SEV Biblia, Chapter 6:5
Pueblo mío, acuérdate ahora qué pensó Balac rey de Moab, y qué le respondió Balaam, hijo de Beor, desde Sitim hasta Gilgal, para que conozcas las justicias del SEÑOR.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Micah 6:5
Verse 5. Remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted] He sent for Balaam to curse your fathers; but by my influence he was obliged to bless them. See Num. xxii. and xxiii., and the notes there, where this subject is largely considered. From Shittim unto Gilgal] From the encampment at Shittim, Num. xxv. 1, on the way to that of Gilgal, Josh. iv. 19. Balaam gave different answers in the interval between these places. We may suppose that the encampments of Israel advanced slowly to that part of Jordan which was opposite to Gilgal. The Chaldee has, "Were there not wonderful things done in your behalf from the valley of Shittim to the house of Gilgal?" See Josh. iii. 1; iv. 20. Thus there will be a reference to the miraculous passage over JorDaniel See Newcome.
That ye may know the righteousness] The just, equitable, and merciful dealing of the Most High. Recollect those things, that ye may have a proper impression of this. There are many interpretations given of this rather obscure clause; what I have proposed seems to ne the most simple.
This is the sum of the address; and here the case of the plaintiff terminates, the prisoners being called to show why the sentence of the law should not be pronounced. I make no apology for using any forensic terms, as the passages before us refer to a case brought into a court to be judged, and the terms in the original are all such as are proper for a court of justice; and the thing itself is called the Lord's controversy, hwhy byr rib Yehovah, Jehovah's suit at law. And hence it is said, He will plead, litigate, with Israel.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted , etc.] What a scheme he had laid; what contrivances he had formed; what consultations he had with a soothsayer or diviner he sent for to curse Israel; how he sought to get the God of Israel on his side, and to set him against them, that he might be rid of them, and they be ruined and destroyed. The Moabites were the descendants of Moab, a son of Lot, by one of his daughters; when they first set up their kingdom is not certain; nor who their kings in succession were before Balak: it appears there was a former king, whom the king of the Amorites fought with, and took away his land from him, ( Numbers 21:26); who probably was Zippor, the father of Balak, and whom he succeeded; the kingdom being recovered by him, or by this his son; however, he was on the throne when Israel was upon the borders of his kingdom, which threw him into a panic; upon which he sent messengers to a neighbouring magician next mentioned, to advise with him what to do in this his extremity; and the Jews have a tradition, that, because of the multitude of sacrifices he offered, he was worthy to have Ruth, the descendant from him; who, they say, was the daughter of Eglon, the grandson of Balak, king of Moab f187 : and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him ; this man is called a soothsayer, ( Joshua 13:22); The Jews say he was first a prophet; and so the Apostle Peter calls him, ( 2 Peter 2:16); and afterwards became a diviner f188 : they differ very much about him, who he was, and from whom he descended. Beor his father is sometimes said to be the son of Laban f189 ; and, at other times, Balaam himself is said to be Laban the Syrian f190 , whose soul they suppose transmigrated into Balaam, as it afterwards did into Nabal, according to them. Some take him to be the same with Elihu, who interposed in the dispute between Job and his friends; and others say that he was one of the eunuchs, counsellors, and magicians of Pharaoh, both when Moses was a child, and when he wrought his miracles in Egypt; and that Jannes and Jambres, of whom the Apostle Paul makes mention, ( 2 Timothy 3:8); were his two sons f192 : he was an inhabitant of Pethor, which was situated on the river Euphrates, thought by Junius to be the Pacoria of Ptolemy: he seems to have been a Mesopotamian, though some say a Midianite; but, whether one or the other, he did not live at any great distance from the king of Moab: he was slain by the sword the children of Israel, in the times of Joshua, ( Joshua 13:22); and, as the Jews say he was, when he was but thirty three or thirty four years of age; they observing upon it, that bloody and deceitful men do not live out, half their days; but this does not seem so well to agree with other things they say of him; however, this soothsayer and sorcerer Balak sent for to curse Israel; whose heart and tongue, though a wicked man, and would fain have done according to Balak’s wish and desire, were so overruled by the power of God, that instead of cursing Israel he was obliged to bless them, and to prophesy of their future happiness and prosperity, and of the Messiah, that should spring from them; see history of all this in ( Numbers 22:1-24:25); from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord ; here something must be supplied to make sense of the words; either, “remember what good things I did for you f194 , from Shittim to Gilgal”; the former was the place where the children of Israel committed whoredom and idolatry, and was on the other side Jordan; and the latter was the place they came to when they had passed over Jordan, where the covenant of circumcision was renewed, and the first passover kept; now they are called upon to remember the goodness of God unto them from one place to another, and what were done between them; how that at Shittim, though they provoked the Lord to anger, yet he did not cut them all off, but spared a number of them, to enter and possess the land of Canaan; and though Moses died by the way, yet be raised up Joshua to go before them, and in a miraculous manner led them through the river Jordan, and brought them to Gilgal--favours ever to he had in remembrance. So the Targum, “were not great things done for you in the plain of Shittim unto the house of Gilgal, that the righteousness of the Lord might be known?” both his justice in punishing offenders at Shittim, and his bounty and kindness, as well as his truth and faithfulness, in sparing others; bestowing his favours on them, and bringing them into the promised land: or it may be supplied thus, as by some, “remember what Balak consulted from Shittim to Gilgal”; that is, with Balaam, and what answer and advice he gave him; which was to send beautiful women among the Israelites, and so tempt them to adultery, and by that means to idolatry; and which scheme and consultation took place at Shittim, by means of which several thousands were slain; and the device was to have continued the temptation even to Gilgal, which, had it not been prevented, in all likelihood would have issued in the destruction of that people; and therefore they had reason to know, own, and acknowledge the goodness and faithfulness of God unto them: or rather, taking the phrase “from Shittim to Gilgal” to be a proverbial one f196 , of going from place to place, it may have respect to Balak’s having Balaam from place to place, to take a view of the people, and curse them; or how he might set the God of Israel against them, and gain him over to him; and then the sense is this, “remember how Balak consulted Balaam from place to place, and what answers he returned him; all which was done, that “he (Balak) might know the righteousness of the Lord”;” and so the Syriac version renders it, and it will bear to be so rendered: the thing which Balak chiefly consulted was, how he should get the God of Israel on his side; as it was usual with Heathen princes, when at war, to attempt to get the gods of their enemies from them, and on their side; and inquires of Balaam how this was to be effected; what righteousness it was the Lord required; what duties of religion to be performed; what rites or sacrifices were acceptable to him; and the sum of his questions on this head, and Balaam’s answer to them, are contained in the following verses.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - The people are called upon to declare why they were weary of God' worship, and prone to idolatry. Sin causes the controversy between God and man. God reasons with us, to teach us to reason with ourselves. Le them remember God's many favours to them and their fathers, and compar with them their unworthy, ungrateful conduct toward him.
Original Hebrew
עמי 5971 זכר 2142 נא 4994 מה 4100 יעץ 3289 בלק 1111 מלך 4428 מואב 4124 ומה 4100 ענה 6030 אתו 853 בלעם 1109 בן 1121 בעור 1160 מן 4480 השׁטים 7851 עד 5704 הגלגל 1537 למען 4616 דעת 3045 צדקות 6666 יהוה׃ 3068
