20 21 rim NUMBERS XXIII. 153 prom IV ] meaning, he will doubtleffe confirme 9. And his pretence with them was a ligne of their eftate in grace , otherwife they could have had no communion with him,e loh.t.6,7.as him- feu] Paid , whiles they were in their finnes,I will notgoe up in the midit ofrhea, for thou art a fliffe- nedted people , left Iconfumç thee in the way, Ex.33 .3. and by his being with them , they were fecured both from Balaams curie , and from all feare ofevill, Pfal.23.4 and 91.15. the from ofa King] or the alarme (the founding_bout) ofa king, that is;of God. He hath reference to the frlver trumpets which Ifrael ufed in their wars,by the ordinance ofGod, who alto promifed , that they Ihould be renienr- bred before the Lord,their God, and faved from their enemies, Numb. 10, 9. WhereuponAbijah faid,Behoki, God is with ut far a ear aine,andhit Prieffs with founding trumpets to crie alarme againftyou : O fins of Ifrael , fight yee not againfl the LORD the God of yourfatbers, foryee fbatl not ?roller, 2 Cbron. 1 3.12. So by theft/out or alarme of this King amonghis peo- ple , they now were faved from the evils that Ba- lak and Balsam confpired againft them. Here- with alto may be compared the founding of trumpets,and (bout at the liege of Iet icho, leÇ 6. 16.2o. and in the battell of Gedeon, bldg. 7.20. And thus lefus Chrift, the King and defender of the Church, caufeth continual) joy and triumph in the hearts of his people,juftifying,fanétifying, and preferving them in, peace with God , who alwayes caufeththem to triumph inChrift,2 Cor. 2. 14. and giveth them falvation from the hands of their enemies. Wherein they ré oyceand fay, Who _Ball lay any thing to the charge of Gods dell ? It is God that juflifietb: who is he that eondemneth ? Rom. 8.33, 34. among them] Hebr. iu him, that ie, in fakob : which phrafe may allo fignifie the faith that his people have in God their King. The Chaldee expoundeth it, The pretence (or habi- tati on) (their King is among them. Verfe 22. God brought them] or, God the bringer (them. This anfwereth Balaks complaint,there is a people come out of IEgypt,Num.22.5. Balaam telleth h,im,they came riot of thémfelves, (as he imputed unto them for evil],) but they were brought up ofGod, So again in Numb. 24.8. be bath]] or,to himis.It may be dnderftood firft ofGod,and then of Ifrael , unto whom God giveth ftrength, Pfal.68.36. theflrengtbs ofan Vnieorne] or, as the Giseeke tranflateth it , theglory of an Vnùornè, The Unicorn isa beaft commended in the Scrip- ture for the excellencie of his borne : whereupon the Prophet faith , My borne Thal! be exalted to the Vnico, nes,'PfaL92. a s. and for his firength ; as it is laid, Wilt thou trufthim, becaufebs''flreagtbisgreat? Lb 39.1 t. Therefore the proweife of a people againft their enemies is let forth by this fimili- tude; as Mofesfaith of lofeph,Hie barns, the bornes ofanVnicarne,wirh them be Pall ?lb tax oples together, Dent, 33. 57. And in this fenfe Balaam fpeaketh here of Ifael , as in his third bleffing he explai- neth it ; He barb of the fkengtbs of Unicorne , hei fpsa eat upthe nations his enemies, and(hall breake their penes, &c. Numb.24.8. And Chrïlt being.delivered from the power of his enemies,faith,Thou ball arr- [trued and Itabli is it; as the Chaldee expoundeth it, bee eenfirmeth aU his words. The Greeke tranflateth, _pall be fjveealte, andfhall bent continue 1 that is, con- handy performe it ? So to confirme a thing, is by the holy Ghoftexpounded,to continue to doe it, Gal. 3.1o.from Deut.27.26. Verle 20. I have received to tile/ underhand, received a commandement to bhp. See the Annota- tions on Gen. 24.33. and I can not reverfeit] or , fhall not turtle it away ; which theChaldee ex- plaineth , and I _ball not torn my biding from them. The Greeke tranflateth , I fhall ble_Je , and "call not reverie". Here Balaam preacheth the ftableneffc of Gods love unto his people ; and how all powers and potentates , all magical] inchantments and divinations, and what things elfe fóever, are not able to feparate Gods people from his love and biding in Chrift. Verfz r. He bath not bebeld]or,He(that is,God) beholdethnot iniquitie. Here Balaam bleffeth Ifrael the fecond time , pronouncing fish theirjuftífi- cation in the fight of God, even that bleffedneffe which they have, whofe iniquities areforgiven, and whole ¡inner are overeat , Rona. 4.7. For not to behold, or fee iniquitie in finfull men, is (as David fpeak- eth) tei hide his face from theirfinnes,and to blot OM all their iniquities, Pp l.5 e e. the contrary whereof is , when God fetteth mens iniquities before him,and to the light of his face,Pfal. o.8. and,io9.54,15. And this is opened by the Pro- phet , when the Lord faith, The iniquitieof¡frael pall be fought fir , andthere fhalibe none ; and the femmes e blab and they fbáli not be found: for I will ardon them whom Irefe eve , 1er. 56. so. iniquity,] this word, inHebrew Aven , is of large fignification, applied to all kinde of i,nire,which caufeth paint, farrow, andmifery; and in particular to idola- try, e Sam.t 5.22. and Aven is an idol!, ors Era) 66. 3. and to this the Chaldee here referreth it lay- ing, nofeerver.rof Idols in the houfè ofiacob; fo cloth Targutnlenathan likewife ; and the old Latine verfion faith There it no Idoliin Iakob , meaning among the Ifraélites, the pofterity of Iakob. But theword beingmore generali, implieth this and alt other iniquity, original] er attuall, all which God in mercy pardoned to his people, that it was no more feene of him, to be imputed tinto thenr.And as iniquity is often ufed for the punifh- ment of the fame,fo is this word Aven in Pf4.90. 1o.Hab.1.3.in which meaning theGreek Interpre- ters tranflate it here,T here than be no painfulneff a (or mifey)in Jakob. perverfnef]or mokftatian:a word which fignifieth both finne and afl(iftion for finne, Pfal.94.2 o.and 2 i. rS.and 73.5 .The Chal- dee taketh it in the firft feule , for them that do falfhood; and this is molt fit:but theGreeke tranf- latcthit paint. bit God is With him] this the Chaldee expoundeth,rbe reord oftbe LORD their God is fir their helpe. Hereby is fignified the cattle Sc author of their former bleffed`nefie, to be God himfelfe in themidit of them; as Moles faid, Let theLord now goe amongfi ari; for it is fr ff- necked pea - pk;and pardon thouour iniquitic and our fin, &c. Ex.34. 22
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