Numbers 23:28

And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(28) Unto the top of Peor.—Mount Peor was one peak of the northern part of the mountains of Abarim. It was nearer than the other heights to the camp of the Israelites. It looked toward, or over the face of Jeshimon, i.e., the waste (or, desert). See Numbers 21:20.

Benson Commentary

Numbers 23:28. Unto the top of Peor — The most famous high-place in all the country of Moab, where, as Seiden conjectures, Baal had a temple, called Beth-peor, or the house of Peor, (Deuteronomy 3:29,) and was therefore named Baal-peor. Balak seems to have chosen this place in hope that, being the residence, as he fancied, of Baal, the god of Moab, the God of Israel would not or could not come thither to hinder the operation; or that, being a place acceptable to his god, it must be so to Jehovah, and that there he would be induced to favour their designs. Such are the idle conceits that foolish men have of the living and true God, and so vain are their imaginations concerning him! Thus the Syrians fancied Jehovah to be the God of the hills, but not of the valleys, (1 Kings 20:28,) as if he were more powerful in one place than he is in every place! Here they repeat their expensive sacrifice of seven bullocks and seven rams, upon seven altars, although they had no promise on which to build their hopes of success. And shall we, who have many and faithful promises, from Him who cannot lie, that the vision at the end shall speak, not persevere to ask that we may receive the divine favour and blessing, and to seek that we may find them? Shall we not continue instant in prayer, without weariness or fainting, and by a patient continuance in well-doing, seek glory, honour, and immortality?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

23:11-30 Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any change of his mind; but only a change of his way. There was sin in Jacob, and God saw it; but there was not such as might provoke him to give them up to ruin. If the Lord sees that we trust in his mercy, and accept of his salvation; that we indulge no secret lust, and continue not in rebellion, but endeavour to serve and glorify him; we may be sure that he looks upon us as accepted in Christ, that our sins are all pardoned. Oh the wonders of providence and grace, the wonders of redeeming love, of pardoning mercy, of the new-creating Spirit! Balak had no hope of ruining Israel, and Balaam showed that he had more reason to fear being ruined by them. Since Balaam cannot say what he would have him, Balak wished him to say nothing. But though there are many devices in man's heart, God's counsels shall stand. Yet they resolve to make another attempt, though they had no promise on which to build their hopes. Let us, who have a promise that the vision at the end shall speak and not lie, continue earnest in prayer, Lu 18:1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The position of Peor northward from Pisgah, along the Abarim heights, is approximately determined by the extant notices of Beth-peor.

Jeshimon - was the waste, in the great valley below, where stood Beth-jeshimoth, "the house of the wastes."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

28. Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor—or, Beth-peor (De 3:29), the eminence on which a temple of Baal stood.

that looketh toward Jeshimon—the desert tract in the south of Palestine, on both sides of the Dead Sea.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Peor, a high place called Beth-peor, Deu 3:29, i.e. the house or temple of Peer, because there they worshipped Baal-peor.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor,.... The name of an high mountain in Moab, so called from a gap or opening in it; here the idol Baal was worshipped, and from hence had the name of Baalpeor, Numbers 25:3 and here, very probably, was a temple built to the honour of him, called Bethpeor, the house or temple of Baalpeor, Deuteronomy 34:6,

that looketh towards Jeshimon; as Pisgah also did, and very likely it was not far from it, since from thence they came hither, Numbers 23:14. Jeshimon is the same with Bethjesimoth, and so the Targum of Jonathan here calls it, a part of the plains of Moab, where Israel lay encamped, Numbers 33:49 so that from hence Balaam could have a full view of them.

Geneva Study Bible

And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

28. the top of the Peor &c.] An expression exactly parallel to that in Numbers 21:20 (see note). The site of ‘the Peor’ is unknown, but it was evidently in the neighbourhood of the Pisgah. And Beth-peor (Deuteronomy 3:29; Deuteronomy 4:46; Deuteronomy 34:6, Joshua 13:20) cannot have been far distant, since it was evidently a sanctuary where the Baal or Lord of Peor (Numbers 25:3; Numbers 25:5) was worshipped. The LXX. equivalent for Peor is Phogôr; and Eusebius speaks of a mountain of that name opposite Jericho, and says that part of it was 7 miles from Heshbon. It should probably, therefore, be placed quite close to the Wady Ḥeshbân (see art. ‘Beth-Peor’ in Enc. Bibl. [Note: nc. Bibl. Encyclopaedia Biblica.] ).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 28. - Unto the top of Peer. On the meaning of Peer see on chapter Numbers 25:3. This Peer was a summit of the Abarim ranges northwards from Pisgah, and nearer to the Israelites. The adjacent village, Beth-Peer, was near the place of Moses' burial (Deuteronomy 34:6). From the phrase used in Deuteronomy 3:29; Deuteronomy 4:46, with which the testimony of Eusebius agrees, it must have lain almost opposite Jericho on the heights behind the Arboth Moab. From Peer, therefore, the whole encampment, in all its length and breadth, would lie beneath their gaze. Jeshi-men. See on Numbers 21:20. Numbers 23:28

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Balaam's Last Words. - Numbers 23:25-30. Balak was not deterred, however, from making another attempt. At first, indeed, he exclaimed in indignation at these second sayings of Balaam: "Thou shalt neither curse it, nor even bless." The double גּם with לא signifies "neither - nor;" and the rendering, "if thou do not curse it, thou shalt not bless it," must be rejected as untenable. In his vexation at the second failure, he did not want to hear anything more from Balaam. But when he replied again, that he had told him at the very outset that he could do nothing but what God should say to him (cf. Numbers 22:38), he altered his mind, and resolved to conduct Balaam to another place with this hope: "peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence." Clericus observes upon this passage, "It was the opinion of the heathen, that what was not obtained through the first, second, or third victim, might nevertheless be secured through a fourth;" and he adduces proofs from Suetonius, Curtius, Gellius, and others.