Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 4 · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII.
Verſ. 1. IN the Plaines of Moab] Once of Moab, then of the Amorites, now of the Iſraelites.] Lands and Lordſhips often change maſters; adeò nihil certi eſt in rebus humanis, &c. In the greatneſs of the Turkiſh Empire is at this day ſwallowed up the name and Empire of the Saracens, the moſt glorious Empire of the Greeks, the renowned Kingdoms of Macedonia, Peloponneſus, Epirus, Bulgaria, Servia, Boſnia, Armenia, Cyprus, Syria, Egypt, Judaea, Tunes, Argeirs, Media, Turk hiſt. Preface.Meſopotamia, with a great part of Hungary, as alſo of the Perſian Kingdom; and (beſides all thoſe famous Churches ſpoken of in Scripture) ſo much in Chriſtendom, as far exceedeth that which is thereof at this day left; yet, no doubt, Time ſhall triumph over this ſo great a Monarchy, when it ſhall but then live by fame, as others now do. It laboureth with nothing more already, then with the weightineſſe of it ſelf.
Verſ. 3. And Moab was diſtreſſed] Or, was irked, fretted, vexed: And yet Moab was allied to Iſrael, eaſed by them of a troubleſome incroaching neighbour Sihon, and aſſured by them, that they would not meddle, or moleſt them. But being of a different religion, they were carried with Satanical malice againſt Gods people, and ſought their ruine. This is the guiſe of graceleſs and abſurd men, acted and agitated by the Devil.
Verſ. 4. Ʋnto the Elders of Midian] Their neighbours and confederates. Theſe are called the Dukes of Sihon, as having been ſubdued by his tyranny, whereof Iſrael had now freed them, and meant them no hurt, Num. 31.8. with Joſh. 13.21.
And Balac the ſon of Zippor] A politick and potent Prince, Mic. 6.5. not more valiant, then vigilant, ingenioſe nequam, wittily wicked.
Verſ. 5. Balaam the ſon of Beor] The Devils Spel-man, as one calls him, a ſooth-ſayer, or ſorcerer, called a Prophet, 2 Pet. 2.16. as falſe-prophets are called Diviners, Jer. 27.9.
Verſ. 6. Peradventure I ſhall prevail] Hence he is ſaid to have warred againſt Iſrael, Joſh. 24.9. He did not, becauſe he durſt not. Sed fieri dicitur, quod tentatur, aut intenditur, ſaith Ribera, on Amos 9.5.
Verſ. 7. With the rewards of divination] Which Jude calls, Jude 11. 2 Pet. 2.15.the wages of wickedneſſe. The Athenians complained▪ that Philip, by his gold, had corrupted the Oracle of Apollo, which now did foreign.
Verſ. 8. As the Lord ſhall ſpeak unto me] Good words and wiſhes, may be found in hells-mouth; as wholſome ſugar may be found in a poiſoned cane; and a ſtone of great vertue in the head of a toad. The French have a berry, which they name, Ʋve de Spine, The grape of a thorn.
Verſ. 9. And God came to Balaam] So he came to Abimelech, to Laban, &c. he never concredited his word to theſe, as he did to the holy Prophets, of whom it is ſaid, The Word of the Lord came to them.
Verſ. 13. For the Lord refuſeth] Like a mercenary, and one that had a moneths-mind to the money, he hides from them that part of the anſwer, that might have kept them off from coming again to him, viz. Thou ſhalt not curſe the people, for they are bleſſed; Auri ſacra fames, &c.
Verſ. 15. And Balac ſent yet again] So unweariable are wicked men, in purſuing and practiſing their evil deſigns. This is check to our dulneſs for the good of our ſouls: Oh how ſoon ſaid and ſated are we! Felix trembles, and yet at the ſame inſtant, covets and expects a bribe from Paul, who had ſome occaſion to expect repentance of Felix.
Verſ. 17. For I will promote thee] Thus Satan tempted our Saviour, Matth. 4.8, 9. and the Pope Luther, offering him a Cardinalſhip, to hold his tongue; and propoſing unto him the example of Aeneas Sylvius, who caſting away his opinions, became Pope; and of Beſſarion of Nice, who of a poor Calover of Trapezond, Hiſt. of Coun. of Trent. 73.became a great renowned Cardinal, and wanted not much of being Pope. But Luther anſwered the meſſenger, Contemptus eſt a me Romanus & favor & furor; I care not for the Popes proffers of any preferment. And when one counſelled to try him with mony, another more wiſe anſwered, Hem, Germana illa beſtia non curat aurum, That Dutch-beaſt cares not for gold. But Balaam was not a man of Luthers make.
