) The field of Zophim.i.e., of watchers. Tne spot seems to be identified with that from which Moses afterwards surveyed the promised land (Deu. 3:27), and which is described in Deu. 34:1 as the mountain of Nebo, or Mount Nebo. It is possible, however, that Pisgah may have had more than one of such summits.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

14. The field of Zophim was the cultivated field of the watchmen on the slope or top of the range of Pisgah. Mr. Porter identifies it with the ruins of Main, at the foot of Attarus, which he calls Pisgah. The watchers may have been sentinels in war or augurs in peace observing the heavens and the birds.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The Second Sacrifice and Prophetic Utterance.

v. 14. And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, to a high plateau of the mountain range which overlooks the Plains of Moab, and built seven altars, as before, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

v. 15. And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, maintaining the position of the devout worshiper praying for the fulfillment of his desire, while I meet the Lord yonder, for the purpose of receiving omens concerning the success of their venture, the same mixture of proper religious rites with the ceremonies of heathenism as before.

v. 16. And the Lord met Balaam, as after the first sacrifice, and put a word in his mouth and said, Go again unto Balak and say thus; the exact form of the prophetic utterance was prescribed to him.

v. 17. And when he came to him (Balak), behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?

v. 18. And he took up his parable and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor. The king was to lift up heart and mind to the elevated plane which agreed with the message that was about to be delivered to him.

v. 19. God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent, a statement which reproved the thought of Balak that God might take back His word concerning the blessing upon Israel. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

v. 20. Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. The unchangeability of the divine counsels is a necessary consequence of the divine faithfulness, as an expression of the essence of the Lord. The blessing which He had put into the mouth of Balaam after the first sacrifice could not be canceled, and the soothsayer was not in a position to cancel it, much as he personally might be inclined to do so.

v. 21. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel, no trouble or affliction. Since the Lord found no criminal wickedness, no moral and spiritual rottenness of a kind that would be followed by a curse, this being true of the people in their covenant relation to God, therefore His blessing was still with them. The Lord, his God, is with him, and the shout of a king is among them; they are full of happiness and rejoicing because Jehovah is living in their midst as king, Exo 15:18; Deu 33:5.

v. 22. God brought them out of Egypt, that occasion being the chief instance when He proved Himself their King, and this mighty work was still going on; he (Israel) hath, as it were, the strength of an unicorn, of the wild ox, which was considered the embodiment of fierceness and indomitable strength.

v. 23. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel; the Israelites were not obliged to resort to any questionable methods of witchcraft, because they had the immediate Revelation of the true God in their midst, who personally led the host and equipped the army with power. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought! that is, whenever it was needed, at the right time, God took care to reveal to His people His counsel and will in His Word.

v. 24. Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, like a lioness setting out to seek food, and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey and drink the blood of the slain. In short, Israel, with the true God on his side, was invincible, for the blessing of Jehovah rested upon him. The words of blessing given Judah, Gen 49:9, were hereby transferred to the whole people.

v. 25. And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all; since Balaam would apparently not curse the people, as Balak sees with indignation, therefore he also should not bless them, that is, he should discontinue his prophetic utterances entirely.

v. 26. But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do? He was still under the influence of the terror of the Lord and must set aside all personal preferences.

v. 27. And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; he still believed that the location and the conditions had something to do with the soothsayer’s power; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

v. 28. And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, a peak in the mountain range which ran parallel to the Jordan and the Dead Sea, that looketh toward Jeshimon, with an unobstructed view over the entire country, also the wilderness.

v. 29. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

v. 30. And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar, still with the idea that his object could be gained, which was, of course, rank foolishness. As the Lord held His sheltering hand over the people of the covenant at that time, so He now lives and reigns in the midst of His congregation, the people of the New Testament. In and with Him the Church is invincible and will conquer all her enemies.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Num 23:14. The field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah Zophim, signifies watchmen; and the field of Zophim seems to have been a plain on the top of the mountain, where watchmen were placed in order to give a signal upon the approach of enemies. See Isa 21:11; Isa 52:8. Pisgah was a very high mountain in the country of Moab, from some parts of which almost the whole extent of Canaan might be seen. Deu 3:27. But Balak, it appears, brought Balaam to that side of it where he could not see much of the camp of Israel. Spencer supposes, that in this place were the obelisks on which they placed the images of the tutelar gods of their country. De Leg. Heb. lib. ii. c. 22.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Pisgah: or, the hill, Num 21:20, Deu 3:27, *marg. Deu 4:49, Deu 34:1, *marg.

built seven: Num 23:1, Num 23:2, Num 23:29, Isa 1:10, Isa 1:11, Isa 46:6, Hos 12:11

Reciprocal: Num 22:40 – General Deu 3:17 – Ashdothpisgah 2Sa 15:12 – while he offered 2Ch 29:21 – seven Job 42:8 – seven bullocks Isa 16:12 – when Mic 6:5 – Shittim Mic 6:6 – with

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge