In a message dated 4/11/2006 11:51:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
dickfischer@verizon.net writes:
Well, let's take a look at a few more verses.
Numbers 23:19: “God is not a man ('ish), that he should lie; neither the son
of man (bene 'adam), that he should repent …”
I would read that as God is not a generic man or common man that he should
lie, neither is he a son of Adam that he should repent. All men can lie, but
only those in the covenant line from Adam can receive forgiveness through
repentance.
How would you read that? Is Numbers a poetic book?
Hi Dick,
although you are right that Numbers is not a poetic book, this is indeed a
poetic passage in that book. It is a prophetic utterance from Balaam. (You
knew this!) Notice the poetic structure. Every line has a parallel line, as in
classic Hebrew poetry:
Num 23:18-24
18 Then he took up his discourse and said,
"Arise, O Balak, and hear;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
19 "God is not a man, that He should lie,
nor a son of man, that He should repent;
has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 "Behold, I have received {a command} to bless;
when He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.
21 "He has not observed misfortune in Jacob;
nor has He seen trouble in Israel;
the LORD his God is with him,
and the shout of a king is among them.
22 "God brings them out of Egypt,
He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
23 "For there is no omen against Jacob,
nor is there any divination against Israel;
at the proper time it shall be said to Jacob
and to Israel, what God has done.
24 "Behold, a people rises like a lioness,
and as a lion it lifts itself;
it shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
and drinks the blood of the slain."
(NAS)
Not poetry??? :-)
Phil Metzger
Received on Wed Apr 12 20:04:50 2006
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