King James Version
Numbers 24
25 verses with commentary
Balaam's Fourth Oracle
And 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. to seek: Heb. to the meeting of
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KJV Study Commentary
When Balaam 'saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments.' After two failed attempts to curse Israel, Balaam abandoned divination and simply 'set his face toward the wilderness.' This shift suggests partial submission to God's will, yet his later treachery (31:16) proved his heart remained divided between God's word and personal gain.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXIV.
(1) **He set his face toward the wilderness.**—i.e., towards the place where the Israelites were encamped on the steppes of Moab.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
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.' The visual of Israel's orderly encampment, organized by tribes, displayed God's covenant structure. The phrase 'spirit of God came upon him' indicates prophetic enablement for authentic revelation. Even unwilling prophets can be seized by God's Spirit to speak truth (...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Abiding in his tents . . . —***i.e., *encamped according to the order prescribed for the respective tribes. The cognate noun is rendered *tabernacles *in Numbers 24:5.
**And the spirit of God came upon him.—**In regard to the two former utterances, it is said that Jehovah put a word in the mouth of Balaam (Numbers 23:5; Numbers 23:15). In the present case the Spirit of God came upon (or, ove...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: whose: Heb. who had his eyes shut, but now opened
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam introduces his third oracle with 'Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said.' The phrase 'eyes are open' contrasts with his earlier blindness when the donkey saw the angel he couldn't perceive (22:31). True spiritual sight comes from God, not human wisdom. Despite opened eyes, Balaam's subsequent treachery showed that seeing truth doesn't guarantee obeying ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **Balaam the son of Beor hath said.—**The Hebrew word (*neum*) is imperfectly rendered by *hath said. *It is the word which is commonly used in the prophetical books of Scripture to denote a Divine saying, and is rarely used when a human author is named. It occurs in the Pentateuch only in Genesis 22:16, Numbers 14:28, and in this chapter, where it is found in Numbers 24:3-4; Numbers 24:15-16....
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam declares himself 'He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open.' This describes genuine prophetic experience—hearing God's words, seeing visions, entering trance states with spiritual eyes open. Yet even authentic prophetic gifting doesn't guarantee righteous character, as Balaam's later wickedness proved (...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open.—**Better, *falling *(*upon his face*)*, and having his eyes opened. *The physical effect produced upon Balaam appears to have been the same as that which was produced upon Saul (1Samuel 19:24), upon Ezekiel (Num. i 28), upon Daniel (Num. viii, 17. 18). and upon St. John (Revelation 1:17). The word which is here rendered “open” (*gelui*) is a d...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's oracle 'How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!' expresses involuntary admiration for Israel's encampment. The Hebrew <em>ma tovu</em> (how goodly/beautiful) shows aesthetic and moral approval. What Balak wanted Balaam to curse, God forced him to praise. The 'tents' and 'tabernacles' represent Israel's organized communal life under divine order. This blessing bec...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →As 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
The agricultural metaphors—'As 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'—picture abundance, fruitfulness, and permanence. The Hebrew imagery moves from horizontal spread (valleys, gardens) to vertical height (aloes, cedars), showing complete blessing. The phrase 'which the LORD ha...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **As gardens by the river’s side.—**It is probable that the allusion may be to the Euphrates, although the definite article is not prefixed to the word *nahar *(river) in the Hebrew. (Comp. Isaiah 7:20.)
