BIBLE STUDIES.
By
M. M. KALISCH, PH. D., M.A.
PART 1.
THE PROPHECIES OF BALAAM
(NUMBERS XXII. to XXIV)
OR
THE HEBREW AND THE HEATHEN.
LONGMANS,
GREEN AND CO.
1877
Public Domain
Digitized by
Ted Hildebrandt 2004
PREFACE.
ALMOST
immediately after the completion of the fourth
volume
of his Commentary on the Old Testament, in
1872,
the author was seized with a severe and lingering
illness.
The keen pain he felt at the compulsory interrup-
tion
of his work was solely relieved by the undiminished
interest
with which he was able to follow the widely ram-
ified
literature connected with his favourite studies. At
length,
after weary years of patience and ‘hope deferred,’ a
moderate
measure of strength seemed to return, inadequate
indeed
to a resumption of his principal task in its full ex-
tent,
yet, sufficient, it appeared, to warrant, an attempt at
elucidating
some of those, numerous problems of Biblical
criticism
and religious history, which are still awaiting a
final
solution. Acting, therefore, on the maxim, ‘Est
quadam prodire tenus, si
non datur ultra,’
and stim-
lated
by the desire of contributing his humble share to
the
great intellectual labour of our age, he selected, as a
first
effort after his partial recovery, the interpretation of
that
exquisite episode in the Book of Numbers which
contains
an account of Balaam and his prophecies. This
section),
complete in itself, discloses a deep insight into
the
nature and course of prophetic influence; implies
most
instructive hints for the knowledge of Hebrew
doctrine;
and is one of the choicest, master-pieces of
universal
literature. Love of such a subject could
not
fail
to uphold even a wavering, strength, and to revive an
PREFACE.
often
drooping courage. The author is indebted
to these
pursuits
for many hours of the highest enjoyment, and
he
feels compelled to express his profound for gratitude for
having
been permitted to accomplish even this modest
enterprise.
If strength be granted to him, he anxious,
in
continuation of the same important enquiry, still
further
to elucidate the mutual relation, according to the
Scriptures
and the Jewish writings, between the Hebrew
and
the Heathen, by commenting on the Book of Jonah,
of
which he proposes to treat in a Second Part of these
Bible
Studies.
The author would fain hope that the main
portions of
the
work may be found of some interest not only to
theologians
and Biblical students, but to a wider circle
of
readers, since the possibility of a general diffusion of
critical
or historical results is the only decisive test of
their
value.
In the Translation and the
Commentary he has ad-
hered
to the same principles which guided him in his
previous
volumes, and for the convenience of Hebrew
scholars
he has here also inserted the original Text.
Although he has neglected no
available source of in-
formation,
and has endeavoured to utilise, for the illustra-
tion
of his subject, both the most ancient traditions and
the
most recent discoveries and researches, he is well
aware
how much his effort stands in need of indulgence
but
he believes that he will not appeal in vain to the
forbearance
of those who realise the impediments and
difficulties
under which he has laboured.
M.
KALISCH.
CONTENTS
PAGE
1.—THE PROPHET AND HIS PROPHECIES.—PRELIMINARY
TREATISE 1
1. Summary 1
2. Uncertain
Traditions 3
3. The
Character of Balaam 7
4. Balaam’s
Religion 11
5. The
God of Balak 13
6. Balaam
the Prophet 16
7. Misrepresentations 22
The New Testament and Balaam 22
Josephus and Balaam 23
Philo and Balaam 25
Jewish Tradition and Balaam 27
8. Deterioration 34
9. Conclusions 38
10. The
Orginal Book of Balaam 40
11. The
Date of the Composition 42
12. The
Author 51
13.
Balaam’s Identity 52
14.
15. Analogy
of the Book of Ruth 58
16. Fame
and Character of the Book 61
17. Limits 64
18.
II.--
TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY.—NUMBERS XXII.-
XXIV 73
1 Introduction.
xxii. 73
2. Councils xxii. 2-4 83
3. First
Message xxii. 5-14 96
4. Second
Message. xxii. 15-21 116
5. The
Journey xxii. 22-35 124
viii CONTENTS.
PAGE
6. Arrival
and Reception. xxii. 36-40. 152
7. Preparations.
xxii. 41-xxiii. 6 159
8. Balaam's
First Speech. xxiii. 7-10 171
9. Remonstrances
and New Preparations. xxiii. 11-17 185
10. Balaam's
Second Speech. xxiii. 18-24 191
11. Again
Remonstrances and Preparations. xxiii. 25-xxiv. 211
12. Balaam's
Third Speech. xxiv. 3-9 220
13. Balak’s
Anger and Balaam's Reply. xxiv. 10-14 242
14. Balaam's
Prophecy on
15. SUPPLEMENTS.
xxiv. 18-24 263
16. Prophecy
on
17. Prophecy
on the Amalekites. xxiv. 20 277
18. Prophecy
on the Kenites. xxiv. 21, 22 282
19. Prophecy
on
20. Conclusion.
xxiv. 25 304
III.--APPENDIX.--THE
ORIGINAL FORM OF THE BOOK OF BALAAM 308
HEBREW TEXT.--NUMBERS XXII. TO XXIV.
