Commentaria in Numeros
I say, then, “whose eye is stopped up” means, as if to say: Who in sleep, when the eyes are closed, received a prophetic vision from God. For that God spoke to Balaam in sleep once and a second time is plain from chapter 22, verses 8 and 20. So Rabanus and Abulensis, who, though he seems at first to refute this exposition, yet a little after approves it and prefers it to others. It might be explained secondly thus, “whose eye is stopped up,” that is, who, rapt into ecstasy and alienated from the senses, saw the visions of God.
Recent writers translate the contrary, whose eyes are opened, but wrongly. For the Hebrew shatam, with sin, as also satam with samech, signifies to stop up, not to open, as Oleaster rightly shows (2).
(1) “As he had gone before,” the Hebrew is, as on the former occasion, the order of the words being inverted, that is, as he was wont before,
4. WHO FALLETH (namely into sleep, or alienation from the senses), AND THUS HIS EYES ARE OPENED—namely of the mind, by the prophetic light. For he says the same, but in other words, as what he said in the preceding verse. So the Septuagint and Philo. Secondly, “Who falleth,” they say, that is, who falls into a swoon of soul and body, so that the body collapses and falls down, as soon as his eyes are opened in the vision (3).
Tropologically St. Gregory, homily 9 on Ezechiel: “Falling,” he says, “Balaam had his eyes open, for he saw what was right to say, but despised to do rightly; falling, namely, in perverse work, and having his eyes open in holy preaching.” For, as St. Augustine says in the Sentences, Sentence 6: “True is the confession of one who blesses when the sound of mouth and heart is the same: but to speak well and live ill is nothing else than to condemn oneself by one’s own voice.”
5 and 6. HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THY TABERNACLES, JACOB, etc., AS WOODY VALLEYS, AS WATERED GARDENS NEAR THE RIVERS, AS TABERNACLES WHICH THE LORD HATH PITCHED, AS CEDARS BY THE WATERSIDE.—For “woody valleys,” the Hebrew is kenachalim nittayu, that is, as valleys spreading out, namely the branches of their trees. Whence the Septuagint translate, as shady valleys. It may be translated secondly, with the Chaldee and recent writers, as torrents spreading out, that is, flowing widely and amply.
Note: the tabernacles of Israel are here first compared to a woody valley, which has many trees like a wood; for as in that great number of trees there are first, greenness and beauty; secondly, agreement; thirdly, shade: so likewise these three were in the tents of the camp of Israel.
Secondly, they are compared to gardens by the rivers watered: for these are always green and give fruit abundantly in season; such were the tents of Israel and of other godly men. Whence of the just man it is said, Psalm 1: “And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.”
Thirdly, they are compared to tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched, which are solid and firm, as erected and established by the Lord: such also was the camp of Israel; so that none of the enemies could shake it, because God preserved it solidly. Note: for “tabernacles” may be translated, with the Chaldee and Vatablus, cassia, or aromatic trees, which the Lord hath planted: for with these Israel and godly men are rightly compared (4).
Fourthly, they are compared to cedars by the waters; for cedars, being great and tall, need great watering and nourishment, and accordingly grow most near waters: so also Israel placed near waters and the sea, that is, near its God, who poured on it abundantly manna and all it needed, wonderfully grew: and this is what Moses himself boasts for them, saying, Deuteronomy 4:7: “Neither is there any other nation so great, that hath gods so nigh them, as our God is present to all our petitions.”
Wherefore the Jerusalem Paraphrast translates more closely thus: “How good are the tabernacles in which Jacob their father prayed, and the tabernacle of the covenant which you made to my name, and the tents round about the house of Israel. As torrents prevail, so also shall the Israelites prevail over their enemies. As are gardens planted at the springs of waters, so shall their cities be, bringing forth, namely Scribes and Doctors of the law. And as the heaven is which the word of the Lord spreads out for the dwelling of his rest, so shall the Israelites live and endure for ever. Comely and renowned are they as cedars by the waters, which are lifted up by growing.”
