Numbers 24:8-18

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.

14 And now beholde I goo vnto my people: come let me shewe the what this people shall doo to thi folke in the later dayes.

15 And he began his parable ad sayed: Balam the sonne of Beor hath sayed and ye man that hath his eye open hath sayed

16 and he hath sayed that heareth the wordes of God and hath the knowlege of the most hye and beholdeth ye vision of the allmightie and when he falleth downe hath his eyes opened.

17 I se him but not now I beholde him but not nye. There shall come a starre of Iacob and ryse a cepter of Israel which shall smyte ye coostes of Moab and vndermyne all the childern of Seth.

18 And Edom shalbe his possession and ye possession of Seir shalbe their enimyes and Israel shall doo manfully.

Numbers 24:8-18 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.