the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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New King James Version
Numbers 24:17
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I see him, but not now;I behold him, but not near;A star shall come forth from Jacob,A scepter shall rise from Israel,And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,And tear down all the sons of Sheth.
"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.
I shall see him, but not nowe, I shall beholde him, but not nigh: There shall come a starre of Iacob, and ryse a scepter of Israel, & shall smyte the coastes of Moab, and vndermine all the chyldren of Seth.
"I see him coming, but not now. I see him coming, but not soon. A star will come from the family of Jacob. A new ruler will come from the Israelites. He will smash the heads of the Moabites and crush the heads of all the sons of Sheth.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth.
I see him, but not now; I see him, but not near: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, A scepter shall rise out of Israel, Shall strike through the corners of Moab, Break down all the sons of tumult.
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: There shall come a starre out of Iacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
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.
I shal se him, but not now: I shal beholde him, but not nie at hade. There shal a starre come out of Iacob, & a cepter shall come vp out of Israel, and shal smyte ye rulers of the Moabites, and ouercome all the children of Seth.
By now Balaam realized that God wanted to bless Israel. So he didn't work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the wilderness. As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him, and he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision; Decree of a man who hears God speak, who sees what The Strong God shows him, Who falls on his face in worship, who sees what's really going on. What beautiful tents, Jacob, oh, your homes, Israel! Like valleys stretching out in the distance, like gardens planted by rivers, Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener God , like red cedars by pools and springs, Their buckets will brim with water, their seed will spread life everywhere. Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk, their kingdom surpassingly majestic. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox, Gulping enemies like morsels of meat, crushing their bones, snapping their arrows. Israel crouches like a lion and naps, king-of-the-beasts—who dares disturb him? Whoever blesses you is blessed, whoever curses you is cursed. Balak lost his temper with Balaam. He shook his fist. He said to Balaam: "I got you in here to curse my enemies and what have you done? Blessed them! Blessed them three times! Get out of here! Go home! I told you I would pay you well, but you're getting nothing. You can blame God ." Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn't do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against God 's command'? I'm leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come." Then he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, decree of the man with 20/20 vision, Decree of the man who hears godly speech, who knows what's going on with the High God, Who sees what The Strong God reveals, who bows in worship and sees what's real. I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob a scepter from Israel, Crushing the heads of Moab, the skulls of all the noisy windbags; I see Edom sold off at auction, enemy Seir marked down at the flea market, while Israel walks off with the trophies. A ruler is coming from Jacob who'll destroy what's left in the city. Then Balaam spotted Amalek and delivered an oracle-message. He said, Amalek, you're in first place among nations right now, but you're going to come in last, ruined. He saw the Kenites and delivered his oracle-message to them: Your home is in a nice secure place, like a nest high on the face of a cliff. Still, you Kenites will look stupid when Asshur takes you prisoner. Balaam spoke his final oracle-message: Doom! Who stands a chance when God starts in? Sea-Peoples, raiders from across the sea, will harass Asshur and Eber, But they'll also come to nothing, just like all the rest. Balaam got up and went home. Balak also went on his way.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.
I see him, but not now: looking on him, but not near: a star will come out of Jacob, and a rod of authority out of Israel, sending destruction to the farthest limits of Moab and on the head of all the sons of Sheth.
I see him, but not now; I look at him, but not near: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a scepter shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And the crown of the head of all the sons of tumult.
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth.
"What I saw in my vision hasn't happened yet. But someday, a king of Israel will appear like a star. He will wipe out you Moabites and destroy those tribes who live in the desert.
"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not soon — a star will step forth from Ya‘akov, a scepter will arise from Isra'el, to crush the corners of Mo'av and destroy all descendants of Shet.
I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: There cometh a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall cut in pieces the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.
I shal see him, but not nowe: I shal behold him, but not neere: there shall come a starre of Iaakob, and a scepter shal rise of Israel, and shall smite the coastes of Moab, and destroy all the sonnes of Sheth.
I have seen him, but not clearly enough; I beheld him, but he was not nigh; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Prince shall rise out of Israel, and shall destroy the mighty men of Moab and subdue all the children of Sheth.
I look into the future, And I see the nation of Israel. A king, like a bright star, will arise in that nation. Like a comet he will come from Israel. He will strike the leaders of Moab And beat down all the people of Seth.
I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star shall come forth from [the descendants of] Jacob, A scepter shall rise out of [the descendants of] Israel And shall crush the forehead of Moab And destroy all the sons of Sheth.
I see him, but not now; I see him, but not near: There shall come forth a star out of Ya`akov, A scepter shall rise out of Yisra'el, Shall strike through the corners of Mo'av, Break down all the sons of tumult.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh; there shall step forth a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth.
I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.
I see him, but not now. I see him, but he is not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A special stick of power will rise from Israel. It will crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near— a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the borderlands of Moab, and the territory of all the Shethites.
I will point to him, but not now; I bless him, but he draws not near: a star shall rise out of Jacob, a man shall spring out of Israel; and shall crush the princes of Moab, and shall spoil all the sons of Seth.
I see him, but not now: I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth.
I see One, who is not now, I observe One, who is not nigh, - There hath marched forth a Star out of Jacob. And arisen a Sceptre out of Israel, That hath dishonoured the beard of Mesh, Yea the crown of the head of all the tumultuous;
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star will go out from Jacob, and a scepter will rise from Israel; it will crush the foreheads of Moab and destroy all the children of Seth.
I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near. A star marches out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall dash the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of tumult.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
I see him, but not now; I look at him, but not near; A star shall appear from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall smash the forehead of Moab, And overcome all the sons of Sheth.
I see someone who will come someday, someone who will come, but not soon. A star will come from Jacob; a ruler will rise from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites and smash the skulls of the sons of Sheth.
I see him, but not now; I perceive him, but not near. A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will smash the forehead of Moab and strike down all the Shethites.
Y schal se hym, but not now; Y schal biholde hym, but not nyy; a sterre schal be borun of Jacob, and a yerde schal rise of Israel; and he schal smyte the duykis of Moab, and he schal waste alle the sones of Seth; and Ydumye schal be hys possessioun,
I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
I shall see him: The Targum of Onkelos translates this passage in the following manner: "I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but he is not near. When a king shall arise from the house of Jacob, and the Messiah be anointed from the house of Israel; he shall slay the princes of Moab, and rule over all the children of men." The marginal references will direct the reader to the fulfilment of these remarkable prophecies. Job 19:25-27, Zechariah 12:10, Jude 1:11, Jude 1:14, Jude 1:15, Revelation 1:7
a Star: Matthew 2:2-9, Luke 1:78, 2 Peter 1:19, Revelation 22:16
a Sceptre: Genesis 49:10, Psalms 45:6, Psalms 78:70-72, Psalms 110:2, Isaiah 9:7, Luke 1:32, Luke 1:33, Hebrews 1:8
smite the corners of Moab: or, smite through the princes of Moab, 1 Samuel 14:38, *marg. Zechariah 10:4
Moab: 2 Samuel 8:2, 2 Kings 3:5, 2 Kings 3:26, 2 Kings 3:27, 1 Chronicles 18:2, Jeremiah 48:45
all the children: Genesis 4:25, Genesis 4:26, Genesis 5:3-29
Sheth: Psalms 72:8-11, Revelation 11:15
Reciprocal: Genesis 22:17 - thy seed Genesis 36:31 - the kings Numbers 22:4 - Now shall Numbers 23:24 - he shall Numbers 24:14 - I will advertise 2 Samuel 22:49 - thou also 2 Kings 3:19 - And ye 1 Chronicles 1:43 - the kings Job 19:27 - I shall Psalms 18:37 - General Isaiah 11:14 - them of the east Isaiah 16:12 - when Isaiah 19:13 - stay Isaiah 25:10 - Moab Isaiah 46:10 - the end Jeremiah 48:1 - Moab Jeremiah 49:7 - Edom Ezekiel 19:11 - she had Ezekiel 25:8 - Moab Amos 2:3 - General Amos 9:12 - Edom Matthew 11:3 - Art John 5:46 - for Hebrews 11:13 - but
Cross-References
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
But Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there.
The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants [fn] I give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher."
So she said, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink.
The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink."
O inhabitants of the land of Tema, Bring water to him who is thirsty; With their bread they met him who fled.
