not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither had he seen perverseness in
Israel; {20} i.e., they were a people of virtue and piety, so far as
not to have drawn down by their iniquity that curse which he was
soliciting leave to pronounce upon them. So that the state of
Balaam's mind was this: he wanted to do what he knew to be very
wicked, and contrary to the express command of God; he had inward
checks and restraints which he could not entirely get over; he
therefore casts about for ways to reconcile this wickedness with his
duty. How great a paradox soever this may appear, as it is indeed a
contradiction in terms, it is the very account which the Scripture
gives us of him.

But there is a more surprising piece of iniquity yet behind. Not
daring in his religious character, as a prophet, to assist the king
of Moab, he considers whether there might not be found some other
means of assisting him against that very people, whom he himself by
the fear of God was restrained from cursing in words. One would not
think it possible that the weakness, even of religious self-deceit
in its utmost excess, could have so poor a distinction, so fond an
evasion, to serve itself of. But so it was; and he could think of
no other method than to betray the children of Israel to provoke His
wrath, who was their only strength and defence. The temptation
which he pitched upon was that concerning which Solomon afterwards
observed, that it had cast down many wounded; yea, many strong men
had been slain by it: and of which he himself was a sad example,
when his wives turned away his heart after other gods. This
succeeded: the people sin against God; and thus the Prophet's
counsel brought on that destruction which he could by no means be
prevailed upon to assist with the religious ceremony of execration,
which the king of Moab thought would itself have affected it. Their