Ver. 1. In the plains of Moab.] Once of Moab, then of the Amorites, now of the Israelites. Lands and lordships often change masters; Adeo nihil certi est in rebus humanis, &c. In the greatness of the Turkish empire is at this day swallowed up the name and empire of the Saracens, the most glorious empire of the Greeks, the renowned kingdoms of Macedonia, Peloponnesus, Epirus, Bulgaria, Servia, Bosnia, Armenia, Cyprus, Syria, Egypt, Judea, Tunis, Algiers, Media, Mesopotamia, with a great part of Hungary, as also of the Persian kingdom, and, besides all those famous Churches spoken of in Scripture, so much in Christendom, as far exceedeth that which is thereof at this day left; yet, no doubt, time shall triumph over this so great a monarchy, when it shall but then live by fame as others now do. It laboureth with nothing more already than with the weightiness of itself. Turk. Hist., Preface.
Ver. 3. And Moab was distressed.] Or, Was irked, fretted, vexed. And yet Moab was allied to Israel, eased by them of a troublesome encroaching neighbour Sihon, and assured by them, that they would not meddle or molest them. But being of a different religion, they were carried with satanical malice against God’s people, and sought their ruin. This is the guise of graceless and absurd men, acted and agitated by the devil.
Ver. 4. Unto the elders of Midian.] Their neighbours and confederates. These are called the dukes of Sihon, as having been subdued by his tyranny, whereof Israel had now freed them, and meant them no hurt. (Numbers 31:8 Joshua 13:21) And Balak the son of Zippor.] A politic and potent prince, (Micah 6:5) not more valiant than vigilant, ingeniose nequam, wittily wicked.
Ver. 5. Balaam, the son of Beor.] The devil’s spelman, as one calls him, a soothsayer, or sorcerer, called a prophet, (2 Peter 2:16) as false prophets are called diviners (Jeremiah 27:9)
Ver. 6. Peradventure I shall prevail.] Hence he is said to have warred against Israel. (Joshua 24:9) He did not, because he durst not. Sed fieri dicitur, quod tentatur, aut intenditur, saith Ribera on Amos 9:5.
Ver. 7. With the rewards of divination.] Which Jude calls the wages of wickedness. (Jude 1:11 2 Peter 2:15) The Atheni ans complained, that Philip by his gold had corrupted the oracle of Apollo, which now did φιλιππιζειν.
Ver. 8. As the Lord shall speak unto me.] Good words and wishes may be found in hell’s mouth; as wholesome sugar may be found in a poisoned cane, and a stone of great virtue in the head of a toad. The French have a berry which they name Uve de spine, the grape of a thorn.
Ver. 9. And God came to Balaam.] So he came to Abimelech, to Laban, &c. He never credited his word to these, as he did to the holy prophets, of whom it is said, “The word of the Lord came to them.”
Ver. 13. For the Lord refuseth.] Like a mercenary, and one that had a month’s mind to the money, he hides from them that part of the answer that might have kept them off from coming again to him, viz., Thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed, Auri sacra fames, &c.
Ver. 15. And Balak sent yet again.] So unweariable are wicked men in pursuing and practising their evil designs. This is check to our dulness for the good of our souls. Oh, how soon said and sated are we! Felix trembles, and yet at the same instant covets and expects a bribe from Paul, who had some occasion to expect repentance of Felix.
Ver. 17. For I will promote thee.] Thus Satan tempted our Saviour, (Matthew 4:8,9) and the Pope Luther, offering him a Cardinalship to hold his tongue, and proposing unto him the example of Aeneas Sylvius, who casting away his opinions, became Pope; and of Bessarion of Nice, who of a poor Calover of Trebizond, became a great renowned Cardinal, and wanted not much of being Pope. But Luther answered the messenger, Contemptus est a me Romanus et favor et furor, I care not for the Pope’s proffers of any preferment. And when one counselled to try him with money, another more wise answered, Hem, Germana illa bestia non curat aurum, That Dutch beast cares not for gold. But Balaam was not a man of Luther’s make. Hist. of Coun. of Trent.
