18 And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, `for' its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;
So that they possess the remnant of Edom, And all the nations on whom My name is called, An affirmation of Jehovah -- doer of this.
peoples serve thee, and nations bow themselves to thee, be thou mighty over thy brethren, and the sons of thy mother bow themselves to thee; those who curse thee `are' cursed, and those who bless thee `are' blessed.'
and by thy sword dost thou live, and thy brother dost thou serve; and it hath come to pass when thou rulest, that thou hast broken his yoke from off thy neck.'
And Jacob sendeth messengers before him unto Esau his brother, towards the land of Seir, the field of Edom,
To the Overseer. -- `Concerning the Lily of Testimony,' a secret treasure of David, to teach, in his striving with Aram-Naharaim, and with Aram-Zobah, and Joab turneth back and smiteth Edom in the valley of Salt -- twelve thousand. O God, Thou hadst cast us off, Thou hadst broken us -- hadst been angry! -- Thou dost turn back to us.
Moab `is' my pot for washing, over Edom I cast my shoe, Shout, concerning me, O Philistia. Who doth bring me `to' a city of bulwarks? Who hath led me unto Edom? Is it not Thou, O God? hast Thou cast us off? And dost Thou not go forth, O God, with our hosts! Give to us help from adversity, And vain `is' the deliverance of man. In God we do mightily, And He treadeth down our adversaries!
For soaked in the heavens was My sword, Lo, on Edom it cometh down, On the people of My curse for judgment.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Numbers 24
Commentary on Numbers 24 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 24
This chapter continues and concludes the history of the defeat of the counsels of Balak and Balaam against Israel, not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts; and as great an instance it is of God's power over the children of men, and his favour towards his own children, as any of the victories recorded in the book of the wars of the Lord. What preparation was made the third time for the cursing of Israel we read of in the close of the foregoing chapter. In this chapter we are told,
Num 24:1-9
The blessing itself which Balaam here pronounces upon Israel is much the same with the two we had in the foregoing chapter; but the introduction to it is different.
Num 24:10-14
We have here the conclusion of this vain attempt to curse Israel, and the total abandonment of it.
Num 24:15-25
The office of prophets was both to bless and to prophesy in the name of the Lord. Balaam, as a prophet, per force had blessed Israel; here he foretels future events.