of deception, by way of punishment
for former crimes, Josephus never scruples to admit, as ever esteeming
such wicked men justly and providentially deceived]. But perhaps we had
better keep here close to the text which says Numbers 23:20, 21, that
God only permitted Balaam to go along with the ambassadors, in case
they came and called him, or positively insisted on his going along with
them, on any terms; whereas Balaam seems out of impatience to have risen
up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and rather to have called them,
than staid for their calling him, so zealous does he seem to have been
for his reward of divination, his wages of unrighteousness, Numbers
23:7, 17, 18, 37; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 5, 11; which reward or wages the
truly religious prophets of God never required nor accepted, as our
Josephus justly takes notice in the cases of Samuel, Antiq. B. V. ch.
4. sect. 1, and Daniel, Antiq. B. X. ch. 11. sect. 3. See also Genesis
14:22, 23; 2 Kings 5:15, 16, 26, 27; and Acts 8;17-24.

[9] Whether Josephus had in his copy but two attempts of Balaam in all
to curse Israel; or whether by this his twice offering sacrifice, he
meant twice besides that first time already mentioned, which yet is not
very probable; cannot now be certainly determined. In the mean time,
all other copies have three such attempts of Balaam to curse them in the
present history.

[10] Such a large and distinct account of this perversion of the
Israelites by the Midianite women, of which our other copies give us but
short intimations, Numbers 31:16 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11; Revelation
2:14, is preserved, as Reland informs us, in the Samaritan Chronicle, in
Philo, and in other writings of the Jews, as well as here by Josephus.

[11] This grand maxim, That God's people of Israel could never be hurt
nor destroyed, but by drawing them to sin against God, appears to be
true, by the entire history of that people, both in the Bible and in
Josephus; and is often taken notice of in them both. See in particular a
most remarkable Ammonite testimony to this purpose, Judith 5:5-21.

[12] What Josephus here puts into the mouths of these Midianite women,
who came to entice the Israelites to lewdness and idolatry, viz. that
their worship of the God of Israel, in opposition to their idol gods,
implied their living according to the holy laws which the true God
had given them by Moses, in opposition to those impure laws which were
observed under their false gods