Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 23:26
But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
26. All that the Lord speaketh, thatI must doa remarkable confession that he was divinelyconstrained to give utterances different from what it was his purposeand inclination to do.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, told not I thee,…. He appeals to him for his honesty and faithfulness, for honest and faithful he would be thought to be, both to God and man; that when he first met him, he plainly told him what he must expect: from him:
saying, all that the Lord speaketh, that I must do; which was very true, he was obliged to do as he had bid him, and speak what he had said unto him, though it was sore against his will; he would fain both have spoken and done otherwise, if he might have been permitted.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
26. But Balaam answered and said. The mercenary prophet here confesses that he has no more power of himself to be silent than to speak. Nor is there any doubt but that he would excuse himself with servility to the proud king, to whom he would willingly have sold himself; as if, in his desire to avert the odium and blame from himself, he would state that he was carried away against his will by the Divine afflatus. At the same time he throws back the blame on Balak himself, who, though warned in time, had still foolishly sent to fetch him. The rest I have already expounded.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Num 23:26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?
Ver. 26. That I must do. ] Though with no goodwill. Devils and wicked men do God’s will; but oft full sore against their own.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 23:12, Num 23:13, Num 22:18, Num 22:38, Num 24:12, Num 24:13, 1Ki 22:14, 2Ch 18:13, Act 4:19, Act 4:20, Act 5:29
Reciprocal: Num 22:20 – but yet Num 23:17 – What
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
AN UNWILLING SERVANT OF GOD
But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?
Num 23:26
I. With all the favourable traits which may be noticed in the character of Balaam, the features of his besetting sin are plainly marked.The power of money over Him seems to have been known, and so when he refused to come, Balak hoped to overcome his scruples by the bribe of great promotion. And the prophets conduct well justified these expectations. He feared God so far that he dared not rebel directly against His will; but he was so much in love with the worlds gauds and honours and wealth, that he was ever trying to humour his conscience to bend the line of right to the line of seeming interest. He thought to secure this world and the next; he lost both: he had too much truth to secure the rewards of Balak; he had too little truth to escape the wrath of God.
II. The lesson to be learned from such a character is surely plain for us.Balaams character is that of the half-hearted Christian. He makes a partial and unwilling sacrifice. He is, like Balaam, an uncertain, irresolute, wavering man, with many better principles and feelings, but with an undergrowth of evil which he will not utterly root out.
III. From the history of Balaam we learn: (1) the importance to each one of us of being indeed earnest Christians, of giving to God our hearts and our affections; (2) the importance of striving to subdue wholly every separate sin to which we are tempted; (3) the great need we have of seeking earnestly from God the gift of a sincere heart.
Bishop S. Wilberforce.
Illustration
Note the subtilty of the temptation which overcame him. There was the dream of avarice; but still more of power and ambition. Balak touched a powerful chord when he said (ver. 17), I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me. To leave his narrow sphere by the Euphrates, to become the first man in a powerful people, to be courted and respected and to have the opportunitywho knows but even this may have entered his planof raising this people to a knowledge of the true Godthese were some of the plausible reflections by which plain duty became distorted. And no doubt Balaam went, saying oft to himself, Only the word that the Lord gives unto me will I speak, neither more or less. So when a young person begins even to turn over in his mind the alternative to plain duty, he soon finds many specious arguments. He will go with this set of evil companions. Who knows but he may even elevate their toneand so conscience is honeyed over with fine resolves. But the fact remains. Gods anger was kindled because he went.