Numbers 22:14-24

14 And the lordes of Moab rose vpp and went vnto Balac and sayed Balam wolde not come with vs.

15 And Balac sent agayne a greatter companye of lordes ad more honorable than they.

16 And they came to Balam and tolde him: Thus sayeth Balac the sonne of Ziphor: oh let nothynge lett the to come vnto me

17 for I will greatly promote the vnto great honoure ad will doo whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me come therfore I praye the curse me this people.

18 And Balam answered and sayed vnto the servauntes of Balac: Yf Balac wolde geue me his housfull of syluer and golde I can goo no further than the worde of the Lorde my god to do lesse or moare.

19 Neuerthelesse tarye ye here all nyghte: that I maye wete what the Lorde will saye vnto me once moare.

20 And God came to Balam by nyghte and sayed vnto him: Yf the men come to fett the ryse vppe and goo with them: but what I saye vnto the that onlye thou shalt doo.

21 And Balam rose vppe early and sadelde his asse and went with the lordes of Moab

22 But God was angrye because he went. And the angell of the Lorde stode in the waye agenste hym. And he ryd vppon hys asse and two seruauntes with him.

23 And when the asse sawe the angell of the Lorde stonde in the waye and his swerde drawen in his hande she turned a syde oute of the waye and went out in to the felde. And Balam smote the asse to turne her in to the waye.

24 And the angell of the Lorde went and stode in a path betwene the vyneyardes where was a wall on the one syde and another on the other.

Numbers 22:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 22

The children of Israel being come into the plains of Moab, put the king of Moab into a panic, who expressed his fears to the elders of Midian, Nu 22:1-4 and sent for Balaam the soothsayer to curse the people of Israel, but he, upon consulting the Lord refused to come, Nu 22:5-14, on which the king of Moab sent to him a second time, making large promises of preferment to him, and who at this time got leave from the Lord to go with the messengers, Nu 22:15-21, but was met with in the way by an angel of the Lord, who would have slain him had it not been for his ass, of which a very wonderful revelation is given, Nu 22:22-35, and the chapter is closed with the interview between Balak king of Moab and Balaam, and an account of what passed between them, and what was done by them, Nu 22:36-41.