**As cedar trees beside the waters.**-The difference between cedars which grow beside running water which their roots can reach, and the ordinary type of cedars which throw out their strength ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →He 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam prophesies: 'his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.' This Messianic prophecy points beyond immediate context to Israel's ultimate King. 'Agag' was Amalekite royal title (like Pharaoh for Egypt), representing Israel's enemies. The promise that Israel's king would surpass all enemy kings finds partial fulfillment in David and Solomon but ultimate fulfillment in ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **He shall pour the water out of his buckets.—**Better, *Water shall flow from his buckets; *or, *he shall flow with water from his buckets. *The nation is personified as a man carrying two buckets full of water, which was the type and leading source of blessing and prosperity in the East. This is a beautiful image, as Bishop Wordsworth has observed, of the true Israel “pouring out the living ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-22. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean--**This law is noticed here to show the uses to which the water of separation [Nu 19:9] was applied. The case of a death is one; and as in every family which sustained a bereavement the members of the household became defiled, so in an immense population, where instances of mortality and other cases of uncleanness would be daily o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
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KJV Study Commentary
The oracle 'God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn' grounds Israel's present blessing in past redemption. The Hebrew <em>re'em</em> (wild ox/unicorn) symbolized untamed power. Israel's strength derives not from military might but from God who brought them from Egypt with mighty acts. This past deliverance guarantees future victories: 'he shall eat up the ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **God brought him forth out of Egypt.—**(Comp. Numbers 23:22, and Note.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam prophesies: 'Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.' This quotes God's Abrahamic covenant promise (Gen 12:3), confirming it remains in effect. The Hebrew parallelism emphasizes reciprocity - how nations treat Israel determines their blessing or curse. Throughout history, nations blessing Jews have prospered; those persecuting them have declined. This principle...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion.—**The Hebrew *labi *(great lion) should be rendered “a lioness,” as in Numbers 23:24. The image of a lion connects this verse with the preceding verse: “he shall eat up the nations.” (See Note on Numbers 23:24.)
**Blessed is he that blesseth thee . . . —**Compare the original blessing which was pronounced upon Abraham by the Lord (Genes...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 20 Nu 20:1-29. The Death of Miriam.
**1. Then came the children of Israel ... into the desert of Zin in the first month--**that is, of the fortieth year (compare Nu 20:22, 23, with Nu 33:38). In this history only the principal and most important incidents are recorded, those confined chiefly to the first or second and the last years of the journeyings in the wilderness, thence called Et-T...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel.(1-9)
Balak dismisses Balaam in anger.(10-14)
Balaam's prophecies.(15-25)
**Verses 1-9**
Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge w...
Read full commentary →Balaam's Final Oracles
And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balak's anger erupting—'Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together'—shows rage at unmet expectations. The gesture of striking hands expressed fury and contempt (Job 27:23). Balak had paid for curses and received blessings instead. His accusation 'I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times' reveals the complet...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **And he smote his hands together.**—The smiting the hands was a token of strong feeling, whether of scorn, of indignation, or of despair. (Comp. Job 27:23; Lamentations 2:15.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
This vain attempt to curse Israel is ended. Balak broke out into a rage against Balaam, and expressed great vexation. Balaam has a very full excuse; God restrained him from saying what he would have said, and constrained him to say what he would not have uttered.
Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balak's dismissal 'Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour' ironically blames God for preventing Balaam's reward. The Hebrew <em>kavod</em> (honour/wealth) indicates Balak had promised great payment. Balak correctly identifies that 'the LORD hath kept thee back,' acknowledging divine intervention but resen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **The Lord hath kept thee back from honour.—**These words may have been spoken ironically, or Balak may have been convinced of the supernatural influence under which the words of Balaam were uttered. (See Numbers 23:27, and Note.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
This vain attempt to curse Israel is ended. Balak broke out into a rage against Balaam, and expressed great vexation. Balaam has a very full excuse; God restrained him from saying what he would have said, and constrained him to say what he would not have uttered.
And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's response 'Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me' appeals to his earlier warning (22:18) that he could only speak God's words. The phrase 'If 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' sounds noble—claiming submission to divine authority regardless of reward. Howev...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
This vain attempt to curse Israel is ended. Balak broke out into a rage against Balaam, and expressed great vexation. Balaam has a very full excuse; God restrained him from saying what he would have said, and constrained him to say what he would not have uttered.
If 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?
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's declaration 'what the LORD saith, that will I speak' sounds like prophetic faithfulness, but the narrative reveals this as selective obedience. He spoke only what God forced him to speak in the moment, but his heart remained mercenary. His later counsel to Midian showed he would harm Israel if he could find a method God hadn't explicitly forbidden. This teaches that true obedience encompa...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord.**—Hebrew, *the mouth of the Lord: *the same expression which is used in Numbers 22:18, where the Authorised Version has “*the word *of the Lord.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
This vain attempt to curse Israel is ended. Balak broke out into a rage against Balaam, and expressed great vexation. Balaam has a very full excuse; God restrained him from saying what he would have said, and constrained him to say what he would not have uttered.
