Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 24:12
And Balaam said unto Balak, Spoke I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
And Balaam said unto Balak,…. In order to mitigate his wrath, and bring him into a better temper:
spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me: those that came to him a second time; for to the first he said nothing of what is after related, but to the last he did much the same as he had afterwards said to Balak himself: saying,
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But Balaam reminds him, on the other hand, of the declaration which he made to the messengers at the very outset (Num 22:18), that he could not on any account speak in opposition to the command of Jehovah, and then adds, “ And now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will tell thee advisedly what this people will do to thy people at the end of the days.” , to advise; here it denotes an announcement, which includes advice. The announcement of what Israel would do to the Moabites in the future, contains the advice to Balak, what attitude he should assume towards Israel, if this people was to bring a blessing upon his own people and not a curse. On “ the end of the days,” see at Gen 49:1.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
12. And Balaam said unto Balak. Balaam speaks the truth, indeed, yet in a bad spirit, as we have seen: for he excuses himself with servility (171) to Balak, that it did not depend on himself that he did not comply with his wishes, but that God had stood in the way. For he grieves at the loss of his reward; and however grandly he may declaim on the supremacy of God, he still signifies that he has rather acted upon compulsion than willingly executed what was enjoined upon him. By “the word (sermonem) of Jehovah,” (172) he means not only His decree, but what had been dictated to him, and which he would have still greatly desired to alter; but he indicates that he was bound by the power of the Spirit to declare, even against his own will, whatever revelation he received. Thus the word “do” refers to his tongue, or his charge as a prophet; since he had not been hired by Balak to perform any manual act, but only to injure the people by his words. The word “heart” (173) is contrasted with the revelation of the Spirit; for impostors are said to speak out of their own heart, when they falsely make use of God’s name to cover their own inventions. He, therefore, declares that he was not at liberty to speak “of his own heart,” because he was the minister of the Spirit.
(171) “II fait le chien couchant.” — Fr.
(172) “The commandment of the Lord.” — A. V.
(173) “Of mine own mind.” — A. V.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
12. Spake I not Balaam shows that his conduct has been consistent from the beginning of his relations to Balak by quoting his response to the second embassy. See Num 22:18, note.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not speak also to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yahweh, to do either good or bad of my own mind. What Yahweh says, that will I speak?”
But Balaam replied equally strongly and reminded him that he had done nothing other than he had said he would do. He had said from the beginning that even if Balak gave him his treasure house stocked to the brim, he would not go beyond the word of Yahweh. He would not, nay could not, do good or bad in his own mind. It was not within his ability to do so. He was not the master of the gods, he was their interpreter. He could only say what Yahweh had said to him. (He would have made the same reply to a Babylonian king about Marduk. His view was that he dealt with ‘gods’ and even though he did try to influence their decisions, and had ways of doing so, in the end simply brought the message that they gave, and was in no position to force them if they did not respond as he wanted. All he could do was keep trying).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Reader! observe the temporizing conduct of Balaam. He doth in effect say by this apology, that he would gladly have obliged Balak, had he dared. But we have authority to make a larger comment upon Balaam’s conduct on this occasion, and to observe, that this time-serving wretch actually taught Balak, that there was but one method by which he could ruin Israel in the favour of GOD, and thereby preserve his own people from ruin; and that was by tempting them to idolatry. If the Reader will consult, Rev 2:14 , he will there learn this unquestionable truth from the word of the LORD JESUS himself. And if he will after this consult Num 25:3-4 , he will there behold how sadly the poisonous advice of this impious character operated. Alas! what are even the LORD’S Israel, except upheld by the GOD of Israel.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 22:18, Num 22:38
Reciprocal: Num 23:26 – General