Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 4 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIIII.
Verſ. 1. HE went not as at other times] As being reſolved to curſe howſoever, and without Gods leave; yea al deſpito di Dio (as that mouth of blaſphemy Pope Juli…s the third, Act. & Mon. fol. 1417.once ſaid in another caſe) to take his own courſe, whatever came of it.
He ſet his face] As fully bent to doe it, and nothing ſhould hinder him; foreign.So our Saviour Chriſt ſtedfaſtly ſet his face to go to Jeruſalem, Luk. 9.51. He ſteeled his forehead againſt all oppoſitions.
Verſ. 2. And the ſpirit of God came upon him] A common ſpirit, Mat. 7.a ſpirit of Prophecy: have not we Propheſied in thy name; ſaid thoſe caſt-awayes. In impiis quandoque ſunt dona Dei, ſine Deo. Pſal. 68.18.God gives gifts to men, yea to the rebellious, for the uſe of his Church. A blind man may beare a torch in his hand, whereby others may receive benefit, though himſelf receive none, ſo here.
Verſ. 3. VVhoſe eyes are open] And therefore can ſpeak it of a certainty: for what is more ſure then ſight? q.d. Iſrael ſhall be bleſſed, and I will ſtand to it. He is bleſſed, yea and he ſhall be bleſſed, Gen. 28.33.
Verſ. 4. Falling into a trance] As was uſuall with the Prophets, Gen. 15. Dan. 8.17, &c. 2 Pet. 1.21. See the Note there; they were carried out of, and beyond themſelves. And ſtill Amor Dei eſt ecſtaticus, neque juris Se ſinit eſſe ſui.—
Verſ. 5. How goodly are thy tents] It fareth with an hypocrite, as with a ſurveyor of lands, that taketh an exact compaſs of other mens grounds, of which he ſhall never enjoy a foot. See Chap. 23.10.
Verſ. 6. As the trees of lign-aloes] An odoriferous ſweet-ſmelling tree, growing in Arabia, which is ſaid to be a country ſo ſweet, that ſwine cannot live in it.
Verſ. 7. His ſeed ſhall be in many waters] He ſhall ſow in locis irriguis, (as men are bid to caſt their bread, their almes upon the Waters, upon the poor, as) upon a well-watered ſoyl▪ (Eccleſ. 11.1.) ſuch as is the land of Egypt, watered by …; which makes the ground ſo fruitful, that they do but throw in the ſeed, and have four rich harveſts in leſs the… …, B…unt's voyage into Le…t.ſaith One that had been there. [He ſhall … King of the Amalekites, who was then … of thoſe parts; and did, haply, think as … that proud Prince of Tyre, Ezek. 28. or, as the great … of …taia; of whom it is reported, that every day, after health …, he cauſeth the trumpets to be ſounded; by that ſign giving leave to other Princes of the earth, to go to dinner.
Verſ. 8. God brought him forth out of Egypt] This he tells Balac, in anſwer to that complaint of his, Chap. 22.5. Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, q.d. Come they …, but not of themſelves, but by God; who ſaid, Out of … have I called my ſon.
Verſ. 9. He lay down as a Lion] See the Note on Gen. 49.9.
And curſed is he] Here the ſorcerer pronounceth a curſe upon himſelf; for he deſired to curſe Iſrael, and therefore in Gods account he did it.
Qui, quia non licuit, non facit, ille facit.Ovid.
Verſ. 10. And he ſmote his hands together] So doth God at the covetous perſon, ſuch as Balaam was, Ezek. 22.13. Behold, I have ſmitten my hands at thy diſhoneſt gain, which thou haſt made, &c.
Verſ. 13. I cannot go beyond] Here was coloured covetouſneſſe, or a cloke of covetouſneſs, 1 Theſſ. 2.5. See the Note there. God lets out the tedder to wicked men for a time, and then calls them back with ſhame enough to their task; lets them have the ball on the foot, till they come almoſt to the goal, and then defeats them of their great hopes; as he did this ſinful couple. Balac had not his will, nor Balaam his wages; God fooled them both; pulling the morſel out of their mouthes, that they had well-nigh dev…ured.
