Numbers 24 (NET)

Balaam Prophesies Yet Again1

1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,2 he did not go as at the other times3 to seek for omens,4 but he set his face5 toward the wilderness. 2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe;6 and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 Then he uttered this oracle:7

“The oracle8 of Balaam son of Beor;

the oracle of the man whose eyes are open;9

4 the oracle of the one who hears the words of God,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

although falling flat on the ground10 with eyes open:11

5 ‘How12 beautiful are your tents, O Jacob,

and your dwelling places, O Israel!

6 They are like13 valleys14 stretched forth,

like gardens by the river’s side,

like aloes15 that the Lord has planted,

and like cedar trees beside the waters.

7 He will pour the water out of his buckets,16

and their descendants will be like abundant17 water;18

their king will be greater than Agag,19

and their kingdom will be exalted.

8 God brought them out of Egypt.

They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull;

they will devour hostile people20

and will break their bones

and will pierce them through with arrows.

9 They crouch and lie down like a lion,

and as a lioness,21 who can stir him?

Blessed is the one who blesses you,

and cursed is the one who curses you!’”

10 Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together.22 Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless23 them these three times! 11 So now, go back where you came from!24 I said that I would greatly honor you; but now the Lord has stood in the way of your honor.”

12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond25 the commandment26 of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will,27 but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’? 14 And now, I am about to go28 back to my own people. Come now, and I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the future.”29

Balaam Prophesies a Fourth Time

15 Then he uttered this oracle:30

“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor;

the oracle of the man whose eyes are open;

16 the oracle of the one who hears the words of God,

and who knows the knowledge of the Most High,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,

although falling flat on the ground with eyes open:

17 ‘I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not close at hand.31

A star32 will march forth33 out of Jacob,

and a scepter34 will rise out of Israel.

He will crush the skulls35 of Moab,

and the heads36 of all the sons of Sheth.37

18 Edom will be a possession,

Seir,38 his enemies, will also be a possession;

but Israel will act valiantly.

19 A ruler will be established from Jacob;

he will destroy the remains of the city.’”39

Balaam’s Final Prophecies

20 Then Balaam40 looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle:41

“Amalek was the first42 of the nations,

but his end will be that he will perish.”

21 Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle:

“Your dwelling place seems strong,

and your nest43 is set on a rocky cliff.

22 Nevertheless the Kenite will be consumed.44

How long will Asshur take you away captive?”

