Numeri 22:35

35 E l’angelo dell’Eterno disse a Balaam: "Va’ pure con quegli uomini; ma dirai soltanto quello che io ti dirò". E Balaam se ne andò coi principi di Balak.

Numeri 22:35 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:35

And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, go with the men,
&c.] Which was not a command, but a concession, or rather a permission, leaving him to go if he would, suffering him to follow his own heart's lusts, and giving him up to them to his own destruction; and besides, it was not his going barely that was displeasing to God, but his going with such a bad intention:

but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak;
which expresses not only what he ought to do, but what he should be obliged to do, even to bless the people against his will, when his mind was to curse them, it being for his worldly interest; and therefore it is suggested he had better not go at all, since he never would be able to carry his point, yea, would be brought to shame and confusion before Balak and his nobles: the angel speaking in the same language as God did before to Balaam, ( Numbers 22:20 ) shows that not a created angel, but a divine Person, is here meant:

so Balaam went with the princes of Balak;
whom after this he quickly overtook, or they him, or they met together at some appointed place, and proceeded on in their journey.

Numeri 22:35 In-Context

33 e l’asina m’ha visto ed è uscita di strada davanti a me queste tre volte; se non fosse uscita di strada davanti a me, certo io avrei già ucciso te e lasciato in vita lei".

34 Allora Balaam disse all’angelo dell’Eterno: "Io ho peccato, perché non sapevo che tu ti fossi posto contro di me sulla strada; e ora, se questo ti dispiace, io me ne ritornerò".

35 E l’angelo dell’Eterno disse a Balaam: "Va’ pure con quegli uomini; ma dirai soltanto quello che io ti dirò". E Balaam se ne andò coi principi di Balak.

36 Quando Balak udì che Balaam arrivava, gli andò incontro a Jr-Moab che è sul confine segnato dall’Arnon, alla frontiera estrema.

37 E Balak disse a Balaam: "Non t’ho io mandato con insistenza a chiamare? perché non sei venuto da me? non son io proprio i grado di farti onore?"