Verſ. 18. I cannot go beyond] Intùs Nero, foris Cato: loquitur hic ut Piſo, vivit ut Gallonius: Audi, nemo melius; ſpecta, nemo pejus. A preacher (as Quintillian ſaith of an Oratour) ſhould be Vir bonus dicendi peritus. A well-ſpoken and well-deeded perſon.
Verſ 19. Tarry alſo now this night, &c.] Very loth he was, to forgo ſo fat a morſel. His mouth even watered, his fingers itcht to be dealing with Balac. He therefore detains the meſſenger, and will try again what may be done for them.
Verſ. 20. Riſe up and go] God anſwers him according to the idols of his heart; bids him go, (ſith he was ſet upon't) but at his utmoſt peril: lik as Solomon bids the young man follow the wayes of his own heart; Eccleſ. 11.9.but then followes that ſtinging But.
Verſ. 21. And ſadled his aſſe] Which never runs faſt enough after preferment, till horſe and man and all to the Devil.
Verſ. 22. And Gods anger] Deus ſaepè dat iratus quod negat propitius. … [And his two ſervants were with him] This falſe Prophet rides not without two men. Gods Levite had one man, Judg. 19.11. O let not Miniſters of the Goſpel be ſlaves to others, ſervants to themſelves!
Verſ. 23. And the aſſe ſaw the Angel] Which Balaam ſaw not; his eyes were put out with the duſt of covetouſneſs, or dazeled at leaſt with the glittering of the promiſed promotions.
Verſ. 24. But the Angel] If an Angel ſtand in the way of a ſorcerer's ſin, how much more ready are all thoſe heavenly Spirits to ſtop the miſcarriages of Gods dear children! Surely, as our good endeavours are oft hindered by Satan; ſo are our evil, by good Angels: elſe were not our protection equal to our danger, and we could neither ſtand nor riſe.
Verſ. 27. She fell down under Balaam] And ſo condemned her maſters madneſs, 2 Pet. 2.16. Polybius in his hiſtory ſaith, Whereas Man is held the wiſeſt of all ſublunary creatures, to me he ſeemeth the moſt fooliſh of all other. For whereas other creatures, when they have once ſmarted, will come no more there: (as the Fox returns not raſhly to the ſnare, the Woolf to the pit-fal, the dog to the cudgel, the horſe to the hole where he hath been ſtalked, &c.) ſolus homo ab aevo ad aevum peccat, ferè in iiſdem; Man only falls into the ſame offence and miſchief from day to day, and will not be warned, till he be utterly ruined, as it befell Balaam.
Verſ. 28. And the Lord opened the mouth of the aſſe] Fear not therefore thine own inability and rudeneſs to reply in a good cauſe. There is no mouth, into which God cannot put words; and how oft doth he chuſe the weak to confound the wiſe? … [And ſhe ſaid unto Balaam] The Angel (ſome think) did ſpeak in the Aſſe, as the Devil had done to Eve in the garden.
Verſ. 29. I would there were a ſword] Pity, but a mad-man ſhould have a ſword; how much fitter for him were that rod that Solomon ſpeaks of, Prov. 26.3.
Vrſ. 32. Becauſe thy way is perverſe] Thou art reſolved to curſe howſoever, and not to loſe ſo fair a preferment; which he muſt needs buy at a dear rate, that payes his honeſty for it. Better a great deal lye in the duſt, then riſe by ſuch ill principles. I ſhall ſhut up with that excellent prayer of Zuinglius: Deum Opt. Max. precor, ut vias noſtras dirigat: ac ſicubi ſimus Bileami in morem, veritati pertinaciter obluc…at…ri, a…gelum ſuum opponat, Zuing. epiſt. lib. tertio.qui machae, … ſuoe minis … aſinum (inſci…am…t audaciam dico noſtram) ſic ad ma…criam aſſligat, ut fraclum pedem, hoc eſt, impurum illicitumque carnis ſenſum, auferamus▪ ne ultra blaſphememus nomen Domini Dei noſtri.