민수기 22:18의 주석

מלא ביתו כסף וזהב [IF BALAK WOULD GIVE ME HIS HOUSE] FULL OF SILVER AND GOLD — This tells us that he was avaricious and covetous of other peoples wealth. He said: He ought to give me all his silver and gold, for, behold, he would otherwise have to hire many armies to fight against them. Even then it is doubtful whether he would conquer or not conquer, but “I” would certainly conquer (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 6).

ויאמר אל עבדי בלק, ”He said to the servants of Balak, etc.” The first delegation was described by the Torah as consisting of שרי בלק, ministers of Balak. The title conferred by the Torah on the members of the second delegation is that they were עבדי בלק, ”servants of Balak.” This sounds strange seeing that they had previously been described as of even higher rank than the first delegation. Perhaps the Torah merely wanted to show us the haughtiness of Bileam who considered even the members of this delegation as merely: “Balak’s servants.” When he spoke to them he related to them as someone’s underlings, not as high-ranking officers in their own right.

ואמר אל עבדי בלק, אם יתן לי בלק, “He said to Balak’s servants: even if Balak were to give me, etc.” Earlier the first group of emissaries had been described as שרי בלק; the new delegation is described by Bileam as עבדי בלק. The first delegation who had behaved towards Bileam with deference had been rewarded by him in that he considered them as שרי בלק, Balak’s princes. The second group who related to Bileam in a peremptory manner, saying: “Balak said not to refuse to come to me,” he treated with disdain seeing they had been arrogant towards him. Hence he treated them as merely עבדי בלק “Balak’s servants.” He also wanted to allude to the fact that they who were merely the servants of a mortal king and not allowed to disobey their ruler, must surely understand that he as a servant of an immortal King, G’d, could most certainly not disobey His instructions.