Anagogically, by these tabernacles is signified the beauty of the heavenly Jerusalem. So St. Fulgentius, coming to Rome, and seeing, Theodoric king of the Goths being present in assembly, the nobility, dignity and order of the Roman court, said to his companions: “Brethren, how beautiful may the heavenly Jerusalem be, if earthly Rome so shines? And if in this world the dignity of so great honour is given to those who love vanity, what honour, glory and peace will be bestowed on the Saints contemplating truth?” So the author of his Life relates, chapter 12.
7. WATER SHALL FLOW OUT OF HIS BUCKET.—By the bucket he means the stock and posterity of Israel, as if to say: As a full bucket gives water copiously, so the stock of Israel shall be fruitful, and shall beget many sons: that this is the genuine and literal sense is plain from the Hebrew, which has the second member, as is the custom, explaining the first, when it says: “And his seed shall be in many waters.”
(4) The tree is fragrant, called by the Greeks agallochon, to later writers aloexylon, to the more recent lignum aloes. This tree, says Rosenmüller on this place, is very great and shady, and its wood very fragrant. [Great is the esteem for it among all Mohammedans, especially those who promise a beard, namely Turks and Arabs, who, when they visit one another, hold nothing more important than that, a little piece of wood being somewhat moistened and cast into the censer, they raise a most fragrant odour, with which they perfume their beards. The Orientals ascribe this tree to Paradise, whence also the Belgians are wont to call it Paradijs-hout, tree of Paradise; and that Balaam had this opinion in view when he said “which the Lord hath pitched” is likely, says Michaelis. More likely, however, seems the opinion of those who think that by the words “which the Lord hath planted” are indicated trees which are not planted by the work of men, but come up in good soil and turn out most beautiful (cf. Psalm 103:16); or which are of such excellence that they must be said to be not sown by human hand, but given by God. Moreover, that “tabernacles” be translated, the parallelism of the members scarcely persuades us to remark, the following hemistich, which, as is usual, explains the former.]
Secondly, symbolically: “Water shall flow out of his bucket,” as if to say: As water drawn from a well by a bucket is poured from it into other vessels, so the water of wisdom and of the divine law, drawn by the buckets, that is, by the books and Prophets of Israel, shall be poured over and dispersed among other nations. In like sense Isaias says, chapter 2: “Out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” So Lyranus and Cajetan.
Hence, thirdly, the Hebrews here allegorically understand the Messias, or Christ, and that first because Christ, as water, flowed from the bucket of Israel, that is, from the seed of the patriarchs. Secondly, because from Christ as from a bucket water, that is, saving doctrine, flowed: for Christ poured it out like water, both by himself and by his disciples. Whence he himself says, John 7:37: “If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that believeth in me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” So Abulensis.
AND HIS SEED SHALL BE IN MANY WATERS.—Behold, here he explains the bucket, and calls it seed, which, he says, “shall be in many waters,” that is, among many peoples. For Scripture often by waters signifies peoples, as Isaias 48:1: “You that are come forth out of the waters of Juda”; and Jeremias 47:2: “Behold waters (that is, Nabuchodonosor with his multitude) rise up from the north”; and Apocalypse 17:15: “The waters which thou sawest are peoples”; as if to say: The seed, that is, the posterity, of Israel shall be propagated among many peoples, both properly and naturally by generation, so that their descendants may grow into a great multitude: whence Vatablus translates, his seed shall be in many waters, as if to say: The posterity of Israel shall be fruitful, and its seeds shall take great increase, as shoots are wont in watered places. Then politically by empire: whence the Septuagint and Chaldees translate, a man shall come forth of his seed, and shall rule over many nations, so that Saul here is designated, the first king of Israel, of whom there follows next.
Now the symbolic and allegorical sense here is the same as that which I gave in the former hemistich: so Abulensis.
FOR AGAG HIS KING SHALL BE REMOVED.—Our interpreter translates rightly; for in the Hebrew it is word for word, he shall take away his kingdom for Agag; for the Hebrew rum signifies not only to exalt but also to take away and to separate; whence terumah is called a separation. Now the sense is, as if to say: Saul, the first king of Israel, on account of Agag king of Amalec, preserved by him (because, namely, he spared him when taken, contrary to the command of the Lord), shall be removed, lest he be heir of the kingdom, and therefore his kingdom shall be taken away, lest it descend to his stock, but be transferred to David and his stock. See the history 1 Kings 15. So Rabanus and Bede here, and St. Jerome on Ezechiel 37.