23 Then he uttered this oracle:

“O, who will survive when God does this!45

24 Ships will come from the coast of Kittim,46

and will afflict Asshur,47 and will afflict Eber,

and he will also perish forever.”48

25 Balaam got up and departed and returned to his home,49 and Balak also went his way.

1sn For a thorough study of the arrangement of this passage, see E. B. Smick, “A Study of the Structure of the Third Balaam Oracle,” The Law and the Prophets, 242-52. He sees the oracle as having an introductory strophe (vv. 3, 4), followed by two stanzas (vv. 5, 6) that introduce the body (vv. 7b-9b) before the final benediction (v. 9b). 2tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of the Lord.” 3tn Heb “as time after time.” 4tn The word נְחָשִׁים (nÿkhashim) means “omens,” or possibly “auguries.” Balaam is not even making a pretense now of looking for such things, because they are not going to work. God has overruled them. 5tn The idiom signifies that he had a determination and resolution to look out over where the Israelites were, so that he could appreciate more their presence and use that as the basis for his expressing of the oracle. 6tn Heb “living according to their tribes.” 7tn Heb “and he took up his oracle and said.” 8tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is an “oracle.” It is usually followed by a subjective genitive, indicating the doer of the action. The word could be rendered “says,” but this translations is more specific. 9tn The Greek version reads “the one who sees truly.” The word has been interpreted in both ways, “shut” or “open.” 10tn The phrase “flat on the ground” is supplied in the translation for clarity. The Greek version interprets the line to mean “falling asleep.” It may mean falling into a trance. 11tn The last colon simply has “falling, but opened eyes.” The falling may simply refer to lying prone; and the opened eyes may refer to his receiving a vision. See H. E. Freeman, An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets, 37-41. 12tn Here מָה (mah) has an exclamatory sense: “How!” (see Gen 28:17). 13tn Heb “as valleys they spread forth.” 14tn Or “rows of palms.” 15sn The language seems to be more poetic than precise. N. H. Snaith notes that cedars do not grow beside water; he also connects “aloes” to the eaglewood that is more exotic, and capable of giving off an aroma (Leviticus and Numbers [NCB], 298). 16tc For this colon the LXX has “a man shall come out of his seed.” Cf. the Syriac Peshitta and Targum. 17tn Heb “many.” 18sn These two lines are difficult, but the general sense is that of irrigation buckets and a well-watered land. The point is that Israel will be prosperous and fruitful. 19sn Many commentators see this as a reference to Agag of 1 Sam 15:32-33, the Amalekite king slain by Samuel, for that is the one we know. But that is by no means clear, for this text does not identify this Agag. If it is that king, then this poem, or this line in this poem, would have to be later, unless one were to try to argue for a specific prophecy. Whoever this Agag is, he is a symbol of power. 20tn Heb “they will devour nations,” their adversaries. 21tn On the usage of this word see HALOT 517 s.v. לָבִיא. 22sn This is apparently a sign of contempt or derision (see Job 27:23; and Lam 2:15). 23tn The construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the perfect tense for “bless.” 24tn Heb “flee to your place.” 25tn Heb “I am not able to go beyond.” 26tn Heb “mouth.” 27tn Heb “from my heart.” 28tn The construction is the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) suffixed followed by the active participle. This is the futur instans use of the participle, to express something that is about to happen: “I am about to go.” 29tn Heb “in the latter days.” For more on this expression, see E. Lipinski, “באחרית הימים dans les textes préexiliques,” VT 20 (1970): 445-50. 30tn Heb “and he took up his oracle and said.” 31tn Heb “near.” 32sn This is a figure for a king (see also Isa 14:12) not only in the Bible but in the ancient Near Eastern literature as a whole. The immediate reference of the prophecy seems to be to David, but the eschatological theme goes beyond him. There is to be a connection made between this passage and the sighting of a star in its ascendancy by the magi, who then traveled to Bethlehem to see the one born King of the Jews (Matt 2:2). The expression “son of a star” (Aram Bar Kochba) became a title for a later claimant to kingship, but he was doomed by the Romans in a.d. 135. 33tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it is equal to the imperfect expressing the future. The verb דָּרַךְ (darakh), related to the noun “way, road,” seems to mean something like tread on, walk, march.” 34sn The “scepter” is metonymical for a king who will rise to power. NEB strangely rendered this as “comet” to make a parallel with “star.” 35tn The word is literally “corners,” but may refer to the corners of the head, and so “skull.” 36tc The MT reads “shatter, devastate.” Smr reads קֹדְקֹד (qodqod, “head; crown; pate”). Smr follows Jer 48:45 which appears to reflect Num 24:17. 37sn The prophecy begins to be fulfilled when David defeated Moab and Edom and established an empire including them. But the Messianic promise extends far beyond that to the end of the age and the inclusion of these defeated people in the program of the coming King. 38sn Seir is the chief mountain range of Edom (Deut 33:2), and so the reference here is to the general area of Edom. 39tn Or, understanding the Hebrew word for “city” as a place name, “of Ir” (cf. NRSV, NLT). 40tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 41tn Heb “and he lifted up his oracle and said.” So also in vv. 21, 23. 42sn This probably means that it held first place, or it thought that it was “the first of the nations.” It was not the first, either in order or greatness. 43sn A pun is made on the name Kenite by using the word “your nest” (קִנֶּךָ, qinnekha); the location may be the rocky cliffs overlooking Petra. 44tc Heb “Nevertheless Cain will be wasted; how long will Asshur take you captive?” Cain was believed to be the ancestor of the Kenites. The NAB has “yet destined for burning, even as I watch, are your inhabitants.” Asshur may refer to a north Arabian group of people of Abrahamic stock (Gen 25:3), and not the Assyrian empire. 45tc Because there is no parallel line, some have thought that it dropped out (see de Vaulx, Les Nombres, 296). 46tc The MT is difficult. The Kittim refers normally to Cyprus, or any maritime people to the west. W. F. Albright proposed emending the line to “islands will gather in the north, ships from the distant sea” (“The Oracles of Balaam,” JBL 63 [1944]: 222-23). Some commentators accept that reading as the original state of the text, since the present MT makes little sense. 47tn Or perhaps “Assyria” (so NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). 48tn Or “it will end in utter destruction.” 49tn Heb “place.”