There will be on every high mountain And on every high hill Rivers and streams of waters, In the day of the great slaughter, When the towers fall.
They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I shall see him, but not now,.... Meaning not Israel, for he now saw him encamped, and at no great distance; but one that should descend from him, a famous and excellent person, and who is no other than the Messiah, as appears by what follows; him he should see, not spiritually with an eye of faith, nor corporeally with his bodily eyes in his state of incarnation, but at the day of judgment; and now, indeed, he saw him by a spirit of prophecy:
I shall behold him, but not nigh; signifying, that the coming of this illustrious Person, who should smite the borders of Moab, was not near, and therefore Balak had no reason to indulge any present fears; and that when he was come either into the world to save men, or to judgment, Balaam would have no nearness to him, nor interest in him; he would see him at the last day, but not for himself, as Job says he should, Job 19:25
there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel; which Aben Ezra interprets of David, though he says many interpret it of the Messiah; and there are some writers, both Jewish and Christian, that understand it partly of David, and partly of Christ, and chiefly of him, and of David as a type of him; the fulfilment of which was only in part in David, but principally and completely in Christ. Maimonides c parts the prophecy between them: the whole undoubtedly agrees with Christ, and belongs unto him: the "star" and "sceptre" may be considered as names and titles of the Messiah; he is called the "morning star", Revelation 22:16 for his glory, brightness, and splendour, and for the light that comes by him, and the influence of his grace, and the blessings of it on the sons of men; and hence a false Messiah took the name of Bar Cochab, the son of a star, to answer to this prophecy; and he may be called a "sceptre", that is, a sceptre bearer, because of his royalty; he not only has the name of a king, but has a kingdom, both of nature, providence, and grace, and rules with a sceptre of grace, mercy, and righteousness; and as he was to spring from Jacob or Israel, so he did, being a son of Abraham, a descendant of Jacob, of the tribe of Judah, and family of David, Matthew 1:1, but I rather think that the star is to be considered as a sign and circumstance of his coming, and that the words may be rendered, "when a star steers its course from Jacob", or "unto Jacob, then a sceptre", or "sceptre bearer",
shall rise out of Israel, or "rise up unto Israel"; for the particle
מ sometimes signifies "unto" d; and that the appearance of a star in Israel was a sign of the Messiah's coming is certain from Matthew 2:1 of which the Magi were informed by Zoroastres e their founder, who, being of Jewish extract, had got it from this prophecy of Balaam; and it is as evident that the Jews expected the appearance of an extraordinary star at the time of the Messiah's coming; for so they say more than once, in an ancient book of theirs f, that when the
"Messiah shall be revealed, a bright and shining star shall arise in the east;''
which expectation must be founded on this prophecy:
and shall smite the corners of Moab; not only the corners of their houses and cities, but the extreme parts and borders of the land, even all the sides, and the whole of it; or the princes and great men of the land, sometimes called "corners", see Zechariah 10:4 and so the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan,
and shall kill the princes of Moab or the mighty ones of Moab, as the Jerusalem Targum; this was literally fulfilled in David, 2 Samuel 8:2
Psalms 60:1 and figuratively and mystically in Christ, by subduing his enemies, signified by Moabites, as being the enemies of Israel; either by reducing them through the power of his grace to obedience to him, or by smiting and breaking them in pieces with a rod of iron; and which will be more plainly and fully accomplished when he shall destroy those Moabites, the antichristian nations, Revelation 19:15
and destroy all the children of Sheth; some take Sheth to be the name of some famous king among the Moabites, as Grotius; others, the name of some city of Moab, which David utterly destroyed, as R. Nathan g; others suppose some particular nations are meant, as either the Edomites, so called because they put confidence in their foundations, and fortified places, so Vitringa h; or the Egyptians, from Seth or Sethos, one of their kings, who was known by the name Egyptus, as a late learned writer i of ours conjectures; but rather by the children of Seth are meant all nations, as Jarchi observes, for all come from Seth, the son of the first man; and so the words may be rendered, as they are by Onkelos,
"he shall rule over all the children of men;''
which will be fulfilled in Christ, when he shall have put down all rule and authority, and all will be subject to him, and his kingdom be from sea to sea, and his dominion from the river to the ends of the earth; unless rather by the children of Seth are meant the special people of God, in distinction from others, and in allusion to the distinction between the Sethites and Cainites, the one being the people of God, the other not; and so it may be interpreted of Christ's gathering them to him, by clucking as it were for them, as a hen gathers her chickens; so the word is used in Jewish writings, and of God himself; for it is said k the holy blessed God מקרקר, clucks over them, as hens do, which is the simile our Lord himself uses, Matthew 23:37 the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan interpret this prophecy of the Messiah by name; and so do many other Jewish writers, both ancient l and modern m.
