Mínshùjì 24

1 Bālán jiàn Yēhéhuá xǐhuan cì fú yǔ Yǐsèliè , jiù bú xiàng qián liǎng cì qù qiú fǎshù , què miàn xiàng kuàngyĕ .

2 Bālán jǔmù , kànjian Yǐsèliè rén zhào zhe zhīpaì jūzhù . shén de líng jiù líndào tā shēnshang ,

3 Tā biàn tí qǐ shīgē shuō , Bǐĕr de érzi Bālán shuō , yǎnmù bì zhù ( bì zhù huò zuò zhēng kāi ) de rén shuō ,

4 De tīng shén de yányǔ , de jiàn quánnéng zhĕ de yìxiàng , yǎnmù zhēng kāi ér pú dǎo de rén shuō ,

5 Yǎgè a , nǐde zhàngpéng hédĕng huámĕi . Yǐsèliè a , nǐde zhàngmù hé qí huálì .

6 Rú jiē lián de shān yù , rú hé páng de yuánzi , rú Yēhéhuá suǒ zāi de chénxiāng shù , rú shuǐ bian de xiāng bǎi mù .

7 Shuǐ yào cóng tāde Tǒng lǐ liú chū . zhǒngzǐ yào sǎ zaì duō shuǐ zhī chǔ . tāde wáng bì chāo guō Yàjiǎ . tāde guó bìyào zhènxīng .

8 Shén lǐng tā chū Āijí . tā sìhu yǒu yĕ niú zhī lì . tā yào tūn chī dí guó , zhé duàn tāmende gútou , yòng jiàn shè tòu tāmen .

9 Tā dūn rú gōng shī , wò rú mǔ shī , shuí gǎn rĕ tā , fán gĕi nǐ zhùfú de , yuàn tā mĕng fú . fán zhòuzǔ nǐde , yuàn tā shòu zhòuzǔ .

10 Bā lè xiàng Bālán shēngqì , jiù pāi qǐ shǒu lái , duì Bālán shuō , wǒ zhào nǐ lái wéi wǒ zhòuzǔ chóudí , búliào , nǐ zhè sān cì jìng wéi tāmen zhùfú .

11 Rújīn nǐ kuaì huí bĕn dì qù ba . wǒ xiǎng shǐ nǐ de dà zūnróng , Yēhéhuá què zǔ zhǐ nǐ bùdé zūnróng .

12 Bālán duì bā lè shuō , wǒ qǐbù shì duì nǐ suǒ chāiqiǎn dào wǒ nàli de shǐzhĕ shuō ,

13 Bā lè jiù shì jiàng tā mǎn wū de jīn yín gĕi wǒ , wǒ yĕ bùdé yuèguò Yēhéhuá de méng , píng zìjǐ de xīnyì xíng hǎo xíng dǎi . Yēhéhuá shuō shénme , wǒ jiù yào shuō shénme ,

14 Xiànzaì wǒ yào huí bĕn zú qù . nǐ lái , wǒ gàosu nǐ zhè mín rìhòu yào zĕnyàng dāi nǐde mín .

15 Tā jiù tí qǐ shīgē shuō , Bǐĕr de érzi Bālán shuō , yǎnmù bì zhù ( bì zhù huò zuò zhēng kāi ) de rén shuō ,

16 De tīng shén de yányǔ , míngbai zhìgāo zhĕ de yìzhǐ , kànjian quánnéng zhĕ de yìxiàng , yǎnmù zhēng kāi ér pú dǎo de rén shuō ,

17 Wǒ kàn tā què bú zaì xiàn shí . wǒ wàng tā què bú zaì jìn rì . yǒu xīng yào chūyú Yǎgè , yǒu zhàng yào xīng yú Yǐsèliè , bì dǎpò Móyē de sì jiǎo , huǐhuaì rǎoluàn zhī zǐ .

