Numbers 24
Balaam's Third Oracle: Israel's Prosperity 1–9
Balak's Anger and Balaam's Defense 10–14
The Fourth Oracle: The Star and the Scepter 15–19
Oracles Against the Nations 20–25
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for Numbers 24
Verse 1
as at other times — Balaam ‘went not… to seek for enchantments’ (nachash, the word of Num 23:23), but ‘set his face toward the wilderness’. The turn follows his seeing ‘that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel’, literally that it was good in the LORD’s eyes. Rev 2:14 names ‘the doctrine of Balaam’, and Num 31:16 ‘the counsel of Balaam’ in ‘the matter of Peor’.
Verse 2
according to their tribes — Israel lay as the LORD had ordered, each man ‘by his own standard… about the tabernacle’ (Num 2:2). ‘The spirit of God came upon him’ repeats the words used of Azariah in 2 Chr 15:1, ‘the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded’. What Balaam speaks next is given him, as in the earlier oracles.
Verse 3
whose eyes are open — Ne’um, ‘hath said’, is the word for a solemn utterance. ‘Open’ is shatham, found only in this verse and v.15. Balaam names himself ‘the son of Beor’, as the account does in Num 22:5, and claims to hear and see what comes from God (v.4).
Verse 4
the vision of the Almighty — The Hebrew has the divine title Shaddai, by which God appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ex 6:3). ‘Falling’ (naphal) and eyes ‘open’ (galah, uncovered) are the Hebrew; the words ‘into a trance’ are supplied in the KJV. The LORD speaks through a vision in Num 12:6.
Verse 5
thy tents… thy tabernacles — Ohel and mishkan. Mishkan is the word for the LORD’s own dwelling, ‘the pattern of the tabernacle’ (Ex 25:9), used here of the people’s homes. The camp in the order described in v.2 is called tov, good, by a man hired to curse it.
Verse 6
lign aloes — Ahalim, the aromatic aloes, named also in Ps 45:8 and Prov 7:17. Gardens ‘by the river’s side’ and cedars ‘beside the waters’ set the picture beside water. The aloes are those ‘which the LORD hath planted’, as the cedars of Lebanon are his in Ps 104:16, and Ps 1:3 pictures the righteous as ‘a tree planted by the rivers of water’.
Verse 7
higher than Agag — Agag is named only here and in 1 Sam 15, where he is ‘Agag the king of the Amalekites’ taken alive by Saul (1 Sam 15:8). Israel’s king is to be above him, and ‘his kingdom shall be exalted’; compare David, of whom it is said that ‘he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake’ (2 Sam 5:12).
Verse 8
as it were the strength of an unicorn — These words nearly repeat Num 23:22, with ‘him’ for ‘them’. The image of the re’em, the wild ox, is followed by Israel that ‘shall eat up the nations his enemies’, break ‘their bones’ and use ‘his arrows’. Deut 33:17 uses the same horns of the re’em in the blessing of Joseph.
Verse 10
smote his hands together — Saphaq, a gesture of anger or derision, as in ‘smite thine hands together’ (Ezek 21:14). ‘I called thee to curse mine enemies’ recalls Balak’s first message, ‘to call him’ (Num 22:5). ‘These three times’ counts the oracles at Num 23:7–10, 18–24 and 24:3–9, each of which blessed.
Verse 13
his house full of silver and gold — Balaam gives the same answer he gave Balak’s servants in Num 22:18. The ‘commandment’ is literally the ‘mouth’ of the LORD. ‘Of mine own mind’ is Moses’ phrase in Num 16:28, ‘I have not done them of mine own mind’. Jude 1:11 and 2 Pet 2:15 speak of Balaam’s love of reward.
Verse 14
in the latter days — Acharit hayyamim, the same Hebrew words as Jacob’s ‘in the last days’ (Gen 49:1), the times when what he says will come about. ‘Advertise’ means to counsel or advise (ya’ats). Micah 6:5 recalls this meeting: ‘what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him’.
Verse 15
the man whose eyes are open — The oracle opens in the very words of v.3, including shatham, ‘open’, found only in these two verses. It continues to v.19 and is followed by three short sayings, on Amalek, the Kenites and the ships of Chittim (vv.20–24), each introduced as a parable.
Verse 17
a Star out of Jacob — Kokab, a star, and shebet, a sceptre, the staff of rule; Jacob’s blessing of Judah says ‘The sceptre shall not depart from Judah’ (Gen 49:10). David ‘smote Moab’ (2 Sam 8:2). Christ says, ‘I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star’ (Rev 22:16), and the wise men saw ‘his star in the east’ (Matt 2:2).
Verse 18
Edom shall be a possession — Yereshah, an inheritance taken. Seir is where ‘dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom’ (Gen 36:8). The LORD told Rebekah, ‘the elder shall serve the younger’ (Gen 25:23), and David ‘put garrisons in Edom’ (2 Sam 8:14). ‘Do valiantly’ is the idiom of Ps 60:12, ‘Through God we shall do valiantly’.
Verse 20
Amalek was the first of the nations — Reshit, first. Amalek ‘came… and fought with Israel in Rephidim’ (Ex 17:8), and the LORD said, ‘I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven’ (Ex 17:14). The words ‘perish for ever’ (abad, ad) end the last saying also, in v.24.
Verse 21
the Kenites — Qeni; ‘nest’ is qen, which echoes the name. The Kenites included ‘Moses’ father in law’ (Judg 1:16), whose family ‘went up… with the children of Judah’ to dwell in the wilderness. Their ‘dwellingplace’ is called ‘strong’ and the nest is set ‘in a rock’.
Verse 23
who shall live when God doeth this! — Oy, ‘alas’, is the cry of the last oracle. It looks beyond Moab and Edom to ships ‘from the coast of Chittim’ that ‘shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber’ (v.24). Malachi 3:2 asks a like question of the day of the LORD’s coming: ‘who shall stand when he appeareth?’
Verse 25
returned to his place — Balaam goes home, and Balak ‘went his way’. Balaam does not leave Scripture here: Israel’s trespass at Peor came ‘through the counsel of Balaam’ (Num 31:16), and Num 31:8 says ‘Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword’. Josh 13:22 calls him ‘the soothsayer’.