John Calvin Commentary Numbers 23:7

"And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel." — Numbers 23:7 (ASV)

And he took up his parable and said.

The word משל, mashal, signifies all weighty and notable sayings, especially when expressed in exalted language. The meaning, therefore, is that Balaam began to speak eloquently and in an extraordinary manner.

Nor can it be doubted that he aroused Balak’s attention with this grandeur of language through God’s secret influence. This was so that the wretched man might acknowledge that Balaam now spoke not as a mere human, but that there was something of divine inspiration in his words, causing his mind to be more deeply affected by the revelation.

The sum of what he said was to this effect: there was not merely perversity and foolishness in Balak’s design to curse the people, but whatever he attempted would be vain and useless, since he was fighting against God.

At the same time, Balaam renounces for himself that power which Balak was persuaded he eminently possessed. For Moses has already recorded the words of Balak previously spoken: I know that he whom thou cursest is cursed, as if the power of God were transferred to him, so that he might exercise it according to his will. But what was this, if not to depose God from His supremacy?

Consequently, this abominable notion is refuted by the mouth of Balaam when he attributes the right of blessing to God alone: How (he says) should I curse except according to God’s command?

This is not to say that God always restrains the wicked from declaring what is opposed to His truth. For we know that they often talk foolishly at random, vomit forth their blasphemies by the mouthful, obscure the light with their falsehoods, and endeavor, as much as they can, to overthrow the faithfulness of God.

But because Balaam was compelled to play a different part, namely, to proclaim the revelation suggested to him by God, he confesses that his tongue was tied, so that he could not utter a single syllable against God’s command.

Since Syria is mentioned, some have supposed that Balaam was brought from Mesopotamia. This mistake gained some plausibility because the art of divination originated among the Chaldeans.

But, as has been said before, it is not credible that the man’s fame could have extended so far. Again, in the short time during which the people remained there, how could an embassy have been twice sent to such a distant country? Such a journey would have taken at least six months. Besides, we shall soon see that he was slain among the Midianites.

However, it is very probable that the country was included under the name of Aram or Syria, which even secular authors describe as adjacent to Arabia, towards the Red Sea.

Now, since, in relation to the land of Moab, Midian was to the east and, moreover, was high and mountainous, it is rightly added that he was called from the mountains of the east. Thus he designates a place well known to the Moabites because of its proximity to them.