Ver. 18. I cannot go beyond.] Intus Nero, foris Cato; loquitur hic ut Piso, vivit ut Gallonius: Audi, nemo melius; specta, nemo peius. A preacher, as Quintilian saith of an orator, should be Vir bonus dicendi peritus, A well-spoken and well-deeded person.
Ver. 19. Tarry also now this night, &c.] Very loath he was to forego so fat a morsel. His mouth even watered, his fingers itched to be dealing with Balak. He therefore detains the messengers, and will try again what may be done for them.
Ver. 20. Rise up and go.] God answers him according to the idols of his heart; bids him go, since he was set upon it, but at his utmost peril; like as Solomon bids the young man “walk in the ways of his own heart”; (Ecclesiastes 11:9) but then follows that stinging but.
Ver. 21. And saddled his ass.] Which never runs fast enough after preferment, till horse and man and all to the devil.
Ver. 22. And God’s anger.] Deus saepe dat iratus quod negat propitius. And his two servants were with him.] This false prophet rides not without two men. God’s Levite had one man. (Judges 19:11) Oh let not ministers of the gospel be slaves to others, servants to themselves!
Ver. 23. And the ass saw the angel.] Which Balaam saw not; his eyes were put out with the dust of covetousness, or dazzled at least with the glittering of the promised promotions.
Ver. 24. But the angel] If an angel stand in the way of a sorcerer’s sin, how much more ready are all those heavenly spirits to stop the miscarriages of God’s dear children! Surely as our good endeavours are oft hindered by Satan, so are our evil by good angels; else were not our protection equal to our danger, and we could neither stand nor rise.
Ver. 27. She fell down under Balaam.] And so “condemned” her master’s “madness.” (2 Peter 2:16) Polybius in his history saith, Whereas man is held the wisest of all sublunary creatures, to me he seemeth the most foolish of all. For whereas other creatures, when they have once smarted, will come no more there, -as the fox returns not rashly to the snare, the wolf to the pitfall, the dog to the club, the horse to the hole where he hath been stalked, &c., — solus homo ab aevo ad aevum peccat fere in iisdem; man only falls into the same offence and mischief from day to day, and will not be warned till he be utterly ruined, as it befell Balaam.
Ver. 28. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass.] Fear not, therefore, thine own inability and rudeness to reply in a good cause. There is no mouth into which God cannot put words; and how oft doth he choose the weak to confound the wise And she said unto Balaam.] The angel, some think, did speak in the ass, as the devil had done to Eve in the serpent.
Ver. 29. I would there were a sword.] Pity but a madman should have a sword! How much fitter for him were that rod that Solomon speaks of. (Proverbs 26:3)
Ver. 32. Because thy way is perverse.] Thou art resolved to curse howsoever, and not to lose so fair a preferment, which he must needs buy at a dear rate that pays his honesty for it. Better a great deal lie in the dust, than rise by such ill principles. I shall shut up with that excellent prayer of Zuinglius: Deum Opt. Max. precor, ut vias nostras dirigat: ac sicubi simus Bileami in morem, veritati pertinaciter obluctaturi, angelum suum opponat, qui machaerae suae minis hunc asinum, inscitiam et audaciam dico nostram sic ad maceriam affigat, ut fractum pedem, hoc est, impurum illicitumque carnis sensum auferamus, nec ultra blasphememus nomen Domini Dei nostri. Zuing., Epist., lib. tertio.
Ver. 33. I had slain thee.] As thou wouldst have slain thine ass, for a less fault.
Ver. 37. To promote thee to honour.] But what is such honour more than a magnum nihil, nay a great mischief? Like the wings of a butterfly curiously painted; but they foul the fingers of those that catch it.