24:1–14 The opening verse highlights the theme of the Balaam account: “It pleased [or “it was good (Hb. tob) to”; cf. discussion on v. 5 below] the Lord to bless Israel” (v. 1). To “bless” is what is “good” to the Lord. Good and blessing are closely related (Gen. 26:29; Deut. 28:12; Prov. 16:20; 24:25). The Lord promises “good” (tob) to Israel (Num. 10:29, 32). His blessing makes mankind fruitful (Gen. 1:22) and Abraham and his descendants great (12:2), preserving them from their enemies (Num. 6:24). Balaam knows that God will curse any who dishonors those he has blessed (24:9; cf. Gen. 12:3). Balaam’s awareness of these things draws two immediate reactions. This time he does not “look for omens” (cf. Num. 22:7), perhaps via animal entrails, even though sacrifices have been made (23:29–30). Second, he “set his face toward the wilderness” (24:1). “Wilderness” here describes the portion of the Arabah just north of the Dead Sea (Deut. 3:17), the plains of Moab (cf. comment on Num. 22:1–21). There he sees “Israel camping tribe by tribe” (Num. 24:2). “Camping” (shakan) appears in Numbers in anticipation of “dwelling” in the Promised Land (14:30; 35:34). Now his view is panoramic—before he only saw a fraction of the people (22:41; 23:13).

The Spirit of God comes upon Balaam (24:2). Elsewhere in the Pentateuch the Spirit of God is over the primeval waters covering the unformed and unfilled earth enshrouded in darkness (Gen. 1:2). Pharaoh recognizes the Spirit of God to be in Joseph (Gen. 41:38). The tabernacle craftsman, Bezalel, is endued by the Spirit of God (Ex. 31:3). Outside the Pentateuch the Spirit of God comes upon Saul and Saul’s messengers who are sent to capture David; they all prophesy (1 Sam. 10:10; 19:20). The prophet Ezekiel is brought in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Babylonia (Ezek. 11:24). “The Spirit” occurs four times in Numbers, in connection with Moses, the seventy elders, and Eldad and Medad (Num. 11:17, 25, 26), all of whom prophesy. God’s Spirit is the source of all true prophecy (e.g., 2 Sam. 23:2; Neh. 9:30; Zech. 7:12; Acts 28:25; Eph. 3:5; 2 Pet. 1:21). The Spirit directs the words, thus certifying their authenticity and veracity, even if the one prophesying lacks those qualities, such as Balaam and Caiaphas, whose prophecies are nonetheless true (John 11:50–51).

On “discourse” (mashal; Num. 24:3) cf. Section Overview of Numbers 23. This discourse is also called an “oracle” (neʾum; 24:3, 4, 15, 16). Neʾum occurs only twice elsewhere in the Pentateuch outside the Balaam narrative. In both cases the utterance is an oath made by the Lord: “As I live, declares [lit., “oracle of”] the Lord” (Num. 14:28; cf. Gen. 22:16). The word is used over three hundred times by the prophets for a prophetic declaration from the Lord (e.g., Isa. 1:24; Jer. 1:8). Prophetic visions are generally verbal and audible (Num. 24:4; cf. Isa. 2:1; Mic. 1:1). “Vision” here is not one of the more common terms (marʾah, e.g., Num. 12:6; hazon, e.g., 1 Sam. 3:1) but a rarer one (makhazeh, elsewhere only Gen. 15:1; Num. 24:16; Ezek. 13:7).

“The Almighty” (shadday; Num. 24:4, 16; cf. Gen. 49:25), or “God Almighty” (ʾel-shadday; Gen. 17:1; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3), is associated with blessing in the patriarchal narratives (e.g., Gen. 48:3), particularly that of fruitfulness (Gen. 28:3; 35:11; 49:25; cf. 2 Cor. 6:18). This connection is perhaps evoked by a homophone, “breasts” (shadayim; Gen. 49:25). The Almighty who makes fruitful is ironically the one who makes Naomi bitter by depriving her of her husband and sons (Ruth 1:20–21; cf. Gen. 43:14). He can withdraw blessing, thereby unleashing covenant curses. Many of the thirty-one occurrences of this name in Job center on the Almighty’s prerogative to bless, including by giving children (Job 29:5), and to deprive of blessing (Job 6:4; 21:20). “The Almighty” in Balaam’s discourse is implicitly associated with blessing in the following verses.

