Números 24

Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible

Números 24

NJB (MT versing) The Prophecy From Peor Balaam's Third Prophecy (23:27-24:14) The Four Oracles of Balaam (22:41-24:25) Balaam's Third Prophecy (23:27-24:14) Balaam's Prophecies (23:4-24:25) 24:1-9 (3-9) 24:1-9 (3-4) (5-7a) (7b) (8-9a) (9b) 24:1-9 (3b-9) 24:1-9 (3-9) 24:1-9 (3b-9) 24:10-14 24:10-14 24:10-14 24:10-11 24:10-19 24:12-13 Balaam's Final Prophecies Balaam's Fourth Prophecy 24:14-19 24:15-19 (15-19) 24:15-19 (15-16) (17) (18-19) 24:15-19 (15-19) (15b-19) 24:20 24:20 (20b) 24:20 (20b) 24:20 (20b) 24:20 (20b) 24:21-22 24:21-22 24:21-22 (21b) (22b) 24:21-24 (21b-24) 24:21-22 (21b-22) 24:23-24 (23b-24) 24:23-24 (23b-24) 24:23-24 (23b-24) 24:23-24 (23b) 24:25 24:25 24:25 24:25 24:25 Etc.

Números 24:1-9

24:1 NASB, NRSV, TEV, NJB, JPSOA, LXX "omens" "sorcery" REB, Peshitta "divination" The MT has a NOUN (BDB 638), meaning divination, cf. Num. 23:23b enchantment, Num. 23:23a The VERB (BDB 638) means "observing signs" in Gen. 30:27 and probably 1 Kgs. 20:33. See SPECIAL TOPIC: MAGIC and The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, pp. 524-528. It is difficult to know if Balaam is a true prophet or diviner. The text gives hints in both directions! ▣ "but he set his face toward the wilderness" This is an idiom meaning "he looked at the camp of Israel" (cf. Num. 23:28; 24:2). 24:2 "the Spirit of God came upon him" This phrase is often associated with ecstatic actions or trances in the OT (cf. Num. 11:26; 1 Sam. 10:6; 1 Kgs. 22:10-22). See SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE. In the OT the "Spirit" is an impersonal influence that facilitates YHWH's will in the world. The full personality of the Spirit is not clearly revealed until the NT (i.e., progressive revelation). Please see the following Special Topics. THE PERSONHOOD OF THE SPIRIT SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE THE TRINITY 24:3 "discourse. . .oracle" The first word (BDB 669) occurs several times in this literary unit (i.e., chapters 22-24, cf. Num. 23:7, 18; 24:3, 15, 20, 21, 23). See full note at Num. 23:7. The second term, "oracle" (BDB 610), refers to a divine revelation through a prophet in a trance or ecstatic state (cf. Num. 24:3,15). ▣ "eye is opened" This refers to spiritual insight. Balaam can now see, like his donkey! 24:3-4,15-16 Notice how Balaam characterizes himself. the man whose eye is opened, Num. 24:3c, 15c (LXX, "who truly sees," JPSOA, "whose eye is true") the man who hears the words of God, Num. 24:4a, 15b the man who sees the vision of the Almighty, Num. 24:4b the man falling down, yet having his eyes opened, Num. 24:4c, 16d (the LXX, "has fallen asleep," which would denote a dream) the man who knows the knowledge of the Most High, Num. 24:16c This is OT imagery for receiving and communicating God's message. Notice the imagery. Num. 24:1, literally, "it was good in the eyes of the YHWH" Num. 24:2, Balaam saw all of Israel Num. 24:3-4,15-16, Balaam claims to truly see the truth now! Balaam looks at the different ethnic groups, Num. 24:17, 20, 21 24:4 "the Almighty" This is the Hebrew word, Shaddai, which is the patriarchal name for God (i.e., El Shaddai, cf. Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; Exod. 6:3). Modern etymological study has shown that it may refer to a woman's (Arabic root) breast, thus meaning "the all sufficient One." See SPECIAL TOPIC: EL SHADDAI. 24:6 Notice the agricultural parallelism. The word translated "valleys" (BDB 636 I) can mean "palm tree" (BDB 636 II). One wonders if this was meant to be an allusion to (1) the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2-3 or possibly (2) an eschatological reference (cf. Isa. 58:11). For sure the description in Num. 24:6-7 describes the Promised Land "flowing with milk and honey" (cf. Exod. 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3). 24:7 The LXX, Peshitta, and Targums have a different Hebrew exemplar, "a person will come forth from his offspring, and he shall rule over many nations, and reign of him shall be beyond God and his reign shall be increased" ▣ "his king. . .his kingdom" Although YHWH is said to be king in Num. 23:21, here it seems to refer to a future human king (notice vv. 8-9; cf. Gen. 17:5, 16; 35:11; Ps. 89:18; both Saul and David defeated Agag or Amalekites). It is possible that all of the VERBS in Num. 24:7 are JUSSIVE (one, for sure). ▣ "Agag" This (BDB 8) name might be a royal title, like "Hadad," "Pharaoh." 24:8 "the horns of the wild ox" This imagery was used of YHWH in Num. 23:22. Here, it is transferred to Israel but her power is their God's power! ▣ NASB, NKJV, NATIONS, JPSOA, REB, LXX, Peshitta "the nations" "corpses" The MT has "nations" (BDB 156) but JB and NJB see a related root "corpses" (BDB 156), which fits the imagery of the next four poetic lines. ▣ "crush their bones" This is imagery for destruction, using the eating habits of lions (cf. Isa. 38:13; Dan. 6:24). 24:9 This is another description of Israel (Num. 23:24). ▣ The concluding two lines of this verse reflect Gen. 12:3; 27:29. See SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS.

