Numbers 22:41

41 In the morning Balak took Bil'am and brought him up to the high places of Ba'al; from there he could see a portion of the people.

Numbers 22:41 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:41

And it came to pass on the morrow
The day after the arrival of Balaam at Balak's royal seat, and after the entertainment given him, and the princes, "on the morning" F25 of that day, as the word signifies; and perhaps early in the morning, the king eager to be about business, and get the people of Israel cursed if possible as soon as could be:

that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal;
where groves were planted, and altars erected to that "idol" and which the Targum of Jonathan calls the idol Peor, the same with Baalpeor, ( Numbers 25:3 ) which might be their god Chemosh, the same with Bacchus or Priapus:

that thence he might see the utmost part of the people;
the whole host of Israel, even to the extreme part of it; the camp of Dan, as the Targum of Jonathan, which brought up the rear; he had him to those high places, both that he might have a better view of the whole body of the people, and know how they lay, and to direct his curses at them, and that success might attend the undertaking, these being places of religious worship. Josephus says F26 those high places were sixty furlongs or seven and one half miles from the camp of Israel.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (rqbb) in matutino, Montanus; mane, V. L. Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F26 Antiqu. l. 4. c. 6. sect. 4.

Numbers 22:41 In-Context

39 Bil'am went with Balak. When they arrived at Kiryat-Hutzot,
40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, then sent to Bil'am and the princes with him.
41 In the morning Balak took Bil'am and brought him up to the high places of Ba'al; from there he could see a portion of the people.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.