Verſ. 14. I will advertiſe thee] viz. what to do, as he did, Num. 31.16. Paraſites propound to Princes, ſuavia poti…s quam ſana conſilia, pleaſing but peſtilent counſel, and ſo do officiouſly miſchieve them; as the dragon is ſaid to bite the Elephants ear, and there-hence to ſuck his blood; that being the only place, that he cannot reach with his trunk to defend.
Verſ. 16. And knew the knowledg of the moſt High] The eye may be clear, while the hand is palſied. Balaam's great knowledg was but intuitiva, ſtanding in ſpeculation; it was not directiva vitae: he knew but by hear-ſay, as a blind man knows colours; his light ſerved but to light him into utter da…kneſs. Neronis Quantus artifex pereo quadrabit in te peritum, & periturum.
Verſ. 17. I ſhall ſee him] So ſhall every eye, and thoſe alſo that pierced him, Rev. 1.17. but not as Abraham ſaw him, and rejoyced; nor as Job, Chap. 19.25, 27. The pure in heart, only, ſhall ſee him to their comfort; as pure glaſs or Chryſtal lets in the light of the Sun. Some wicked have greater common gifts then the godly; as many metals are brighter and more orient then the heavens; yet as thoſe metals are not ſo fit, either to receive, or convey the light of the Sun; ſo neither are the wicked ſo fit, either to take, or give toothers, the knowledg of ſalvationby the remiſſion of their ſins.
A ſtarre out of Jacob] Jeſus Chriſt the true Morning-Starr, Revel. 22.16. Joh. 1.9. that thoſe Wiſe-men, Matth. 2. had heard of, (probably) either from the Chaldaean Sibyll, or from the Iews in the Babyloniſh captivity; or from this Prophecy of Balaam: for he was an Eaſt-country-man, and uttereth here a very clear and comfortable Prophecy of the Meſſiah, by whom himſelf received no benefit. Cant. 4.12.Thus the Church (Chriſts garden encloſed) may be watered thorow a woodden gutter, the Sun give comfortable light thorough a ſluttiſh window; the field may be well ſowed with a dirty hand; the bell call us to the Church, though it never enter it ſelf, but by the ſound; the Well may yeeld excellent water, though it have much mnd, &c.
And deſtroy all the children of Seth] Heb. unwall; that is, conquer and ſubdue. Chriſt, by thoſe rams-horns, by the fooliſhneſs of preaching, pulls down ſtrong holds, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5.
Verſ. 18. And Edom ſhall be a poſſeſſion] This was, literally, fulfilled in David, 1 Chron. 18.13. Pſal. 60.8. but ſpiritually, and eſpecially in Chriſt, Eſay 63.1, 2, &c. who ſhall ſhortly ſubdue the Romiſh Edomite, 2 Theſſ. 2.8.
Verſ. 19. And ſhall deſtroy him] David in the hiſtory, 1 King. 11.15, 16. Chriſt in the myſtery, Obad. 18. even all the Antichriſtian rout and rabble, Revel. 19.21.
Verſ. 20. Firſt of the Nations] Or, principal; ſee verſ. 7.
Verſ. 21. The Kenites] i. e. The Midianites, Judg. 1.16. & 4.11. mingled among the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 15.6, for whom they are, and fare the worſe; as Hamath did for Damaſcus, Zech. 9.2.
Verſ. 22. Ʋntill Aſhur] Who, together with the Jews, carried captive all the neighbour Nations, Ier. 25.9.
Verſ. 23. Who ſhall live when, &c.] The Aſſyrian (that rod of Gods wrath, that over-flowing ſcourge,) ſhall take all afore him, ſhall bereave millions of their lives; as Caeſar is ſaid to have done: and of Mahomet the firſt, Emperour of the Turks, Turk, hiſt.it is ſtoried, that he had been, in his time, the death of 800000 men.
Verſ. 24. From the coaſt of Chittim] From Greoce and Italy. Thoſe four great Monarchs had their times and their turns; their ruines as well as their riſe.
Verſ. 25. Returned to his place] Homewards he went; but ſtaid amongſt the Midianites, and ſoon after came back to them, to receive money of them, ſaith Chazkuni; when he heard ſay of the plague, which had been in Iſrael, by his counſel: But as Shimei ſought his ſervants, and loſt his life; ſo Balaam, &c.