Numbers chapter 24
24:1 Saw that it pleased...went not, as at other times, to seek for enhancements: He had not perceived the "angel
of the Lord" standing in the way, but he now perceived his enhancements were of no avail. At other times
expresses what had been his habit, which extends to his life-style, not just the first two times in this account.
24:2 And the spirit of God came upon him: Previously God had put a word in Balaam's mouth (23:5, 16). This
phase in verse 2 is not just a stylistic variation, but suggests that this time Balaam fell into a trance as verses 3
and 4 indicate.
24:3 This parable is actually and "oracle." With a different division of the Hebrew letters translated here as open,
the translation "whose eye is perfect" (i.e., true) may be read.
24:4 The falling indicates a supernaturally induced state with his "eyes uncovered." The Spirit was mentioned in
verse 2, indication the source of his revelation. The first two oracles were theological statements about God's
relationship to Israel and what He has done for them already, but now the subsequent oracles include visionary
predictions of Israel's future settlement in Canaan, the rise of the monarchy, and victories over specific foes.
24:5-9 Their future settlement is compared to that of trees, even ceder trees, which do not grow by rivers. Water is
symbolic of fruitfulness, either fertility of the land from rain, or the growing population as the result of accelerated
birth rate. They will multiply further (Genesis 17:5, 6). The theme of a king is introduced (Genesis 17:6, 16; 35:11).
Agag was a king of the Amalekites (Exodus 17:14-16; 1 Samuel 15:8).
24:14-19 Balaam's last four oracles (verses 15-24) really continue the third (verses 3-9). Verse 15 is like verses 3
and 4. This concerns the distant future as the latter days indicates. It may mean simply "the future" (Jeremiah
23:20), but also the "final days" (Isaiah 2:2; Daniel 8:19). Primarily these oracles refer to the royal triumphs in the
period of the early monarchy, but these victories prefigure the greater conquests of Christ at His first and second
advents. A Star: This can be used metaphorically for a king (Revelation 22:16). That a king is meant is confirmed
by a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, a scepter being part of the royal insignia (Genesis 49:10; Psalm 45:6; Amos
1:5, 8). Shall smite the corners of Moab: The word corners is best understood as "the head" or "skull" (Jeremiah
48:45 and Samaritan Pentateuch). The king of Israel would conquer the neighboring countries, Moab, Sheth (most
likely Shut), Edom, Seir, Amalek, and the Kenites (verses 20, 21).
24:23, 24 Beginning in verse 20, Balaam adds three short cryptic oracles dealing with the fate of other nations.
They bring the total number to seven. If Israel's enemies were destroyed, her future would be secure. David
subdued the Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, and the Philistines (2 Samuel 8), but the subjugation was only
temporary; thus many of the later prophets contain oracles against these same countries. And the great royal
Psalm 110 contains many verbal parallels with Numbers 24:15-19, indicating the latter's importance.
Numbers chapter 25
25:1-5 Shittim was the last encampment of Israel before crossing the Jordan (Joshua 2:1). Commit whoredom: This
has both a physical and a spiritual sense. Prostitution was a common feature of Canaanite religion; through it
some of the Israelites were allured to participate in pagan sacrifices and bowed down to their gods. They called:
The verb is feminine, referring to the women of Moab. Balaam advised this (31:16) in order to compromise Israel,
whom he could not curse (Revelation 2:14). Baal-peor: This shrine was dedicated to Baal of Peor and may have
been the place where Balaam delivered his final oracle (23:28). Baal was the Canaanite fertility god, whose
worship consistently caused problems in Israel (Judges 2:13; 1 Kings 18; 2 Kings 17:16; Jeremiah 2:8). By
participating in this cult, they flagrantly repudiated the essential heart of the covenant, total and exclusive
allegiance to the Lord. Thus a severe plague broke out, killing 24,000 people (verse 9; Exodus 32:25).
