Numbers 24:2-12

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and ¹the Spirit of God came upon him.

3 He took up his discourse and said, "²The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;

4 The oracle of him who ³hears the words of God, Who sees the ⁴vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,

5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!

6 "Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like ⁵aloes planted by the LORD, Like ⁶cedars 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 ⁷Agag, ⁸And his kingdom shall be exalted.

8 "⁹God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. ¹⁰He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his ¹¹arrows.

9 "¹²He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? ¹³Blessed 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!

11 "Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the LORD has held you back from honor."

12 Balaam said to Balak, "¹⁴Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying,

Numbers 24:2-12 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.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 11:26; 1 Samuel 19:20; Revelation 1:10
• 2. Numbers 24:15, 16
• 3. Numbers 22:20
• 4. Genesis 15:1; Numbers 12:6
• 5. Psalms 45:8
• 6. Psalms 1:3
• 7. Numbers 24:20; 1 Samuel 15:8
• 8. Psalms 145:11-13
• 9. Numbers 23:22
• 10. Numbers 23:24; Psalms 2:9
• 11. Psalms 45:5
• 12. Genesis 49:9; Numbers 23:24
• 13. Genesis 12:3; Genesis 27:29
• 14. Numbers 22:18

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "dwelling"
• [b] Lit "parable," and so throughout the ch
• [c] Lit "sayings"
• [d] Heb "Shaddai"
• [e] Or possibly "palm trees"
• [f] Lit "bows down"
• [g] Or "lioness"
• [h] Lit "shall"
• [i] Lit "palms"
• [j] Lit "flee for yourself"