פּירוש אויף במדבר 23:17

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).

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.

V. 17. ושרי מואב, nicht וכל שרי מואב wie V. 6. Nach dem ersten misslungenen Versuch hatten sich bereits mehrere entfernt.

מה דבר ה׳ WHAT HATH THE LORD SPOKEN? — This was a derisive expression, as much as to say, “You are not your own master” (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13).