c Hilchot Melachim, c. 11. sect. 1. d Vid. Nold. Concord. Ebr. part. p. 545. e Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 54. f Zohar in Exod. fol. 3. 3, 4. & in Numb fol. 85. 4. & 86. 1. g Apud Lyram in loc. h Comment. in Isa. xxii. 5. i Clayton's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, &c. p. 445. k T. Bab. Taanith, c. 4. in En Jacob, par. 1. fol. 143. 4. l Debarim Rabba, fol. 234. 4. Pesikta in Kettoreth Hassammim in Numb. fol. 27. 3. & 28. 1. m Abarbinel. Mashmiah Jeshuah, fol. 4. 2, 3. Abendana in loc. R. Isaac Chizzuk Emunah, p. 71, 72.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Render, I see him, though he be not now: I behold him, though he be not near. Balaam here describes what is actually before him in inward vision.
Him - i. e., the prince, represented in the succeeding words by the Star and Scepter. The star has among all nations served as a symbol of regal power and splendour: and the birth and future glory of great monarchs were believed by the ancients to be heralded by the appearance of stars or comets: compare also Isaiah 14:12; Daniel 8:10; Revelation 1:16, Revelation 1:20; Revelation 2:1; Revelation 9:1.
The corners of Moab - literally, “the two sides of Moab,” i. e., the length and breadth of the land: compare Jeremiah 48:45.
Destroy all the children of Sheth - Rather, “overthrow the sons of tumult,” i. e., the warriors of Moab, whose valour and fierceness is frequently referred to elsewhere (compare Exodus 15:15; Isaiah 15:4; Isaiah 16:6, etc.) Compare Jeremiah 48:45.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Numbers 24:17. I shall see him, but not now — Or, I shall see him, but he is not now. I shall behold him, but not nigh - I shall have a full view of him, but the time is yet distant. That is, The person of whom I am now prophesying does not at present exist among these Israelites, nor shall he appear in this generation. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel - a person eminent for wisdom, and formidable for strength and power, shall arise as king among this people. He shall smite the corners of Moab - he shall bring the Moabites perfectly under subjection; (See 2 Samuel 8:2); and destroy all the children of Sheth. The original word קרקר karkar, from קרה karah, to meet, associate, join, blend, and the like, is variously translated;
-vastabit, he shall waste, VULGATE.
-προνομευσει, shall prey on, SEPT.
-'ישלוט yishlot, shall rule over, TARGUM.
-Shall shake, ARABIC.
-[Persian] barbend, shall put a yoke on, PERS.
-Shall unwall, AINSWORTH, c., &c.
The Targum of Onkelos translates the whole passage thus: "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but he is not near. When a king shall arise from the house of Jacob, and the Messiah be anointed from the house of Israel, he shall slay the princes of Moab, and rule over all the children of men."
The Jerusalem Targum is a little different: "A king shall arise from the house of Jacob, a redeemer and governor from the house of Israel, who shall slay the chiefs of the Moabites, and empty out and destroy all the children of the East."
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon has, in my opinion, perfectly hit the meaning of the prophecy in the following paraphrase of the text: "I shall see him, but not now. This is DAVID. - I shall behold him, but not nigh. This is the king MESSIAH. - A Star shall come out of Jacob. This is DAVID. - And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel. This is the king MESSIAH. - And shall smite the corners of Moab. This is DAVID, (as it is written, 2 Samuel 8:2: And he smote Moab, casting them down to the ground.) - And shall destroy all the children of Sheth. This is the king MESSIAH, of whom it is written, (Psalms 72:8), He shall have dominion from sea to sea."