Balaam exclaims, “How lovely [or “good” (vb. tob); cf. discussion on v. 1 above] are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!” (Num. 24:5). Ironically, the Israelites had found life “better” (tob) in Egypt (11:18; 14:3; cf. 20:5). The word “encampments” is the plural form of mishkan (“dwellings”; cf. discussion on v. 2 above); although Israel is poised for the conquest in military camps (makhaneh; e.g., 1:54), Balaam sees the nation as already settled in the land. Israel is portrayed as fertile and flourishing, like well-watered plants, gardens, and trees (Num. 24:6; cf. Ps. 104:16). Cedars are typically found on mountains, not by rivers. The employment of abnormal creation imagery seems rhetorical and suggests radical change (e.g., Isa. 41:18–20; 55:12; Ezek. 17:3–6; 19:10). It may anticipate the mountains’ (where cedars grow) being turned into valleys (where water flows).

“Water” and “seed” (Num. 24:7) portray fertility and, metaphorically, fecundity. Increase in progeny is essential for Israel’s “king” to establish “his kingdom” (v. 7; cf. 23:21) and to defeat “his adversaries” (24:8; cf. Gen. 22:17; 24:60; Ps. 127:5). “Agag” (Num. 24:7), known elsewhere as the Amalekite king slain by Samuel (1 Sam. 15:33), may be a common royal name, like Pharaoh (Gen. 12:15; Ex. 11:1) or Abimelech (Gen. 20:2; Psalm 34 title). On “wild ox” (Num. 24:8) cf. 23:22. On “Lion . . . lioness” (24:9) cf. 23:24. Numbers 24:9 returns to the themes of blessing and cursing that are central to these oracles.

In anger Balak reproaches Balaam: “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times” (v. 10). He “struck his hands” (v. 10), a sign of displeasure (cf. Job 34:37; Jer. 31:19; Lam. 2:15; Ezek. 21:14, 17; 22:13). “Your own place” (Num. 24:11) is not far away (cf. 22:5), since from there Balaam will instigate the Baal-peor incident (ch. 25; cf. 31:8). Balaam’s response reiterates what he said at the outset concerning “his house full of silver and gold” (24:13; cf. 22:18). To do “either good or bad” (24:13) adds up to “not be[ing] able to go beyond” what the Lord has ordered (cf. 22:18, “to do less or more”; also Gen. 31:24, 29; Jer. 42:6; Rom. 9:11).

“The latter days” (beʾaharit hayyamim; Num. 24:14) introduces blessings that contain eschatological messianic prophecies (Gen. 49:1–27; Num. 24:14–19; Deut. 31:29; 32:1–43; 33:2–29; cf. Response section on Numbers 24). The temporal “latter” (from ʾahar) refers to the future. The same term can also be used spatially. Facing eastward, what is “behind” is unseen and unknown and therefore, timewise, “future.” To be known, it must be revealed by prophetic utterance. The opposite and corresponding term (qedem and related forms), again spatially oriented eastward (from the Judean mountains), refers to the Salt (Dead) Sea as “before” or “on the east” (Num. 34:3). Temporally, what lies “before” is seen and known: the “days of old” (Ps. 44:1), “from of old” (Mic. 5:2).

24:15–25 Verses 15–16 repeat the opening of the preceding discourse (vv. 3–4) apart from the added “And knows the knowledge of the Most High” (ʿelyon; v. 16). In the Pentateuch the priest of God Most High, Melchizedek, invokes the Most High to bless Abram (Gen. 14:18–20). Abram calls the Most High the “Possessor of heaven and earth” (Gen. 14:22). With his Amorite allies Abram had just rescued Lot, his family, and other inhabitants of the cities near the Dead Sea from their powerful Mesopotamian adversaries. The Most High’s sovereignty in the affairs of men is also underscored in Deuteronomy: “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God” (Deut. 32:8).

