Thursday, February 29, 2024

Numbers 22:3

 Numbers 22:3

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.


a. ASV: And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]


b. YLT: And Moab is exceedingly afraid of the presence of the people, for it is numerous; and Moab is vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel,  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]


c. Classic Amplified: And Moab was terrified at the people and full of dread, because they were many. Moab was distressed and overcome with fear because of the Israelites.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]


d. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary:  Moab became very frightened of the people because it was numerous, and Moab was disgusted in the face of the Children of Israel. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]


e. Peshitta Eastern Text: And the Moabites were in great fear of the people because they were many; and Moab was distressed at the presence of the children of Israel.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]


f. ESV: And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]


1. “And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.”


a. [And] Moab [Strong: 4124 Môwʼâb, mo-awb; from a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m- and H1; from (her [the mother's]) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants:—Moab.]


b. [was] sore [Strong: 3966 mᵉʼôd, meh-ode'; from the same as H181; properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated):—diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast, good, great(-ly), × louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly, (so) sore, utterly, very ( much, sore), well.]


c. afraid [Strong: 1481 gûwr, goor; a primitive root; properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid):—abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, × surely.]


d. of [Strong: 6440 pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):— accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.]


e. [the] people [Strong: 5971 ʻam, am; from H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:—folk, men, nation, people.]


f. because [Strong: 3588 kîy, kee; a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:—and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]


g. they were [Strong: 1931 hûwʼ, hoo; of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is הִיא hîyʼ; he a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular; he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:—he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.]


h. many [Strong: 7227 rab, rab; by contracted from H7231; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality):—(in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).]

i. [and] Moab [Strong: 4124 Môwʼâb, mo-awb; from a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m- and H1; from (her [the mother's]) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants:—Moab.]


j. [was] distressed [Strong: 6973 qûwts, koots; a primitive root (identical with through the idea of severing oneself from (compare H6962)); to be (causatively, make) disgusted or anxious:—abhor, be distressed, be grieved, loathe, vex, be weary.]


k. because [Strong: 6440 pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):— accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.]


l. [of the] children [Strong: 1121 bên, bane; from H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.):—afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, × in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, rebel, + robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, + spark, steward, + stranger, × surely, them of, + tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]


m. [of] Israel [Strong: 3478 Yisrâʼêl, yis-raw-ale'; from H8280 and H410; he will rule as God; Jisraël, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:—Israel.]


1). Moab was distressed for the same reason as Balak. Balak saw what Israel did to the Amorite. So did all of Moab. The Amorite in question was Sihon (Numbers 21:21-32). But it was not just Sihon that Balak had heard about, he had heard about them coming out of Egypt (Numbers 22:11). The knowledge of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea was known all through the Middle Eastern nations and sung in a song of Moses.


a). Exodus 15:14-16 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.

15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.


2). Forty years later this is exactly what Rahab said to Joshua’s spies.


a). Joshua 2:8-11 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

2:10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.


3). The use of the phrase “that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more”, is similar to the phrase used in 1 Kings 10:5 in referring to the effect of Solomon’s godly administration upon the Queen of Sheba.


a). 1 Kings 10:1-5 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

10:2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.

10:4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

10:5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.


b). Most of the other translations read, “there was no more spirit in her”. The NIV says “she was overwhelmed”, while the Amplified Bible says, “she was breathless and overcome.” The similar aspect of these two passages is the use of the phrase “there was no more spirit”. There was no more spirit in the Canaanite and Amorite kings and there was no more spirit in the Queen of Sheba, and there was no more spirit in Rahab. All of these examples use the same Hebrew words. They were all hopeless at what was facing them. The most important aspect of these similarities is the fact of how each responded to their situation. The Queen of Sheba and Rahab got right with the one true God, while the Canaanite and Amorite kings went to war against Israel.


(1). Jesus said in Matthew 12:42 the queen of the south (Sheba) would rise in judgment against the generation that rejects Jesus and as the Apostle Paul relates in 1 Corinthians 6:2, that only the saints shall judge the world.


c). I conclude that God’s desired effect was the nations to hear of His great power and accept Him as the one true God.


(1). Romans 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 


(2). Romans 10:12-14 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

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