1324 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said unto them, lodge here this night,.... Which shows that he was at once inclined to do their business for them, and would readily engage in it if he could be permitted; and it looks as if it was in the night season that he got knowledge of things, either in dreams, or by familiar spirits, or by consulting the stars, or other methods used...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And God came unto Balaam,.... In a dream very probably, as he did to Abimelech and Laban, Genesis 20:3: and said, what men are these with thee? who lodged with him that night. This he said, not as ignorant who they were, or from whence they came, or what they came about; but in order to lead on to a discourse with Balaam, and to have from him the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Balaam said unto God,.... In answer to the question he put to him: Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me; these men, and a message by them: saying; as follows.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt,.... In this, and the following part of the verse, he faithfully and punctually relates the words of Balak to him by his messengers, as well knowing he could not deceive the omniscient God, or hide anything from him, though he could deceive men; and conceal the truth from them, to serve a purpose; [See...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And God said unto Balaam, thou shalt not go with them,.... Which is a denial of the first thing Balak requested, "come now, therefore", c. Numbers 22:6 thou shall not curse the people which was the principal thing desired, and in order to which he was solicited to go with the messengers; but this is absolutely forbidden: for they are blessed; by...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Balaam rose up in the morning,.... With the impression of the dream upon his mind, and of what had passed between God and him in it: and said unto the princes of Balak; which shows what the elders were that were sent, of what honour and dignity, and may include both those of Moab and of Midian: get you into your land; as soon as you can; set...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the princes of Moab rose up,.... And the princes of Midian also, immediately, without entering into a parley with him, to persuade him to go with them; perceiving by his answer that it would be to no purpose, and that he was determined to do as the Lord directed him: and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us; as...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Balak sent yet again princes more, and more honourable than they. More in number, and greater in quality, princes of the first rank in his court; supposing that Balaam thought he was not treated with respect enough, they being princes of the meaner sort, and but few, that were sent unto him before, which he imagined was the reason, at least...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they came to Balaam,.... Though men of such rank and dignity, they did not decline the embassy, being sent by their king; nor did they think it below them to wait upon this soothsayer: and said unto him, thus saith Balak the son of Zippor; representing their master, and addressing the diviner in his name, as his ambassadors; at the same time...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For I will promote thee unto very great honour,.... In his court, by making him some great officer there, perhaps his prime minister; so that as before he laid a bait for his covetousness, sending him large presents, and rewards of divination; here, for his pride and ambition, promising him court preferment; though Aben Ezra interprets it of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Balaam answered, and said unto the servant's of Balak,.... Who were not only princes of the land, but officers of state in the court of Balak: if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more; which is well spoken, had it been from his heart: he speaks very...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night,.... As the former messengers had; this shows his strong inclination to go along with them, and do what was desired of him, could he be permitted; otherwise he might and ought to have told the messengers at once that Balak needed not to have given himself and them so much trouble, since it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord came unto Balaam at night,.... As before, Numbers 22:9 it may be in a dream; the Targum of Jonathan is as there, "a word came from the Lord:'' and said unto him, if the men come and call thee, rise up, and go with them; this was said, as some think, not seriously, but sarcastically, or rather in an angry manner, bidding him go, if he...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Balaam rose up in the morning,.... Early, not waiting for the call of the princes, which showed how eager he was to be gone, and how intent upon the journey: and saddled his ass; which, if he did himself, as Jarchi suggests, this is a further proof of the haste he was in; though, as he had two servants with him, it is more likely that they did...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And God's anger was kindled because he went,.... Though he had given him leave to go; but then it was upon condition that the princes called him to go with them, whereas he went without their call, and did not wait for it; and besides, he did not acquaint them, as he did not the messengers before, of what God had said, that he should not curse...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,.... Which Balaam did not; his eyes being held from seeing him by the power and providence of God, that he might be reproved and rebuked by his ass, to whom God gave power to see, more than to him, as Jarchi notes, so that he had little reason to boast of his visions and revelations, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyard,..... Which were in the field into which the ass went, and before Balaam could turn her back she got into a narrow path, between the vineyards, as the Targum of Jonathan; a footpath which lay between them, or a footpath where foxes ran and had their holes, who used to lie near vineyards and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord,.... In the same position as before, with a drown sword in his hand, and being frightened again, and in a narrow path, and no way to turn aside: she thrust herself unto the wall; to one of the walls, as close as she could, in order to get by the angel: and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; running...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place,.... More narrow than the other, at a further distance: where was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the left; it was so strait and close a place that the angel filled the whole breadth of it, that there was no passing him; so that there was no getting forward nor...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord,.... The third time; for it seems that he was not always in sight, but disappeared as he removed from place to place, and at every new place where he stood the ass saw him, though her master did not: she fell down under Balaam; upon her knees on the ground, not being able to go backwards nor forwards, nor...