Numbers 22:20
Read Numbers 22:20 Using Other Translations
What does Numbers 22:20 mean?
And the Lord came unto Balaam at night
As before, ( Numbers 22:9
) it may be in a dream; the Targum of Jonathan is as there,
``a word came from the Lord:''and said unto him, if the men come and call thee, rise up, and go with
them;
this was said, as some think, not seriously, but sarcastically, or rather in an angry manner, bidding him go, if he would; so giving him up to his own heart's lusts, or, at most; only permitting him to go with them, but not to curse Israel; and this permission to go seems to be on this condition, if the princes first called him, and were urgent on him to go with them: this was a trial of Balaam, whether he would be eager and forward to go, or patiently wait until he should be called; or the words may be rendered, "seeing", or because F7,
they are come to call thee: but yet the word which I shall
say unto
thee, that shall thou do;
whether he would or not, he should be forced to do it, as Jarchi;
and therefore go not with any intention to curse Israel, which
shall never be done; wherefore to go would be vain and fruitless,
since he would never be able to answer the design of Balak: but
still Balaam hoped, it not being so fully and clearly expressed
as before, that he should not curse Israel; that God would say
something else unto him, though he had no reason at all for it,
but all the reverse; so blinded was he with a greedy desire of
riches and honour.
F7 (Ma) "quandoquidem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Noldius, p. 88. & Ainsworth.
