Numbers 24: Balaam's last oracles, and the star out of Jacob
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What happens?
Balaam no longer looks for omens, and the Spirit of God comes on him as he looks at Israel's camp, and he blesses Israel a third time. Balak angrily sends him home, but Balaam first tells what Israel will do in days to come: a star will come out of Jacob and a scepter out of Israel. He also speaks about Edom, Amalek, the Kenites, Asshur and Kittim, and then Balaam and Balak each go their way.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God does not speak in this chapter. Balaam speaks his third oracle in verses 3 to 9, and in verses 15 to 24 he speaks about Israel's future and about Moab, Edom, Amalek, the Kenites, Asshur and Eber. Verse 2 says the Spirit of God came on him, but the words are Balaam's, and he calls them "the word of Balaam" (verses 3 and 15). Balak speaks in verses 10 and 11, and Balaam answers him in verses 12 to 14. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
In plain English: When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh (literally: was good in Yahweh's eyes) to bless Israel, he did not go, as he had the other times, to look for omens (this Bible: divination). He turned his face toward the wilderness.
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2Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.
In plain English: Balaam looked up and saw Israel camped tribe by tribe, and the Spirit of God came on him.
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3He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;
In plain English: He took up his oracle and said, "This is the word (literally: the utterance) of Balaam son of Beor, the word of the man whose eye is open (or: shut),
The Hebrew words: "Says" is ne'um, which the dictionary gives as "an oracle". In Numbers it is in only 5 verses: here, in , and , and in , where Yahweh says, "As I live, says Yahweh". "Open" is shatham, which the dictionary gives as "to unveil". It is in only 2 verses of the Bible, this one and verse 15.
How it is translated: This Bible says "says" in 357 of the 358 verses that use ne'um.
What changes: Some readers take shatham to mean "shut": the man whose eye is closed. Then the line speaks of a man who sees with his eyes shut, as in a vision. Verse 4 says his eyes are "uncovered".
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4he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:
In plain English: the word of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with his eyes uncovered:
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5How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your dwellings, Israel!
In plain English: How good are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!
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6As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters.
In plain English: Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that Yahweh has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters.
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7Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted.
In plain English: Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed (or: offspring) will be in many waters. His king will be higher than Agag, and his kingdom will be lifted high.
Good to know: Agag is also the name of the king of the Amalekites in the time of King Saul (). The dictionary gives Agag as "a title of Amalekitish kings".
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8God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
In plain English: God brings him out of Egypt. He has the strength (literally: the horns) of the wild ox. He will eat up the nations that are his enemies, break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
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9He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.”
In plain English: He crouched, he lay down like a lion, like a lioness. Who will stir him up? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you."
Good to know: "He crouched, he lay down like a lion, like a lioness. Who will stir him up?" is close to Jacob's blessing of Judah in . The last line is close to what Yahweh told Abraham in , and to Isaac's blessing of Jacob in .
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10Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.
In plain English: Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless them these three times.
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11Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.”
In plain English: So now run off home (literally: flee to your place)! I said I would reward you with great honor, but look, Yahweh has kept you back from honor."
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12Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,
In plain English: Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me,
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13‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’?
In plain English: 'Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond Yahweh's word (literally: mouth), to do good or bad of my own mind (literally: from my heart). What Yahweh says, that is what I will say'?
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14Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”
In plain English: Now, look, I am going to my people. Come, I will tell you (or: advise you) what this people will do to your people in the latter days (or: in days to come)."
The Hebrew words: "In the latter days" is be'acharit hayyamim, literally "at the end of the days". The dictionary gives acharit as "the last or end, hence, the future". Jacob uses the same words in , where this Bible says "in the days to come".
What changes: Read as "in days to come", Balaam speaks of a later time, not of the end of time.
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15He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;
In plain English: He took up his oracle and said, "This is the word of Balaam son of Beor, the word of the man whose eye is open (or: shut),
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16he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:
In plain English: the word of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, with his eyes uncovered:
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17I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and crush all the sons of Sheth.
In plain English: I see him, but not now. I look at him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob, and a scepter (a ruler's staff) will rise out of Israel. It (or: he) will strike through the corners (the sides) of Moab and crush all the sons of Sheth (or: the sons of tumult).
The Hebrew words: "Star" is kokhav, which the dictionary gives as "a star", and "figuratively, a prince". "Scepter" is shevet, a rod or staff, which is also the word for a tribe. "Sheth" is shet. This Bible prints it as a name, Sheth, and the same Hebrew letters spell Seth, the son of Adam (). The dictionary gives the word in this verse as "tumult", and this is its only use.
What changes: Read as "tumult", the line speaks of crushing "the sons of tumult", not a people named after Sheth. The text does not say who they are.
Good to know: The text does not say who the star and the scepter are. Balaam says only that he sees him "not now" and "not near". has a line much like the end of this verse, with "the tumultuous ones".
Church tradition: Many Christians read the star as pointing to Jesus as the Messiah, and some link it with the star in , though Matthew does not quote Numbers. Jewish readers have seen in it King David, who later defeated Moab and Edom ( and ), or a Messiah still to come. Numbers 24 does not name anyone.
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18Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.
In plain English: Edom will become a possession, and Seir, his enemy (or: Seir, a possession of his enemies), will become a possession too, while Israel does valiantly (acts with strength).
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19Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.”
In plain English: One out of Jacob will rule, and will destroy those who are left from the city."
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20He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall come to destruction.”
In plain English: He looked at Amalek, took up his oracle, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end will be destruction."
Good to know: The text does not explain in what way Amalek was "the first of the nations". Readers take it as first in time, or first in rank. Amalek was the first nation to fight Israel after they left Egypt ().
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21He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.
In plain English: He looked at the Kenites, took up his oracle, and said, "Your dwelling place is strong, and your nest is set in the rock.
The Hebrew words: "Nest" is qen, which sounds like qeni, Kenite, and Kain in . The dictionary gives Kain as the name of "an Oriental tribe", and a Kenite as "a member of the tribe of Kajin".
Good to know: The family of Moses' brother-in-law were Kenites, and they went with Judah into the land ().
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22Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.”
In plain English: Yet Kain (the Kenites) will be wasted (or: burned), until Asshur carries you away captive (or: How long until Asshur carries you away captive?)."
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23He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?
In plain English: He took up his oracle and said, "Alas, who will live when God does this?
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24But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.”
In plain English: But ships will come from the coast of Kittim. They will afflict (bring down) Asshur and afflict Eber, and he too will come to destruction."
Good to know: The dictionary gives Kittim as "a Cypriote", and "an islander in general, i.e. the Greeks or Romans", Asshur as Assyria, and Eber as the name of an ancestor (). The text does not say who "he" is in the last line, or when these things will happen.
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25Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
In plain English: Balaam got up and went back to his place, and Balak also went his way.
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