Numeri 22:7

7 Und die Ältesten von Moab und die Ältesten von Midian zogen hin mit dem Wahrsagerlohn in der Hand. Und sie kamen zu Bileam und redeten zu ihm die Worte Balaks.

Numeri 22:7 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:7

And the elders of Moab, and the elders of Midian, departed,
&c.] By which it appears that they were princes and nobles; for such the elders were, that were sent on this errand to Balaam; and that they were some of both people, Midian and Moab, that went upon it, see ( Numbers 22:14 ) which shows, that if they were not one people, under one king, which yet seems likely, nevertheless they made a common cause of it, and joined in this expedient to save their country:

with the rewards of divination in their hands;
not that diviners were sent along with them to Balsam, as Aben Ezra interprets it, that he might not deceive them, and put them off, by saying it was not a fit and proper day or hour to go out and curse, which these men would be able to refute; but if they were skilled in the art of divination as well as he, what need was there to send to him, when they had such at hand? nor instruments of divination, as Jarchi, which so famous a soothsayer could not be thought to be without; but, as we rightly render it, the rewards of divination, which were either fixed or left to the generosity of those that had recourse to such persons, and were presents which they brought them, in order to engage them to use the utmost of their art for them; and this sense is confirmed by the Apostles Peter and Jude, see ( 2 Peter 2:15 ) ( Jude 1:11 ) :

and they came unto Balaam;
at Pethor:

and spake unto him the words of Balak:
told him the errand they were sent on to him by the king of Moab.

Numeri 22:7 In-Context

5 Und er sandte Boten zu Bileam, dem Sohne Beors, nach Pethor, das am Strome ist, in das Land der Kinder seines Volkes, um ihn zu rufen, und er ließ ihm sagen: Siehe, ein Volk ist aus Ägypten gezogen; siehe, es bedeckt die Fläche des Landes, und es liegt mir gegenüber.

6 Und nun, komm doch, verfluche mir dieses Volk, denn es ist stärker als ich. Vielleicht gelingt es mir, daß wir es schlagen und ich es aus dem Lande vertreibe; denn ich weiß, wen du segnest, der ist gesegnet, und wen du verfluchst, der ist verflucht.

7 Und die Ältesten von Moab und die Ältesten von Midian zogen hin mit dem Wahrsagerlohn in der Hand. Und sie kamen zu Bileam und redeten zu ihm die Worte Balaks.

8 Und er sprach zu ihnen: Übernachtet hier diese Nacht, und ich werde euch Antwort bringen, so wie Jehova zu mir reden wird. Und die Fürsten von Moab blieben bei Bileam.

9 Und Gott kam zu Bileam und sprach: Wer sind diese Männer bei dir?