Numbers 24

¹And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

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.

²And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

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).

³And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

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.”

⁵How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!

⁶As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

⁷He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

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.

¹⁰And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

¹¹Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

¹²And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,

¹³If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?

¹⁴And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

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.

¹⁵And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

15. he took his parable--or prophecy, uttered in a poetical style.

¹⁷I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

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; Psa 74:17). children of Sheth--some prince of Moab; or, according to some, “the children of the East.”

¹⁸And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

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 (Psa 60:8; 108:9).

¹⁹Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

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 (Psa 60:9).

²⁰And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

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).

²¹And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

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).

²³And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

23. who shall live when God doeth this!--Few shall escape the desolation that shall send a Nebuchadnezzar to scourge all those regions.

²⁴And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

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.

²⁵And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.

25. Balaam rose up, and went ... to his place--Mesopotamia, to which, however, he did not return. (See on Nu 31:8).