Numbers 24:17-25

17 I will point to him, but not now; I bless him, but he draws not near: a star shall rise out of Jacob, a man shall spring out of Israel; and shall crush the princes of Moab, and shall spoil all the sons of Seth.

18 And Edom shall be an inheritance, and Esau his enemy shall be an inheritance , and Israel wrought valiantly.

19 And shall arise out of Jacob, and destroy out of the city him that escapes.

20 And having seen Amalec, he took up his parable and said, Amalec the first of the nations; yet his seed shall perish.

21 And having seen the Kenite, he took up his parable and said, thy dwelling-place strong; yet though thou shouldest put thy nest in a rock,

22 and though Beor should have a skillfully contrived hiding-place, the Assyrians shall carry thee away captive.

23 And he looked upon Og, and took up his parable and said, Oh, oh, who shall live, when God shall do these things?

24 And one shall come forth from the hands of the Citians, and shall afflict Assur, and shall afflict the Hebrews, and they shall perish together.

25 And Balaam rose up and departed and returned to his place, and Balac went to his own home.

Numbers 24:17-25 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. nest of cunning
• [b]. put
• [c]. men of Heber.
• [d]. chez lui