Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 23:4
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [every] altar a bullock and a ram.
God met Balaam – God served His own purposes through the arts of Balaam, and manifested His will through the agencies employed to seek it, dealing thus with Balaam in an exceptional manner. To Gods own people auguries were forbidden Lev 19:26.
I have prepared seven altars – And therefore Balaam expected that God on His part would do what was desired by the donor; compare Num 22:15 note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
God met Balaam, not to comply with Balaams charms, nor to gratify, but to oppose, his wicked desires, and to fierce him against his own inclination and interest to utter the following words.
A bullock and a ram, which I pray thee accept, and give me leave to curse thy people, as their abundant wickedness deserves.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-6. God met Balaamnot incompliance with his incantations, but to frustrate his wicked designsand compel him, contrary to his desires and interests, to pronouncethe following benediction [Nu23:8-10].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And God met Balaam,…. Not in a kind and gracious manner; not out of any respect to him and his offerings; not to indulge him with any spiritual communion with him; nor to communicate his mind and will to him as a friend of his; not to gratify his desires, and grant the request of the king of Moab, or to smile upon and succeed the scheme that they had concerted; but for the sake of his people Israel, to counterwork the designs of their enemies; to blast and confound them, and turn their curses into blessings; and particularly to oblige Balaam to bless the people he was so desirous of cursing for the sake of gain:
and he said unto him; in a bragging boasting way, in order to gain his favour, and carry his point:
I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram: that is, to him the Lord; for had they been offered to Baal, he could never have had the nerve to have spoken of them to God; and which he could never have proposed as a reason why he should be regarded by him, or expect on account of them any favour from him: and indeed these altars and sacrifices were not at his expense, though they were prepared and offered at a motion of his; nor were they offered in a right manner, nor with a right end, nor from a right principle, and were far from being acceptable unto God, yea, were abominable unto him; see Pr 21:27.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“ And God came to meet Balaam,” who thought it necessary, as a true hariolus, to call the attention of God to the altars which had been built for Him, and the sacrifices that had been offered upon them. And God made known His will to him, though not in a natural sign of doubtful signification. He put a very distinct and unmistakeable word into his mouth, and commanded him to make it known to the king.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
4. And God met Balaam. It is wonderful that God should have determined to have anything in common with the pollutions of Balaam; since there is no communion between light and darkness, and He detests all association with demons; but, however hateful to God the impiety of Balaam was, this did not prevent Him from making use of him in this particular act. This meeting him, then, was by no means a proof of His favor, as if he approved of the seven altars, and sanctioned these superstitions; but as He well knows how to apply corrupt instruments to His use, so by the mouth of this false prophet, He promulgated the covenant, which He had made with Abraham, to foreign and heathen nations.
In truth, he boasts of his seven altars, as if he had duly propitiated God. Thus do hypocrites arrogantly trust that they deserve well of God, when they do but provoke His anger. God, however, passes over this corrupt worship, and proceeds with what He had determined; for He sends Balaam to be a proclaimer and witness of the sureness of His grace towards His chosen people. He supplies, indeed, His servants with what they speak, and controls their tongues; for neither would they be sufficient to think anything, unless the ability were bestowed by Him; and no one can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Still the holy Prophets were in suchwise organs of the Spirit, that they gave forth from the heart the treasures which God had deposited with them. In this view, Jeremiah says that he “did eat the words of God,” (Jer 15:16😉 and Ezekiel, that he ate the roll on which his prophecies were written. (Eze 3:1.) For we must not conceive an inspiration ( ἐνθουσιασμὸς) such as that by which the heathens supposed their diviners to be carried away, so that the heavenly afflatus transported them, or threw them into ecstasies; but rather did that take place in them, which David declares of himself: “I believed, therefore have I spoken,” (Psa 116:10 🙂 and God illuminated their senses before He guided their tongues. The case of Balaam was different, whose mind was alienated while he delivered the words which were put into his mouth. (156)
(156) Addition in Fr.; “comme une pie en cage, ainsi qu’on dit;” like pie in a cage, as they say.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
4. God met Balaam Not in the flight of birds or in any natural sign of doubtful signification, but by a distinct and unequivocal message which he was commanded to declare to Balak. This was done, not for the sake of Balak, but for the good of Israel. Where his people are concerned God may direct the result of a pagan divination. Eze 21:19-23.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Num 23:4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [every] altar a bullock and a ram.
Ver. 4. I have prepared seven altars. ] He boasts of his devotions, and so thinks to demerit God’s favour. So those hypocrites in Isaiah. Isa 58:3 Non sic deos coluimus, ut ille nos vinceret, We have not so served the gods, as that the enemy should have the better of us, said the Emperor Antonius, the philosopher.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
God. Hebrew. ‘Elohim. See App-4.
met: in a hostile sense. Hebrew. karah.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
God: Num 23:16, Num 22:9, Num 22:20
I have prepared: Num 23:1, Isa 58:3, Isa 58:4, Mat 20:12, Luk 18:12, Joh 16:2, Rom 3:27, Eph 2:9
Reciprocal: Exo 3:18 – met 1Ki 13:11 – an old prophet 2Ki 10:16 – Come with me 1Ch 15:26 – bullocks
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
23:4 And God {b} met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [every] altar a bullock and a ram.
(b) Appeared to him.