And 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam says: 'I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.' The Hebrew 'acharit yomim' (latter days/end times) introduces eschatological prophecy extending far beyond Balaam's time to Messiah's era and beyond. Balaam's final oracle (v.14-24) encompasses near-term fulfillments (Israel conquering Moab, Edom) and distant Messianic prophecies (v.17, the Star and Sc...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **I go unto my people.**—Such was, probably, the intention of Balaam when he spoke these words. The account of the death of Balaam, however, shows that he still lingered amongst the Moabites.
**I will advertise thee . . . —**The word which is here employed generally means to *advise. *The announcement which Balaam made to Balak virtually included advice, inasmuch as it foretold the supremacy ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-14**
This vain attempt to curse Israel is ended. Balak broke out into a rage against Balaam, and expressed great vexation. Balaam has a very full excuse; God restrained him from saying what he would have said, and constrained him to say what he would not have uttered.
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam's fourth oracle begins identically to the third: 'Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said.' This repetition establishes continuity and emphasizes prophetic authority. The fourth oracle, however, reaches beyond Israel's immediate future to predict the Messiah, showing how God used even a corrupt prophet to prophesy Christ's coming.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Balaam again describes himself as 'He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High.' The addition of 'knew the knowledge of the most High' (Hebrew 'Elyon', God Most High) emphasizes intimate acquaintance with divine truth. Yet knowing God's truth without heart transformation produces religious knowledge without redemptive relationship—head knowledge without life...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Which heard . . . and knew.—**Better, w*hich heareth *. . . *and knoweth.*
**Which saw.—**Better, *he seeth.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →I 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 . smite: or, smite through the princes of
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>I 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.</strong> Balaam's fourth oracle contains one of Scripture's clearest Messianic prophecies. The future tense ("shall come," "shall rise") points to a distant fulfillment, while "not now" and "not nigh" emphasize the prophecy's eschatological nature. B...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **I shall see him . . . —**Better, *I see him *(or, *it*)*, but not now; I behold him *(or, *it*)*, but not nigh. *The reference cannot be to Israel, whose armies were encamped before the eyes of Balaam. His words must be understood as having reference to One whom he beheld with the eyes of his mind, not with his bodily sight. This is obvious from the words which follow. Balaam beholds in vis...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
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KJV Study Commentary
The prophecy continues: 'And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.' This predicts Israel's conquest of Edom (Seir), historically fulfilled under David (2 Samuel 8:14). Yet the ultimate fulfillment awaits Christ's return when 'the kingdom shall be the LORD's' (Obadiah 21). Israel's victories typify Christ's greater conquest of sp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also . . . —**Better, *And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir shall be a possession, for his enemies *(*i.e., *the enemies of Israel, or, rather, of the Ruler who was to rise out of Israel). The Hebrew word (*oyebaiv*) which is rendered “his enemies” appears to stand in apposition to Edom and Seir, as the word *zaraiv *(his enemies, or adversaries) in ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
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KJV Study Commentary
Balaam declares 'Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.' This 'he that shall have dominion' points to a singular ruler from Jacob's line who will exercise comprehensive authority. While partially fulfilled in David's conquests, ultimate fulfillment comes in Christ whose 'dominion is an everlasting dominion' (Daniel 7:14) and who destr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **He that shall have dominion.—**The reference is explained in Psalm 72:8, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth,” where the same verb occurs which *is in *both places rendered in the Authorised Version “shall have dominion.”
**And shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.**—Or, *and He shall destroy the remnant from the cities. *The *...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →And 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. the nations: the nations that warred against Israel that: or, even to destruction
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And 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</strong>—Balaam's oracle (מָשָׁל <em>mashal</em>, proverb/prophecy) against Amalek declares their status as <strong>first of the nations</strong> (רֵאשִׁית גּוֹיִם <em>reshit goyim</em>)—chronologically Israel's first enemy (Exodus 17:8-16...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **And when he looked on Amalek . . . —**From the. mountain of Peor, on which Balaam then stood, he had a view of the country of the Amalekites, which lay to the south of the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:29; Genesis 36:12).
