Numbers 22:36

22:36-41 Balak has now nothing to complain of, but that Balaam did not come sooner. Balaam bids Balak not depend too much upon him. He seems to speak with vexation; but is really as desirous to please Balak, as ever he had pretended to be to please God. See what need we have to pray every day, Our Father which art in heaven, lead us not into temptation. Let us be jealous over our own hearts, seeing how far men may go in the knowledge of God, and yet come short of Divine grace.

And when Balak heard that Balaam was come,.... Messengers being sent to acquaint him with it, either by Balaam, or by the princes: he went out to meet him; overjoyed at the news that his princes had succeeded, and to show him respect, and do him honour, and all to encourage him to do his utmost for him: unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast; by the situation of it, being on the border of the river Arnon, which river was in the extreme parts of Moab, and divided between the Moabites and Amorites, it is generally thought to be the city Ar, called "Ar of Moab", see Numbers 21:13, and the king coming to meet Balaam so far as the uttermost border of his dominions showed the greater respect to him.

36 . unto the City of Moab ] unto Ir of Moab . The Heb. form of the name Ar of Moab ( Numbers 21:28 ). which is on the border of Arnon ] i.e. the border or boundary formed by the Arnon. Moab at this time possessed no land north of the Arnon; Ir (Ar) of Moab thus lay on their northern border. The following clause defines the locality further. which is at the end of the border ] Since Balaam was coming from the east, ‘the end’ must be the eastern end; that is to say Ir (Ar) of Moab lay somewhere on the upper, eastern, course of the Arnon.

Reception of Balaam by the King of the Moabites. - Numbers 22:36 , Numbers 22:37 . As soon as Balak heard of Balaam's coming, he went to meet him at a city on the border of the Arnon, which flowed at the extreme (north) boundary (of the Moabitish territory), viz., at Areopolis (see at Numbers 21:15 ), probably the capital of the kingdom at one time, but now reduced to a frontier town, since Sihon the Amorite had taken all the land as far as the Arnon; whilst Rabbah, which was farther south, had been selected as the residence of the king. By coming as far as the frontier of his kingdom to meet the celebrated soothsayer, Balak intended to do him special honour. But he would not help receiving him with a gentle reproof for not having come at his first invitation, as if he, the king, had not been in a condition to honour him according to his merits.

[Bible] 22:36. And when Balac heard it he came forth to meet him in a town of the Moabites, that is situate in the uttermost borders of Arnon. 22:37. And he said to Balaam: I sent messengers to call thee, why didst thou not come immediately to me? was it because I am not able to reward thy coming? 22:38. He answered him: Lo, here I am: shall I have power to speak any other thing but that which God shall put in my mouth? 22:39. So they went on together, and came into a city, that was in the uttermost borders of his kingdom. 22:40. And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. 22:41. And when morning was come, he brought him to the high places of Baal, and he beheld the uttermost part of the people. Numbers Chapter 23 Balaam, instead of cursing Israel, is obliged to bless them, and prophesy good things of them. 23:1. And Balaam said to Balac: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams. 23:2. And when he had done according to the word of Balaam, they laid together a calf and a ram upon every altar. 23:3. And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee. 23:4. And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on everyone a calf and a ram. 23:5. And the Lord put the word in his mouth, and said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak. 23:6. Returning he found Balac standing by his burnt offering, with all the princes of the Moabites: 23:7. And taking up his parable, he said: Balac king of the Moabites hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, said he, and curse Jacob: make haste and detest Israel. 23:8. How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?