Números 24:10-14

24:10 "struck his hands together" This was a cultural idiom of disgust. See full note online at Lamentations 2:15 and Ezekiel 6:11. 24:11 "I said I would honor you greatly" This is another intensified form (i.e., INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB of the same root, BDB 457, KB 455). Balak is really angry! The term "honor" (i.e., kabod; see SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY IN THE OT) refers to the promised large payment from Balak to Balaam. Balaam went home empty handed but did not disobey YHWH's mandate to speak only His word (i.e., bless Israel, cf. Num. 24:13). 24:12-13 This repeats Balaam's response to Balak's messenger from Num. 22:17-18. Balaam asserts several times that he can speak only what YHWH says to him (cf. Num. 22:38; 23:3, 12; 24:13). 24:14 This verse is in response to Balak's command in v. 11 (i.e., "flee," BDB 137, KB 156, Qal IMPERATIVE). Balaam responds with two commands of his own about Israel and the future. come ‒ BDB 229, KB 246, Qal IMPERATIVE I will advise you ‒ BDB 419, KB 421, Qal IMPERFECT used in a COHORTATIVE sense ▣ NASB, NRSV, NJB, JPSOA, REB "in the days to come" NKJV, Peshitta "in the latter days" "in the future" "at the end of days" The MT has BDB 31 CONSTRUCT BDB 398, which could denote the final days of a people's existence Amaleck ‒ Num. 24:20 Israel ‒ Deut. 32:20,29 the wicked of Israel ‒ Ps. 73:17 Israel ‒ Jer. 12:4 the final or future days of history Num. 24:14 Deut. 4:30 Deut. 31:29 note Isaiah 2 and Micah 4-5 This could imply Israel's near term (i.e., united monarchy, divided monarchy, exile) or far term (eschatology). Balaam sees a future but not an immediate one.

Números 24:15-19

24:15-24 This describes the future of several nations. Israel a star shall come forth from Jacob ‒ Gen. 49:10 (PROPHETIC PERFECT) a scepter shall rise from Israel ‒ Gen. 49:10 (both a. and b. are parallel, as well as Messianic) Israel shall be victorious in battle ‒ Num. 24:18c; 19a Moab ‒ shall be crushed, Num. 24:17e,f (cf. Ps. 68:21) Edom ‒ shall be possessed, Num. 24:18a,b Amalekites ‒ shall be destroyed, Num. 24:20c Kenites ‒ shall be destroyed, Num. 24:21-24 This type of prediction of future national non-existence is a theological point of YHWH's love for Israel in Mal. 1:2-5. 24:16 Notice the three different titles/names for Deity. El, Num. 24:16a; see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, A., cf. Num. 24:4 "Most High" (literally Elyon), Num. 24:16b; see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, B the Almighty (lit. Shaddai); see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ALMIGHTY (SHADDAI), cf. Num. 24:4 This is literary variety not meant to carry theological distinctions. 24:17 "Moab" See notes online at Gen. 19:30-38. ▣ NASB, REB, LXX, Peshitta "Sheth" NKJV, NEB "tumult" "Shethites" TEV, NJB, JPSOA "Seth" TEV (footnote) "who are proud and violent" Since these will be a people group defeated by Israel, the descendants of the third son of Adam (i.e., Gen. 4:25) does not fit. There have been some suggestions. instead of שׁת, some translations change to שׁתא, meaning "tumult" or "devastation" (cf. Jer. 48:45; Lam. 3:47) a small tribe of this area ("Sotu") mentioned in Egyptian documents from 1900 B.C.

Números 24:20

24:20 "Amalek" This Arab tribe became a metaphor for evil and treachery (cf. Exod. 17:8-16; Num. 14:43-45; Deut. 25:17; and Jdgs.. 6:3,33). See full note online at Deut. 25:17. ▣ "the first of the nations" Amalek was never the most powerful tribe in its region. This may mean "the first" to attack Israel after they left Egypt (cf. Exod. 17:8-16).

Números 24:21-22

24:22 "Asshur" There have been several theories about to whom this name (BDB 78, KB 94) refers. the later, large empire of Mesopotamia, Assyria (cf. 2 Kings 15; Isa. 10:5) a descendant of Abraham and Keturah (BDB 78) that later became a tribe, Gen. 25:3 a descendant of Ishmael, Gen. 25:18 Asher (BDB 79 or BDB 81), a tribe of Israel that did not destroy all the Canaanite population in their allotted land, Jdgs. 1:31-32; 2 Sam. 2:9; Ps. 83:8 None of these seems to fit this context. Assyria (#1) is too big and later #2 and #3 are too small and obscure #4 is one of the tribes of Israel who defeats this group

Números 24:23-24

24:23 "who can live except God has ordained it" In this context of national non-existence, this refers to YHWH's control of nations (cf. Deut. 32:8; Isa. 10:13d; Amos 9:7). He is in control of history because He is creator of time and space! The LXX and Peshitta, following a different Hebrew text, have: "and when he saw Og and took up his parable, he said, 'Alas, alas, who shall live when God ordains these things'" 24:24 "Eber" This (BDB 720 II) may refer to a city close to Asshur imagery of the coast line of the eastern Mediterranean being invaded by "the Sea Peoples" a place name in northern Mesopotamia (i.e., "Eber-Perat" from Targum Onkelos; ABD, vol. 2, p. 260) an ancestor of the Israelites (cf. Gen. 10:21-24; 11:14-17) and, therefore, referring to Israel (i.e., LXX, Peshitta, Vulgate)