**Amalek was the first of the nations.**—The ancestor of the Amalekites was Eliphaz, the son of Esau (Genesis 36:12). It has been supposed that the Amalekites separated thems...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock</strong>—The Kenites (קֵינִי <em>Qeini</em>, metalworkers/smiths), allied with Israel through Moses' father-in-law Jethro (Judges 1:16; 4:11), received a mixed oracle. Their <strong>dwellingplace</strong> (מוֹשָׁב <em>moshav</em>, habitation) was <strong>strong<...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21-22) **And he** **looked on the Kenites . . . —**According to the ordinary interpretation of these verses the continuous destruction of the Kenites is foretold until the Israelites should be taken captive by the Assyrians. The Kenites are included amongst the tribes whose country Abraham’s descendants were to possess (Genesis 15:19). A portion of this tribe, however (for there is no evidence th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2-13. there was no water for the congregation--**There was at Kadesh a fountain, En-Mishpat (Ge 14:7), and at the first encampment of the Israelites there was no want of water. It was then either partially dried up by the heat of the season, or had been exhausted by the demands of so vast a multitude.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. the Kenite: Heb. Kain until: or, how long shall it be ere Asshur carry thee away captive
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive</strong>—The adversative <strong>nevertheless</strong> (כִּי אִם <em>ki im</em>, 'but surely') contrasts verse 21's apparent security with prophesied destruction. The verb <strong>wasted</strong> (לְבָעֵר <em>leva'er</em>, burned/consumed) predicts gradual decline before <strong>Asshur</strong> (Assyria, אַ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-16. Moses sent messengers ... to the king of Edom--**The encampment at Kadesh was on the confines of the Edomite territory, through which the Israelites would have had an easy passage across the Arabah by Wady-el-Ghuweir, so that they could have continued their course around Moab, and approached Palestine from the east [Roberts]. The Edomites, being the descendants of Esau and tracing their l...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!</strong>—Balaam's exclamation (אוֹי מִי יִחְיֶה מִשֻּׂמוֹ אֵל <em>oy mi yichyeh mishumo El</em>, 'Woe! Who shall live when God sets this?') responds to the cosmic scope of coming judgments. The rhetorical question <strong>who shall live</strong> (מִי יִחְיֶה) expresses horror at God's sovereign orchestration (ש...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **When God doeth this.—**These words may be rendered, *since *(or, *from the time that*)* God sets *(or, *determines*)* it *(or, *this*)—*quando faciet ista Deus *(Vulgate); or, *because God determines it *(or, *this*)*.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-16. Moses sent messengers ... to the king of Edom--**The encampment at Kadesh was on the confines of the Edomite territory, through which the Israelites would have had an easy passage across the Arabah by Wady-el-Ghuweir, so that they could have continued their course around Moab, and approached Palestine from the east [Roberts]. The Edomites, being the descendants of Esau and tracing their l...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever</strong>—The prophecy of <strong>ships from Chittim</strong> (צִי מִיַּד כִּתִּים <em>tzi miyad Kittim</em>, naval forces from Cyprus/Mediterranean coast) points to western maritime powers that would eventually dominate the Near East. The phrase <strong>shall ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim.**—The *Chittim *(or, *Kittim*) are said to have migrated from Phœnicia to Cyprus, and there founded the city of Citium, the modern *Chitti. *(See Josephus, “Antiq.” i.6, 1.) The name probably applies to the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean generally. The rendering of the Vulgate is *Venient in trieribus de Italiâ; *and in Daniel 11:30, ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-16. Moses sent messengers ... to the king of Edom--**The encampment at Kadesh was on the confines of the Edomite territory, through which the Israelites would have had an easy passage across the Arabah by Wady-el-Ghuweir, so that they could have continued their course around Moab, and approached Palestine from the east [Roberts]. The Edomites, being the descendants of Esau and tracing their l...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way</strong>—Balaam's departure (קָם... וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיָּשָׁב <em>qam... vayelekh vayashav</em>, 'rose... went... returned') marks the oracle sequence's conclusion. The parallel structure—<strong>Balaam returned to his place, Balak went his way</strong>—emphasizes anticlimactic separation after the dramatic proph...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **And returned to his place.—**Balaam probably set out with the intention of returning home. He. turned *towards *his place. The sequel shows that he remained amongst the Midianites, and perished with them.
**Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. we will go by the king's highway--**probably Wady-el-Ghuweir [Roberts], through which ran one of the great lines of road, constructed for commercial caravans, as well as for the progress of armies. The engineering necessary for carrying them over marshes or mountains, and the care requisite for protecting them from the shifting sands, led to their being under the special care of the state. H...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-25**
Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretold the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boasts that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, nor hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of ...
Read full commentary →