Numbers 24:8

8 "¹God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. ²He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his ³arrows.

Numbers 24:8 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 24:8

God brought him forth out of Egypt, he hath as it were the
strength of an unicorn
Here he repeats what he had said in a former prophecy, (See Gill on Numbers 23:22): he shall eat up the nations his enemies: the seven nations of Canaan, which should be subdued by Israel, and that with as much ease as a lion devours its prey; nor would the Canaanites be able to make any more resistance to them than a creature in the paws of a lion; and the phrase denotes the utter destruction of them:

and shall break their bones;
as the lion breaks the bones of such creatures that fall a prey to him; signifying that all their strength should be taken from them, their mighty men slain, and their fortified cities taken:

and pierce [them] through with his arrows:
slay them utterly.

Numbers 24:8 In-Context

6 "Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD , Like cedars beside the waters.

7 "Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed will be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 "God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows.

9 "He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you."

10 Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 23:22
• 2. Numbers 23:24; Psalms 2:9
• 3. Psalms 45:5