25:10;15 He was zealous for my sake: Phinehas executed the sinner, expressing so clearly and visibly God's own
anger through his deed that God's wrath was turned away. He made an atonement for the children of Israel: He
was rewarded with the promise that the high priesthood would always remain in his family (1 Chronicles 6:4ff).
Numbers chapter 26
26:1-65 The previous census had a military purpose: to record all those men aged 20 or over who were fit for
military service (1:3), and so does this census (26:2). This was appropriate since a campaign against Midian had
just been announced (25:16-18), and the conquest of Canaan was imminent. But there was a more important
reason for this census: to determine the relative size of the tribes, so they should each receive a proportionate
share of territory in the Promised Land (verses 52-56).
Chapters 1 and 3 give the total number of men in each tribe, whereas chapter 26 give these totals and also lists
the families or clans that make up each tribe. There are extra details supplied in this census about the clans and
their forefathers to help serve as a reminder that the cause of the great multiplication of the children of Israel goes
back to the promise to the patriarchs in Genesis 12:2; 26:24; and 46:3. In verse 33 the daughters of Zelophehad
are mentioned, and their legal problems are dealt with in chapters 27 and 36.
Numbers chapter 27
27:11 Zelophehad had no sons, and under the traditional law his inheritance would, on his death, be transferred to
his nearest relative, and thus the land would be kept within the family. The order of closeness in given in verses 9
and 10 (Leviticus 25:48, 49). His daughters challenged this accepted practice, pleading it would lead to their
father's name being forgotten (verse 4), and their plea was accepted (verses 7, 8). But this would also cause
problems, for if they married they would take the family land with them under a new name, thus destroying their
father's estate. So chapter 36 deals with this issue. Their request demonstrated their faith in the divine promises of
inheriting the land and occupying it very soon. They were not like their father, who evidently had sided with the
skeptical spies, but died in his own sin (verse 3; 26:64, 65).
27:21 Urim: Joshua discovered God's will through these means, as opposed to Moses who spoke to God "face to
face."
Numbers chapters 28 & 29
28:1-29:40 Some of the material discussed here has already been dealt with earlier, such as the daily morning
and evening sacrifices (Exodus 29:38-41); and how they are to be performed (Leviticus 1-7); the different festivals
(Leviticus 23); the cereal offerings and libations that accompany animal sacrifices (chapter 15). In Numbers 28 and
29, the type and number of sacrifices that must be offered on every day of the year by the priests for the nation as
a whole are presented. Actually these chapters list the minimum number of sacrifices that could be offered in one
year; sacrifices initiated by laymen due to sin, impurity, vows, or any other reason were additional to those listed
here (29:39). Here again the giving of these laws acted as a strong affirmation of the promise to Joshua and the
rest of the people--getting into the Promised Land.
The sacrifices were arranged according to their frequency: first came the daily burnt offerings (28:2-8); second,
the weekly Sabbath offering (28:9, 10); third, the monthly offerings (28:11-15); finally the annual offerings
arranged in chronological sequence (28:16-29:38).
Numbers chapter 30
30:1-16 Vows were often uttered in the times of crisis: Genesis 28:20-22; Numbers 21:2; Judges 11:30, 31; 1
Samuel 1:11; 14:24; Jonah 1:16; 2:9; Acts 18:18; 21:23; 23:12-14. But when the crisis passed and the prayer was
answered, there was the temptation for a man to forget the vow (Deuteronomy 23:21-23 and Ecclesiastes 5:4 warn
against this).
30:1, 2 The principle is that he cannot break his word. The law mentions two types of vow: the vow (neder) and the
bond ('issar). The former term is the more common, and here at least means a vow to do something positive such
as offering a sacrifice, whereas 'issar is a vow of abstinence, a self-imposed fast (1 Samuel 14:24; Psalm 132:2-5).
