וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהִנּ֤וֹ נִצָּב֙ עַל־עֹ֣לָת֔וֹ וְשָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָ֖ב אִתּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ בָּלָ֔ק מַה־דִּבֶּ֖ר יְהוָֽה׃
Er kam zu ihm, er stand neben seinem Ganzopfer und die Fürsten Moabs bei ihm, und Balak sprach zu ihm: Was hat der Herr geredet?
Rashi on Numbers
ושרי מואב עמו AND THE PRINCES OF MOAB WITH HIM — But above (v. 6) it states, “And all the princes of Moab”?! As soon as they saw that there was no hope for them in him, part of them went away, and only part of them remained (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13).
Siftei Chakhamim
This denotes derision. For if not so, he should have inquired, “What do you [have to] say?” It was obvious that he had asked what Hashem had said. (Gur Aryeh) For if this were not so, why did he need to ask, given that he would certainly tell him what Hashem said, as he did at first? Rather, he intended to deride him.
Rav Hirsch on Torah
V. 17. ושרי מואב, nicht וכל שרי מואב wie V. 6. Nach dem ersten misslungenen Versuch hatten sich bereits mehrere entfernt.