Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 22:35
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
35 41. At this point the narrative of E , interrupted after Num 22:21, is resumed. Balak went to the border of his territory to meet Balaam. A sacrificial feast was held, and on the next day Balaam was conducted to a point of vantage from which he could see Israel. These verses, however, are not without difficulties; and it is probable that with E have been fused those portions of J which related that Balaam was allowed to proceed to Moab, and that Balak received him on his arrival.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Go with the men – A command, not a permission merely. Balaam, no longer a faithful servant of God, was henceforth overruled in all his acts so that he might subserve the divine purpose as an instrument.
Num 22:26
A city of Moab – Or, Ir-Moab, probably the same with Ar-Moab Num 21:15. As Balaam in his journey would avoid the districts occupied by the Israelites, he must have approached this city from the east, by the course of the Nahaliel; and in the name Balua, still borne by one of the upper branches of this stream, there is perhaps a reminiscence of the name of the prophet.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Go with the men: this may be either,
1. A mere permission; Since neither the convictions of thy own conscience, nor the experience of thy danger, have weaned thee from thy base designs and inclinations, I shall no further restrain thee; my angel shall give thee no more disturbance; go on and prosper. Or,
2. A concession; I allow thee to go upon the following terms; for the words here are more absolute and unconditional than those Num 22:20.
That thou shalt speak: these words may express either,
1. The event; or,
2. His duty. See Poole on “Num 22:20“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, go with the men,…. Which was not a command, but a concession, or rather a permission, leaving him to go if he would, suffering him to follow his own heart’s lusts, and giving him up to them to his own destruction; and besides, it was not his going barely that was displeasing to God, but his going with such a bad intention:
but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak; which expresses not only what he ought to do, but what he should be obliged to do, even to bless the people against his will, when his mind was to curse them, it being for his worldly interest; and therefore it is suggested he had better not go at all, since he never would be able to carry his point, yea, would be brought to shame and confusion before Balak and his nobles: the angel speaking in the same language as God did before to Balaam, Nu 22:20 shows that not a created angel, but a divine Person, is here meant:
so Balaam went with the princes of Balak; whom after this he quickly overtook, or they him, or they met together at some appointed place, and proceeded on in their journey.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
35. And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam. Again this wicked man is ironically permitted to do what could not be carried out without sin. But, as I have said before, he was so conscious of his ungodly covetousness, that he knowingly and wilfully deceived himself, instead of being deceived. At the same time, we must observe that, as Paul calls God’s wisdom “manifold,” (Eph 3:10,) so His will is declared in various ways, as if He were inconsistent with Himself, though it always actually remains the same. Certain it is, that it was a mere pretense of Balaam, that he went at the command or permission of God. Nevertheless, this answer was given him, “Go,” etc. God, indeed, cast derision on the pertinacious folly of this wicked man, and did not approve as proper that which, as far as words went, He permitted; meanwhile, these two things are consistent with each other, that God did not approve what He condemned, and yet chose that it should be done. For, even when He executes His purpose by means of wicked men, He does not prescribe to them that they are to act thus. He willed to require punishment of Solomon by the hands of Jeroboam, and that the impiety of the house of Ahab should have vengeance inflicted upon it by Jehu; and still it was not right of Jeroboam to upset what God had declared, i.e., that the posterity of David should continue upon the throne; and Jehu also, although he had been anointed by the Prophet, still was guilty of a criminal act in seizing the kingdom: inasmuch as nothing but ambition impelled him to it. As far as relates to the history before us, it was His will to prove by the mouth of Balaam how effectual and unchangeable was His determination as to the adoption of the people, whereby His truth and faithfulness might be more conspicuously shewn forth. Nevertheless, Balaam sinned, in that he was attracted, like a hound, by the scent of gain, to sell his curses for money.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(35) Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee . . . The command contained in Num. 22:20 is here repeated, and the unrighteous prophet is punished by being constrained to reap the fruit of his own perversity. It should be observed that here, as elsewhere, the angel who speaks to Balaam identifies himself with Him who sent him: The word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. (Comp. Num. 22:20, where God Himself is represented as delivering to Balaam the same injunction.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
35. Go with the men Since neither the first prohibition of his going (Num 22:12) nor the portents and perils which he had encountered in the way had turned his heart from his wicked purpose, the Lord permitted him to go on in his judicial blindness, till he should stumble over the precipice of ruin. His primal error was in admitting to his breast, through the cursed thirst for gold, the intent to curse Israel. This cherished desire vitiated his repentance, and proved his faint offer to turn back to be hypocritical.
That thou shalt speak “The whole procedure was intended to sharpen his conscience and sober his mind, that he might pay attention to the word which the Lord would speak.” Keil. Thus the immutability of the divine purpose in the adoption of Abraham and his seed is to be more clearly demonstrated through the mouth of a Gentile soothsayer.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Observe, how the LORD determines that Balaam shall speak that word, which is the very reverse of what he intended. That is a striking scripture to the same effect, which shows that men shall be the instruments to accomplish the reverse of their own intentions, Psa 76:10 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Go. Jehovah now overrules the evil for Israel’s good.
men = Hebrew, plural of ‘ish, or ‘enosh. App-14.
only the word. Permission limited.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Go: Num 22:20, Psa 81:12, Isa 37:26-29, 2Th 2:9-12
I shall speak: Num 22:20, Num 22:21
Reciprocal: Num 22:22 – and the angel Num 22:32 – before me Num 23:5 – General Num 23:16 – General Deu 23:5 – Nevertheless Jos 24:10 – General 1Ki 13:18 – an angel 2Ch 18:13 – even what my God
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Num 22:35. Go with the men I allow thee to go upon the following terms. It must have tended to convince the Moabites how much Israel was under the divine protection, to see that Balaam, covetous as he was, and even after such great rewards were set before him, durst not imprecate evil against that people. Only the word that I shall speak, &c. These words may be understood as a prediction, as well as a command; importing that he would find himself unable to pronounce either more or less about Israel than what God would put in his mouth.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
22:35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the {q} word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
(q) Because his heart was evil, his charge was renewed, that he should not pretend ignorance.