Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Bill Rea <cctr114 AT it.canterbury.ac.nz>]

Trudy quoted:-

> 
> Believer’s study Bible [computer file]
> The name “Balaam,” perhaps an intentional corruption, meant “devourer of the
> people.” His claims to a relationship with Yahweh (“the Lord” in vv. 8, 13,
> 18, 19) were surely false (notice the narrator uniformly refers to the One
> speaking to Balaam as “God”), although the Lord condescended to speak to
> Balaam and to use him against his will. 

This is quite an interpretation. There is no evidence in the text (as I
read it) that Balaam was in any way forced against his will to speak.
Balaam was given a word and he spoke it, no coercion involved.  

>Isaac could not recall the blessing once the
>power of it had been released on Jacob (Gen. 27:35), even though the
>blessing had been secured by treachery.

Only if you believe Isaac was really decieved. I think there
is enough evidence in the text for you to gather that the story teller
wants to you know that Isaac was an active participant in the deception.

Bill Rea, Information Technology Dept., Canterbury  University  \_ 
E-Mail b dot rea at it dot canterbury dot ac dot nz             </   New 
Phone   64-3-364-2331, Fax     64-3-364-2332                   /)  Zealand 
Unix Systems Administrator                                    (/'