NllMBI. 5 Verfe 5. put award in Salaams mouth] The Lord giveth no anfwer to Balaams boafting fpeech,nor lbewcth any regard of his altars and facrifices, (which were an abomination unto him, Prov.15. 8.) but fendeth him backe with a bleffing upon his people , contrary to his owne and the kings define and expe£tation. The preparations of the heart in man, and the anfwer of the tongue from the L 0 it D, Prov. 16. T. 7 Verfe 7: he took up his parable] the parable of his prophefie; faithTargnnt Ionathan. By taking up, is meant a pronouncing with an high voice510 food would have them alltake knowledge of his word againft them, and for his people. By aparable or prezerbe, is meant a grave Cpeech which groweth into common uCe among men. And it is tiled both in the good part,for excellent matter of do- &rine and comfort, as Lb 37.5 .and 2 9.r . Pi'ov. r. I . and in the cvill part, for proverbs of reproach and reprehenlon, as in Muter 38.37. Ely 14.4. Pardles allo ace oppofed to plaine and'tantiliar fpeeches eàfe to be underftood, Ezek20.49. loh. 16. 25. Co now God fpeaketh by Balaam to the wicked Moabites,but its parables; that feeéing, they Might not fee; and hearing; they might not underffand, as in Luke 8, i o. brought me from Aram] to wit, from Aram nabarajim, orMefopotantie., -s Moles fbeweth in Dent. 23. 4. and fo the Greeke here tranflateth , fine for me out ifMefopotamiaand Targum Ionathan explaineth it, Aram which ït by Etrplirotes. See the notes on Gen. 24.10. and Numb. 22.5. of the eafi]fituateraftwardfrom Moabs & Ifraels land:that country was infamous for forcery and divination, Efay 2. 6. de fie] or, detefe, with angry threats, and hateful] indig- nation, as the word fignifieth in Dan.r 1.3 o. The Greeke eranllateth it Recurfe. g Verfe 8. whom God bath not curfed?] Thus the Greeke alto readeth,adding the word whom: fach wants the Scripture fometime fupplieth -; as , this boule is high,' King. 9. 8. for this pouf which is high, 2 Chroa.7.21.Ocherwife it may be tranflated,How :hall I curfe? God bath sot turfed. Targum Iona- than explaineth It, How fha9 I curfe , when the word of the Lord bled them? Here God by Balaams owne Mouth reproveth the errour of the-King, who had Pent Co farre twice to fetch him, that of himfelfe was able to doe nothing in this bufi- nefIe ; and taxeth the vanitie of this Art of Ma- gicke or divination, which is not able either to helpe or hurt any without leave from God. So the Babylonian is convinced by the prophet, laying, Stand now with shine incharotments ,and with the multitude of thy foorceries , wherein thou halt laboured from thy youth, if fo be thtu /halt be able to profit if fo be !bourn tyeff prevaile. Thou are wearied in the multi -. tude of thy counfels, let now the Ajlrologers, the Star- gazers, the mutably Prognofficators ffand up, and fave thee from tholetlim,s that (hall come uponthee. Behold, they fit all be m:Robbie, the fire fhall burn them, &c. Efay 47.12,13,14. 9 Verle 9. For from the top] or, when from the top (Hebr. the head) of the roclks , I fie him, meaning the people, fpoken of as one body. 'behold Izs XXIll. I?1 him]inGreeeke, I confider him, fpeaking againe of the people : as Targum Ionathan explaineth it,I confider this people.Balak brought him to the moon. taines that feeing the people from thence; nee might the more eafily curls them:bat the fight of them did fo amaze him, as he blelfed them. Thus all occafsonsand eircumitances which thewicked chufe for their advantage, God turneth againft them; & for the accomplifhnsent of his ovine wil. ¡hall dwell alone]Ceparated from other peoples. And this further hgnifieth , how they lhould be fufhciently provided for of God, having neither need nor feare of other peoples ; for fo dwelling alone, implieth a fecurity from evill;as in ler.49 31.And thus Mofes bleffing them, Paid, Ifrael :hall dwell in confident fafety ahne, Deut.3 3.28. fha8, not be reekmed] or, fleali not reekmm tbemfelves: this re. fpeð their faith in God, and fervice of him, whereby they were his peculiar , and feparated from other peoples, as Exod, t 9.5 . Lev.2o.24.26. Exr.9,2. So Chrift hath chofen his Church out of the world, Ioh.I 5.19.1 Pet.2.9.and this grace the faithfull apply tinto the/Mikes , as it is faid, We know that we areof God, and the whole world lieth it) wickedneffe , I lob. 5. 19. Ver. r o. Who can count] that is,None can count, they are fo many, Hebr. Who cnmtetb; which the Chaldee expoundeth, who can (or, is able to) count. And thus the Scripture fonstime explaineth it felfe; as, Not that whi..Js goetb into the mouth , defiletb a man, Matth. s 5.i 1. that is , can defile him, Mark 7 15. See theAnnotations on Gen.' 3.6. So after in verf.2o. the duff of laltob] that is,the children of Iakob; as the Greeke tranflateth it , the feed of Iakob: Here Salaams mouth confirmeth the pro- mile which God made of old unto Iakob, laying; Thy fled fhall be of the duff of the earth, Gen. 28.14. and the like was before unto Abraham, I willmul- tiply thy feed as the flares ofheaven and as the fand which is upon the tea fbore, Gen.2.57. And thus the Chaldee here expoundeth it, Who can count the lit- tle ones of the boufe of Iakob, of whom it was Paid, they fhall be multiplied ae the duff of the earth. of the fourth part ] or, ofs quarter, as the Chaldee explai- neth it , ems of the fourecampea of fisel: for they camped about the Tabernacle in foure quarters,. Numb. 2. Whereas the promife of the bleffing to Abraham confilted of two branches ; I. that God would give the land of Canaan to him and to his feed for ever: 2.and that he would make his feed as the dull of the earth,Gen.13.s5,16.under which, Cpirituall graces in Chrift were alfo compre- hended : the Lord caufethBalsam here to ratifie them both,for their dwelling alone in the land,& for their innumerable increaCe. And whereas Ba- lak envied their mulcitude,and would therefore have them cnrled,that they might he diminifhed, Num. 22.3.5,6. Balaam is here forced to utter a bleffing for their further increafe.Thus God reli- fteth him in all his counfels & enterprifes. Let my pule die]that is,Let medie:an Heb. phrafe,wher- by the foule is put for the perfon,I,thou,or he :and death is the departure of the foule from the body,Ges.31.18. Then duff returneth unto the earth a it IO
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