8 God H410 brought him forth H3318 out of Egypt; H4714 he hath as it were the strength H8443 of an unicorn: H7214 he shall eat up H398 the nations H1471 his enemies, H6862 and shall break H1633 their bones, H6106 and pierce H4272 them through with his arrows. H2671
God H410 brought them out H3318 of Egypt; H4714 he hath as it were the strength H8443 of an unicorn. H7214
Thou shalt break H7489 them with a rod H7626 of iron; H1270 thou shalt dash them in pieces H5310 like a potter's H3335 vessel. H3627
I reckoned H7737 till morning, H1242 that, as a lion, H738 so will he break H7665 all my bones: H6106 from day H3117 even to night H3915 wilt thou make an end H7999 of me.
For, lo, I will raise H5782 and cause to come up H5927 against Babylon H894 an assembly H6951 of great H1419 nations H1471 from the north H6828 country: H776 and they shall set themselves in array H6186 against her; from thence she shall be taken: H3920 their arrows H2671 shall be as of a mighty H1368 expert man; H7919 H7921 none shall return H7725 in vain. H7387
And the people H5971 spake H1696 against God, H430 and against Moses, H4872 Wherefore have ye brought us up H5927 out of Egypt H4714 to die H4191 in the wilderness? H4057 for there is no bread, H3899 neither is there any water; H4325 and our soul H5315 loatheth H6973 this light H7052 bread. H3899
When the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall bring H935 thee into the land H776 whither thou goest H935 to possess H3423 it, and hath cast out H5394 many H7227 nations H1471 before H6440 thee, the Hittites, H2850 and the Girgashites, H1622 and the Amorites, H567 and the Canaanites, H3669 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites, H2983 seven H7651 nations H1471 greater H7227 and mightier H6099 than thou;
I will heap H5595 mischiefs H7451 upon them; I will spend H3615 mine arrows H2671 upon them.
Therefore shalt thou make H7896 them turn their back, H7926 when thou shalt make ready H3559 thine arrows upon thy strings H4340 against the face H6440 of them.
And the king H4430 commanded, H560 and they brought H858 those H479 men H1400 which had accused H399 H7170 Daniel, H1841 and they cast H7412 them into the den H1358 of lions, H744 them, H581 their children, H1123 and their wives; H5389 and the lions H744 had the mastery H5705 H7981 of them, and brake H1855 all H3606 their bones H1635 in pieces H1855 or ever H3809 they came H4291 at the bottom H773 of the den. H1358
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 24
Commentary on Numbers 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
Nu 24:1-25. Balaam Foretells Israel's Happiness.
1. to seek for—that is, to use enchantments. His experience on the two former occasions [Nu 23:3, 15] had taught him that these superstitious accompaniments of his worship were useless, and therefore he now simply looked towards the camp of Israel, either with a secret design to curse them, or to await the divine afflatus.
2. he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes—that is, in the orderly distribution of the camp (Nu 2:1-34).
the spirit of God came upon him—Before the regular ministry of the prophets was instituted, God made use of various persons as the instruments through whom He revealed His will, and Balaam was one of these (De 23:5).
3. the man whose eyes are open—that is, a seer (1Sa 9:9), a prophet, to whom the visioned future was disclosed—sometimes when falling into a sleep (Ge 15:12-15), frequently into "a trance."
5-7. How goodly are thy tents, … O Israel!—a fine burst of admiration, expressed in highly poetical strains. All travellers describe the beauty which the circular area of Bedouin tents impart to the desert. How impressive, then, must have been the view, as seen from the heights of Abarim, of the immense camp of Israel extended over the subjacent plains.
6. As the valleys—Hebrew, "brooks," the watercourses of the mountains.
lign aloes—an aromatic shrub on the banks of his native Euphrates, the conical form of which suggested an apt resemblance to a tent. The redundant imagery of these verses depicts the humble origin, rapid progress, and prosperity of Israel.
7. his king shall be higher than Agag—The Amalekites were then the most powerful of all the desert tribes, and "Agag" a title common to their kings.
10-14. Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together—The "smiting of the hands together" is, among Oriental people, an indication of the most violent rage (see Eze 21:17; 22:13) and ignominious dismissal.
15. he took his parable—or prophecy, uttered in a poetical style.
17. I shall see him—rather, "I do see" or "I have seen him"—a prophetic sight, like that of Abraham (Joh 8:56).
him—that is, Israel.
there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel—This imagery, in the hieroglyphic language of the East, denotes some eminent ruler—primarily David; but secondarily and pre-eminently, the Messiah (see on Ge 49:10).
corners—border, often used for a whole country (Ex 8:2; Ps 74:17).
children of Sheth—some prince of Moab; or, according to some, "the children of the East."
18. Edom shall be a possession—This prophecy was accomplished by David (2Sa 8:14).
Seir—seen in the south, and poetically used for Edom. The double conquest of Moab and Edom is alluded to (Ps 60:8; 108:9).
19. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion—David, and particularly Christ.
that remaineth of the city—those who flee from the field to fortified places (Ps 60:9).
20. Amalek … his latter end shall be that he perish for ever—Their territory was seen at the remote extremity of the desert. (See on Ex 17:13; also 1Sa 15:1-35).
21. Kenites … nest in a rock—Though securely established among the clefts in the high rocks of En-gedi towards the west, they should be gradually reduced by a succession of enemies till the Assyrian invader carried them into captivity (Jud 1:16; 4:11, 16, 17; also 2Ki 15:29; 17:6).
23. who shall live when God doeth this!—Few shall escape the desolation that shall send a Nebuchadnezzar to scourge all those regions.
24. Chittim—the countries lying on the Mediterranean, particularly Greece and Italy (Da 11:29, 30). The Assyrians were themselves to be overthrown—first, by the Greeks under Alexander the Great and his successors; secondly, by the Romans.
Eber—the posterity of the Hebrews (Ge 10:24).
he also shall perish—that is, the conqueror of Asher and Eber, namely, the Greek and Roman empires.
25. Balaam rose up, and went … to his place—Mesopotamia, to which, however, he did not return. (See on Nu 31:8).