12. And Balaam said unto Balak. Balaam speaks the truth, indeed, yet in a bad spirit, as we have seen: for he excuses himself with servility (171) to Balak, that it did not depend on himself that he did not comply with his wishes, but that God had stood in the way. For he grieves at the loss of his reward; and however grandly he may declaim on the supremacy of God, he still signifies that he has rather acted upon compulsion than willingly executed what was enjoined upon him. By “the word (sermonem) of Jehovah,” (172) he means not only His decree, but what had been dictated to him, and which he would have still greatly desired to alter; but he indicates that he was bound by the power of the Spirit to declare, even against his own will, whatever revelation he received. Thus the word “do” refers to his tongue, or his charge as a prophet; since he had not been hired by Balak to perform any manual act, but only to injure the people by his words. The word “heart” (173) is contrasted with the revelation of the Spirit; for impostors are said to speak out of their own heart, when they falsely make use of God’s name to cover their own inventions. He, therefore, declares that he was not at liberty to speak “of his own heart,” because he was the minister of the Spirit.
(171) “II fait le chien couchant.” — Fr.
(172) “The commandment of the Lord.” — A. V.
(173) “Of mine own mind.” — A. V.