Numbers 24:4-14

4 he says who hears the oracle of the Mighty One, who saw a vision of God in sleep; his eyes were opened:

5 How goodly thy habitations, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!

6 as shady groves, and as gardens by a river, and as tents which God pitched, and as cedars by the waters.

7 There shall come a man out of his seed, and he shall rule over many nations; and the kingdom of Gog shall be exalted, and his kingdom shall be increased.

8 God led him out of Egypt; he has as it were the glory of a unicorn: he shall consume the nations of his enemies, and he shall drain their marrow, and with his darts he shall shoot through the enemy.

9 He lay down, he rested as a lion, and as a young lion; who shall stir him up? they that bless thee are blessed, and they that curse thee are cursed.

10 And Balac was angry with Balaam, and clapped his hands together; and Balac said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemy, and behold thou hast decidedly blessed this third time.

11 Now therefore flee to thy place: I said, I will honour thee, but now the Lord has deprived thee of glory.

12 And Balaam said to Balac, Did I not speak to thy messengers also whom thou sentest to me, saying,

13 If Balac should give me his house full of silver and gold, I shall not be able to transgress the word of the Lord to make it good or bad by myself; whatsoever things God shall say, them will I speak.

14 And now, behold, I return to my place; come, I will advise thee of what this people shall do to thy people in the last days.

Numbers 24:4-14 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]. suck the marrow out of their fat
• [b]. go beyond