18 Tā bì déyǐ dōng wéi jīyè , yòu de chóudí zhī dì Xīĕr wéi chǎnyè . Yǐsèliè bì xíngshì yǒnggǎn .

19 Yǒu yī wèi chūyú Yǎgè de , bì zhǎng dà quán . tā yào chúmiĕ chéng zhōng de yú mín .

20 Bālán guānkàn Yàmǎlì , jiù tí qǐ shīgē shuō , Yàmǎlì yuán wéi zhū guó zhī shǒu , dàn tā zhōng bì chénlún .

21 Bālán guānkàn Jīnírén , jiù tí qǐ shīgē shuō , nǐde zhù chǔ bĕn shì jiāngù . nǐde wō chaó zuò zaì yán xué zhōng .

22 Ránér jī ní bì zhì shuāiwēi , zhídào Yàshù bǎ nǐ lǔ qù .

23 Bālán yòu tí qǐ shīgē shuō , āi zāi . shén xíng zhè shì , shuí néng de huó ,

24 Bì yǒu rén chéng chuán cóng Jītí jiè ér lái , kǔhaì Yàshù , kǔhaì Xībǎi . tā yĕ bì zhì chénlún .

25 Yúshì Bālán qǐlai , huí tā bĕn dì qù . bā lè yĕ huí qù le .

Mínshùjì 24 Commentary

Chapter 24

Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel. (1-9) Balak dismisses Balaam in anger. (10-14) Balaam's prophecies. (15-25)

Verses 1-9 Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge which puffs men up with pride, will but serve to light them to hell, whither many go with their eyes open. The blessing is nearly the same as those given before. He admires in Israel, their beauty. The righteous, doubtless, is more excellent than his neighbour. Their fruitfulness and increase. Their honour and advancement. Their power and victory. He looks back upon what had been done for them. Their power and victory. He looks back upon what had been done for them. Their courage and security. The righteous are bold as a lion, not when assaulting others, but when at rest, because God maketh them to dwell in safety. Their influence upon their neighbours. God takes what is done to them, whether good or evil, as done to himself.

Verses 10-14 This vain attempt to curse Israel is ended. Balak broke out into a rage against Balaam, and expressed great vexation. Balaam has a very full excuse; God restrained him from saying what he would have said, and constrained him to say what he would not have uttered.

Verses 15-25 Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of God, yet utterly destitute of the grace of God. He calls God the Most High and the Almighty. No man could seem to express a greater respect to God; yet he had no true fear of him, love to him, nor faith in him; so far a man may go toward heaven, and yet come short of it at last. Here is Balaam's prophecy concerning Him who should be the crown and glory of his people Israel; who is David in the type; but our Lord Jesus, the promised Messiah, is chiefly pointed at, and of him it is an illustrious prophecy. Balaam, a wicked man, shall see Christ, but shall not see him nigh; not see him as Job, who saw him as his Redeemer, and saw him for himself. When he comes in the clouds, every eye shall see him; but many will see him, as the rich man in hell saw Abraham, afar off. He shall come out of Jacob, and Israel, as a Star and a Sceptre; the former denoting his glory and lustre; the latter his power and authority. Christ shall be King, not only of Jacob and Israel, but of all the world; so that all shall be either governed by his golden sceptre, or dashed in pieces by his iron rod. Balaam prophesied concerning the Amalekites and Kenites, part of whose country he had now in view. Even a nest in a rock will not be a lasting security. Here is a prophecy that looks as far forward as to the Greeks and Romans. He acknowledges all the revolutions of states and kingdoms to be the Lord's doing. These events will make such desolations, that scarcely any will escape. They that live then, will be as brands plucked out of the fire. May God fit us for the worst of times! Thus Balaam, instead of cursing the church, curses Amalek the first, and Rome the last enemy of the church. Not Rome pagan only, but Rome papal also; antichrist and all the antichristian powers. Let us ask ourselves, Do we in knowledge, experience, or profession, excel Balaam? No readiness of speech, even in preaching or prayer, no gifts of knowledge or prophecy, are in themselves different from, or superior to the boasted gifts of him who loved the wages of unrighteousness, and died the enemy of God. Simple dependence on the Redeemer's atoning blood and sanctifying grace, cheerful submission to the Divine will, constant endeavours to glorify God and benefit his people, these are less splendid, but far more excellent gifts, and always accompany salvation. No boasting hypocrite ever possessed these; yet the feeblest believer has something of them, and is daily praying for more of them.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 24

In this chapter we are told, that Balaam leaving his enchantments, the Spirit of God came on him, and he spake of the happiness of Israel, and prophesied of their future greatness and glory, Nu 24:1-9 which so exasperated Balak, that he ordered him at once to depart from him, Nu 24:10,11. Balaam justified himself in what he said and did, and suggested that before they parted, he had something to say in a prophetic manner, concerning what Israel should do to Moab in "future" times, Nu 24:12-14 and then prophesies concerning the Messiah, and the destruction of Moab, and of some neighbouring nations, and even of some at a greater distance, as the Assyrians and Romans, Nu 24:15-25.