30:3-16 A vow made by a woman could be invalidated by her father (in the case of an unmarried daughter) or by
her husband (in the case of a wife). A widow or divorced woman was responsible for her own vows (verse 9). If the
husband holds his peace (keeps silent), then this indicates consent. The clear implication of these laws is that a
wife's duty to submit to her husband was comparable to the child's duty to obey his parents (verses 3-5). Neither
wives nor children could substituted self-imposed religious obligations for God-given duties.
Numbers chapter 31
31:1-54 Midianites comprised a part of a large confederation of tribes and were often associated with many
smaller groups of people like the Ishmael, Moabites, Amalekites, and Ephah. here the reference is to those
associated with Moab (verses 8, 16; chapters 22 and 25), not the whole group. The decimation of Midianites
fulfilled the divine command given in 25:16-18 and cited again in 31:2. It also looks forward to the conquest of the
Canaanites, who were to be treated in like manner (21:2-4, 32). Also the distribution of the spoils among warriors,
people priests, and Levites served as a model for the big campaign to Palestine (verse 54).
31:1-12 This is pictured as the Lord's day of vengeance for the Midianites' seduction of Israel in 25:1-13. Adultery
carried the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22); and that is what they had cause in relation to
Israel, spiritual and physical adultery from Yahweh. Balaam was killed with the sword.
31:13-18 Only the virgins of the women were allowed to survive and probably were allowed to marry Israelite
warriors (Deuteronomy 21:10-14).
31:19-24 Every soldier and every thing had to be purified. The former was purified with the water mixed with the
ashes of the red heifer (19:2), and the latter by fire and water, due to their contact with the dead.
31:25-30 The booty was shared equally between those who fought in the battle and those who stayed behind (1
Samuel 30:24 ,25). The soldiers were to dedicate one out of every five hundred captured persons and animals to
the Lord.
31:50 The golden earrings collected in Gideon's war against Midian were made into an ephod (Judges 8:24-27)
that promoted idolatry. But here they are used to make an atonement for our souls before the Lord. Some suggest
that they had feelings of guilt, or that it was due to their participation in war, or that it was the census in verse 49
(Exodus 30:11-16) that prompted them to make atonement. Perhaps it was due to their gratitude for God's signal
blessing, and they wanted to stay in a right relationship with Him.
Numbers chapter 32
32:1 Reuben was Jacob's firstborn (Genesis 29:32), and is mentioned first due to his seniority. Elsewhere the
Gadites are mentioned first, no doubt due to their being the leaders in the drive to settle Trans-Jordan.
32:2-5 This was the country which the Lord smote, whose defeat is recorded in 21:21-31. Israel had no planned
on fighting with Sihon, but because he blocked their path to the Jordan, the battle was fought.
32:6-15 Moses feared that the proposal of the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben would cause the other tribes
not to proceed to conquer the land west of the Jordan. He said it would be the defection at Kadesh (14:1-10) all
over again, and that they would destroy all this people.
32:16-19 They responded that they would go ready armed and would not return until the children of Israel have
inherited every man his inheritance. Some scholars believe that the presence of the two-and-one-half tribes in the
area of the Trans-Jordan was in opposition to the will of God. They say their reasons were purely selfish, and that
Moses merely accommodated himself to their wishes. However, a study of the Joshua 22 does not give this
impression. At least three things are evident: (1) It appears that the eastern boundary of the Promised Land was
not the Jordan Valley, but the mountain range of Gilead. (2) Joshua blessed the tribes and indicated that they
indeed did have a right to settlement in Trans-Jordan. (3) The fact that God delivered the land of Sihon and Og to
Israel seems to imply that someone was to possess it (Joshua 24:8).
32:23 This warning related to the condition of going into Palestine and fulfilling their obligations of fighting. It is
interesting that in the ancient Near East the "great king" owned crown land which he distributed "free of charge" to
fighting men and their families, which the requirement that they go to battle when needed. In Israel God was the
"great King." He owned the land (Leviticus 25:33) and distributed to the the tribes by lot. One of His requirements
was for all of the tribes to enter into battle and then settle in their prescribed locations.