Numbers 22:31

22:31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground. ¹ 

Numbers 22:1

Balaam Refuses to Curse Israel

22:1 ² The Israelites traveled on ³  and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River ⁴  across from Jericho. ⁵ 

Numbers 19:1

The Red Heifer Ritual

19:1 ⁶ The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

Ezekiel 1:28

1:28 like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds after the rain. ⁷  This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the Lord. When I saw ⁸  it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.

Daniel 8:17-18

8:17 So he approached the place where I was standing. As he came, I felt terrified and fell flat on the ground. ⁹  Then he said to me, “Understand, son of man, ¹⁰  that the vision pertains to the time of the end.” 8:18 As he spoke with me, I fell into a trance with my face to the ground. But he touched me and stood me upright. ¹¹ 

Daniel 10:15-16

10:15 While he was saying this to me, ¹²  I was flat on ¹³  the ground and unable to speak. 10:16 Then ¹⁴  one who appeared to be a human being ¹⁵  was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, “Sir, ¹⁶  due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I have no strength.

Revelation 1:10

1:10 I was in the Spirit ¹⁷  on the Lord’s Day ¹⁸  when ¹⁹  I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

Revelation 1:17

1:17 When ²⁰  I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but ²¹  he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last,

¹ tn The Hishtaphel verb חָוָה (khavah) – שָׁחָה (shakhah) with metathesis – has a basic idea of “bow oneself low to the ground,” and perhaps in some cases the idea of “coil up.” This is the normal posture of prayer and of deep humility in the ancient religious world.

² sn The fifth section of the book (22:1-33:56) traces the Israelite activities in Transjordan. It is hard to determine how long they were in Transjordan, but a good amount of time must have elapsed for the number of moves they made and the wars they fought. There is a considerable amount of information available on this section of the book. Some of the most helpful works include: H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS); E. Burrows, The Oracles of Jacob and Balaam; G. W. Coats, “Balaam, Sinner or Saint?” BR 18 (1973): 21-29; P. C. Craigie, “The Conquest and Early Hebrew Poetry,” TynBul 20 (1969): 76-94; I. Parker, “The Way of God and the Way of Balaam,” ExpTim 17 (1905): 45; and J. A. Wharton, “The Command to Bless: An Exposition of Numbers 22:41–23:25,” Int 13 (1959): 37-48. This first part introduces the characters and sets the stage for the oracles. It can be divided into four sections: the invitation declined (vv. 1-14), the second invitation extended (vv. 15-21), God opposes Balaam (vv. 22-35), and Balaam meets Balak (vv. 36-41).

³ tn The verse begins with the vav (ו) consecutive.

⁴ tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁵ map For the location of Jericho see Map5-B2; Map6-E1; Map7-E1; Map8-E3; Map10-A2; Map11-A1.

⁶ sn In the last chapter the needs of the priests and Levites were addressed. Now the concern is for the people. This provision from the sacrifice of the red heifer is a precaution to ensure that the purity of the tabernacle was not violated by pollutions of impurity or death. This chapter has two main parts, both dealing with ceremonial purity: the ritual of the red heifer (vv. 1-10), and the purification from uncleanness (vv. 11-22). For further study see J. Milgrom, “The Paradox of the Red Cow (Num 19),” VT 31 (1981): 62-72.

⁷ sn Reference to the glowing substance and the brilliant light and storm phenomena in vv. 27-28a echoes in reverse order the occurrence of these phenomena in v. 4.

⁸ tn The vision closes with the repetition of the verb “I saw” from the beginning of the vision in 1:4.

⁹ tn Heb “on my face.”

¹⁰ tn Or “human one.”

¹¹ tn Heb “on my standing.”

¹² tn Heb “speaking to me according to these words.”

¹³ tn Heb “I placed my face toward.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “Behold.”

¹⁵ tc So most Hebrew MSS; one Hebrew MS along with the Dead Sea Scrolls and LXX read “something that looked like a man’s hand.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “my lord,” here a title of polite address. Cf. v. 19.

¹⁷ tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).

¹⁸ tn Concerning the phrase κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ (kuriakh Jhmera) BDAG 576 s.v. κυριακός states: “pert. to belonging to the Lord, the Lord’s…κ. ἡμέρᾳ the Lord’s day (Kephal. I 192, 1; 193, 31…) i.e. certainly Sunday (so in Mod. Gk….) Rv 1:10 (WStott, NTS 12, ’65, 70-75).”

¹⁹ tn The conjunction καί (kai) is not introducing a coordinate thought, but one that is logically subordinate to the main verb ἐγενόμην (egenomhn).

²⁰ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

²¹ tn Here the Greek conjunction καί (kai) has been translated as a contrastive (“but”) due to the contrast between the two clauses.