SEV Biblia, Chapter 23:9
Porque de la cumbre de las peñas lo he visto, y desde los collados lo he mirado; he aquí un pueblo que habitará confiado, y no será contado entre los gentiles.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Numbers 23:9
Verse 9. From the top of the rocks I see him] That is, from the high places of Baal where he went, chap. xxii. 41, that he might the more advantageously see the whole camp of Israel. The people shall dwell alone] They shall ever be preserved as a distinct nation. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled through a period of 3300 years to the present day. This is truly astonishing.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him , etc.] That is, Israel in their camps; Balaam being at this time on the top of a rock, or on an high hill, from whence he had a view of Israel, encamped in the plains of Moab below him: lo, the people shall dwell alone ; this certainly respects their dwelling in the land of Canaan, where they dwelt a separate people from all others, distinguished by their language, religion, laws, customs, and manner of living, being different both in their clothing, and in their food, from other people; nor had they dealings, nor did they company with those of other nations; (see Esther 3:8 John 4:9 Acts 10:28) “or shall dwell safely” f358 , or securely, not so much because of the situation of their country, but because of the protection of the Almighty; (see Deuteronomy 33:28) and shall not be reckoned among the nations ; as belonging to them, shall not be made of any account by them, but be despised and reproached for their religion chiefly; nor reckon themselves of them, nor mix with them; so the Targum of Jerusalem, ``they shall not be mixed;” or, as Jonathan, ``they shall not be led in the laws of the people;” and though they are now scattered among the people and nations of the world, yet they are not mixed with them, nor reckoned to be a part of them; nor do they reckon themselves to be of them, but are a separate distinct people from them. Thus Israel, or the people of God in a spiritual sense, dwell alone; not solitarily, or without company, in every sense, for they have the company of Father, Son, and Spirit, of angels and saints; but they dwell in God, in Christ, in the house of God, and with one another, separately and distinctly from the world: they are a separate people in the love of God; in the choice of them in Christ; in the covenant of grace made with them in him; in redemption by him; in his intercession for them; in effectual calling; as they will be in the resurrection morn, and in heaven to all eternity: and they shall dwell safely, God being around them; Christ the rock and fortress of them; the Spirit in them being greater than he that is in the world; angels their guardians, and they in a strong city, whose walls and bulwarks are salvation: nor are they reckoned among the nations; they are chosen, redeemed, and called out of them, and are not accounted of by them any other than the refuse and offscouring of all things; nor do they reckon themselves to be of the world, but as pilgrims and strangers in it.
Baal Hatturim refers this prophecy to the days of the Messiah; (see Jeremiah 23:5,6).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - With the camps of Israel full in view, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and a bullock and a ram to be offered on each. Oh the sottishness of superstition, to imagine that God will be at man's beck The curse is turned into a blessing, by the overruling power of God, is love to Israel. God designed to serve his own glory by Balaam, an therefore met him. If God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, wh would have defied God and Israel, surely he will not be wanting to those who desire to glorify God, and to edify his people; it shall be given what they should speak. He who opened the mouth of the ass caused the mouth of this wicked man to speak words as contrary to the desire of his heart, as those of the ass were to the powers of the brute. The miracle was as great in the one case as in the other. Balaa pronounces Israel safe. He owns he could do no more than God suffere him to do. He pronounces them happy in their distinction from the res of the nations. Happy in their numbers, which made them both honourabl and formidable. Happy in their last end. Death is the end of all men even the righteous must die, and it is good for us to think of thi with regard to ourselves, as Balaam does here, speaking of his ow death. He pronounces the righteous truly blessed, not only while the live, but when they die; which makes their death even more desirabl than life itself. But there are many who desire to die the death of the righteous, but do not endeavour to live the life of the righteous gladly would they have an end like theirs, but not a way like theirs They would be saints in heaven, but not saints on earth. This saying of Balaam's is only a wish, not a prayer; it is a vain wish, being only wish for the end, without any care for the means. Many seek to quie their consciences with the promise of future amendment, or take up with some false hope, while they neglect the only way of salvation, by whic a sinner can be righteous before God.
Original Hebrew
כי 3588 מראשׁ 7218 צרים 6697 אראנו 7200 ומגבעות 1389 אשׁורנו 7789 הן 2005 עם 5971 לבדד 910 ישׁכן 7931 ובגוים 1471 לא 3808 יתחשׁב׃ 2803
