Numbers 24:3-13

3 And he toke vp his parable and sayed: Bala the sonne of Beor hath sayed

4 and the man whose eye is open hath sayed: he hath sayed which heareth the wordes of God and seeth the visions of the allmightie which falleth downe and his eyes are opened.

5 How goodly are the tentes of Iacob and thine habitacions Israel

6 euen as the brode valeyes and as gardens by the ryuerssyde as the tentes which the Lorde hath pitched and as ciperstrees apon the water.

7 The water shall flowe out of his boket and his seed shall be many waters and his kynge shalbe hyer then Agag And his kyngdome shalbe exalted.

8 God that broughte him out of Egipte is as the strenght of an vnycorne vnto him and he shall eate the nacions that are his enemies and breake their bones and perse them thorow with his arowes.

9 He couched him selfe and laye doune as a lion and as a lyonesse who shall stere him vp? blessed is he that blesseth the ad cursed is he that curseth the.

10 And Balac was wroth with balam and smote his handes together and sayed vnto him: I sent for the to curse myne enemyes: and beholde thou hast blessed them this thre tymes

11 and now gett the quyckly vnto thi place. I thoughte that I wolde promote the vnto honoure but the Lorde hath kepte the backe from worshepe.

12 And Balam sayed vnto Balac: tolde I not thi messegers which thou sentest vnto me sayenge:

13 Yf balac wolde geue me his house ful of syluer ad golde I can not passe the mouth of the Lorde to doo ether good or bad of myne awne mynde. What the Lorde sayeth that must I speake.

Numbers 24:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 24

In this chapter we are told, that Balaam leaving his enchantments, the Spirit of God came on him, and he spake of the happiness of Israel, and prophesied of their future greatness and glory, Nu 24:1-9 which so exasperated Balak, that he ordered him at once to depart from him, Nu 24:10,11. Balaam justified himself in what he said and did, and suggested that before they parted, he had something to say in a prophetic manner, concerning what Israel should do to Moab in "future" times, Nu 24:12-14 and then prophesies concerning the Messiah, and the destruction of Moab, and of some neighbouring nations, and even of some at a greater distance, as the Assyrians and Romans, Nu 24:15-25.