1. SUMMARY.
The
contents of that portion of the Book of Numbers
which
we propose to examine, may be thus briefly sum-
marised.
On their way from
fortieth
year of their wanderings, the Hebrews had ad-
vanced
to the plains of
Alarmed
by the proximity of such large hosts, which had
just
discomfited powerful opponents in the same districts,
Balak,
the king of
chiefs
of Midian, resolved to summon, from Pethor on
the
and
to request hint to pronounce upon the Israelites
a
curse, by virtue of which he hoped to vanquish them
in
the expected conflict.b When the elders of
Midian,
who were selected as envoys, had arrived at
Pethor
and delivered their errand, Balaam bid them stay,
till
he had ascertained the will of God; and when he learnt,
through
a vision, that God disapproved of the journey
and
the curse, since the Israelites were a blessed nation,
he
declined to accompany the messengers.c On bearing
their
reply, Balak sent a second and still more weighty
embassy,
promising Balaam the highest distinctions
and
rewards, if he yielded to his wishes. But Balaam
declared
to the nobles, that no treasures or honours,
a Num. xxii, 1. b Vers. 2-6. c
Vers. 7-13
2 SUMMARY.
however
splendid, could induce him to act against the
command
of God, whom, therefore, he would again con-
sult.
This time he received permission to proceed to
adhere
to God's suggestions; after which he entered
upon
the journey together with the ambassadors.a
Yet when he had set out, God was
greatly displeased,
and
sent His angel with a drawn sword to oppose him.
The
prophet's ass, but not the prophet himself, beheld
the
Divine apparition. The terrified animal first retreated
from
the road into the field; next pressed, in anguish and
perplexity,
against a vineyard wall in a narrow path;
and
at last, unable to withdraw either to the right or
the
left, fell down on the ground, all this time angrily
beaten
by the vexed rider. 'Then the Lord opened the
mouth
of the ass,' who complained to Balaam of his
harshness,
and reminded him that she had never before
behaved
so strangely. ‘Then the Lord opened the eyes
of
Balaam,’ and the angel, now perceived by the seer,
rebuked
him for his cruel treatment of the faithful beast,
and
declared that he had come to resist the journey, since
he
deemed it pernicious. Balaam, mortified and penitent,
readily
offered to return, but the angel commanded him
to
go with the ambassadors, yet scrupulously to abstain
from
saying anything but what the Lord should prompt.b
On
the frontier of
to
whom he announced at once that he could speak
nothing
of his own mind, but was bound to obey the
voice
of God alone.c Hospitable entertainments followed;
preparations
were made for the prophecies; and then,
standing
on an elevation, from where a part of the
Hebrew
people could be surveyed, Balaam, in the pre-
a xxii. 14-21. b Vers. 22-36. c Vers. 36-38.
UNCERTAIN TRADITIONS. 3
sence
of Balak and his chiefs, uttered a speech, inspired
by
God, in which he extolled
and
specially elected by the Eternal, exceedingly nume-
rous,
and happy through righteousness.a The annoyed
king
took Balaam to another place where, after due
preliminaries,
the prophet pronounced a second Divine
oracle,
affirming that the blessing once bestowed on
was
irrevocable, since they were a pious people guided
by
the Lord, victorious by their prowess, and inapproach-
able
in their strength.b Balak,
troubled and amazed,
once
more made a determined attempt, but again Balaam
proclaimed
the praises of
tent,
and fertility of their land, the prosperity and splen-
dour
of their empire, and the terrible disasters they in-
flicted
upon their enemies.c In pain and rage, Balak now
commanded
the seer forthwith to flee to his own country.
But
before departing, Balaam spontaneously added a
prophecy
foreshadowing the subjugation of
by
an illustrious king of the Israelites;d and to this he
joined,
moreover, oracles on the future destinies of the
Hebrews
in connection with
Kenites
and the Assyrians.e Then Balaam and Balak
separated,
each returning to his home.f
2. UNCERTAIN TRADITIONS.
IT
is necessary for our purpose to notice the other Biblical
accounts
with respect to Balaam, and, first of all, to
consider
the following passage of Deuteronomy:g 'An
Ammonite
and a Moabite shall not enter into the con-
gregation
of the Lord . . . because they did not meet
a xxii. 39-xxiii. 10. d
Vers. 10-17. f Ver.
25.
b Vers. 11--24. e
Vers. 18-24, g Deut. xxiii. 4-6,
c xxiii. 25--xxiy. 9,
4 UNCERTAIN
TRADITIONS.
you
with bread and with water on the way, when you
came
forth out of
hired
against thee Balaam, the son of Beor, of Pethor in
would
not listen to Balaam, and turned the curse into a
blessing
for thee, because He loves thee.'a Hence the
Deuteronomist
evidently followed a tradition very differ-
ent
from that embodied in the narrative of Numbers.
According
to the former, Balaam, when ‘hired’ to curse
His
merciful love of
their
intended effect, transformed into benedictions; in
correspondence
with which, Nehemiah, quoting and
epitomising