Balaam foretells the reign of one from Israel, the focus of his fourth discourse: “A scepter shall rise out of Israel; . . . one from Jacob shall exercise dominion” (Num. 24:17, 19). The Most High’s dominion will be exercised by a descendant of Judah (Gen. 49:10). Balaam also prophesies what “this people [Israel] will do to your people [Moab]” (Num. 24:14): the scepter “shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down the sons of Sheth” (v. 17). “Moab” and “Sheth” are probably synonymous.198 The prophecy also concerns “Edom,” synonymous with “Seir” (v. 18). The verbs used to refer to Moab/Sheth (“crush/break”) show its fate to be worse than Edom/Seir, which shall be “dispossessed.” Balak’s desire to curse Israel draws a severer punishment. Since Edom/Seir lies both east and west of the Arabah (cf. Num. 21:4), Moab/Sheth may similarly refer to peoples on both sides of the Arabah.199 “Sheth” is the same Hebrew name rendered elsewhere “Seth” (sheth; e.g., Gen. 4:25).

The demise of these peoples will come from “him,” someone “not now . . . not near,” described as “a star” and “a scepter” (Num. 24:17), The verb rendered “shall come out of” (darak; v. 17) in a military context means “tread, trample” (Deut. 33:29; Isa. 63:3). “Star . . . scepter” (Num. 24:17) portray royalty (cf. Ps. 45:6; Isa. 14:12; Matt. 2:2). Bar Kokbah, “son of the star,” drew upon this prophecy to legitimize his uprising against the Romans in the early second century AD. The NT points to the realization of the “star” figure in Christ as the true descendant of David (Rev. 22:16; cf. Luke 1:32; Heb. 1:8). To “exercise dominion” (radah; Num. 24:19) describes mankind’s dominion over creatures (Gen. 1:26, 28) and Solomon’s dominion over all territory west of the Euphrates (1 Kings 4:24). Radah also means “tread,” such as treading grapes with feet (Joel 3:13), portraying defeat and subjugation. Solomon describes enemy peoples as those whom the Lord puts “under the soles of [David’s] feet” (1 Kings 5:3). David had subjugated Edom, Moab, and Ammon (2 Sam. 8:12).

Balaam’s three minor discourses announce judgment on “Amalek” (Num. 24:20), “the Kenite/Kain” (vv. 21–22), and “Asshur and Eber” (vv. 23–24). “Amalek” (v. 20) was a grandson of Esau (Gen. 36:12). The Amalekites fiercely opposed the Israelites from the time they left Egypt (Ex. 17:8). “Amalek was the first [reʾshith] among the nations, but its end [ʾakharith, “last”; cf. Num. 24:14, “latter days”] is utter destruction”: Israel is to destroy Amalek (Deut. 25:19), which David does to those of his day (2 Sam. 8:11–12). The Amalekites here appear with Transjordanian peoples (cf. Judg. 6:3), but at different times they also control the entire Negeb (Gen. 14:7; cf. Num. 13:29; 1 Sam. 27:8; 30:1; 1 Chron. 4:42–43) and parts of Cisjordan hill country (Judg. 12:15; 1 Sam. 15:6).

“The Kenite” (haqqini; Num. 24:21) are a people whose ancestor is “Kain” (qayin; v. 22; cf. Tubal-qayin; Gen. 4:22); “nest” (qen; v. 21) sounds like Cain. Moses’ father-in-law was a Kenite (Judg. 1:16). Some Kenites assimilated into the tribe of Judah (Judg. 1:16) and others into Asher or Naphtali (Judg. 4:11). They appear at times among the Negeb Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:6). The downfall of Cain is “Asshur” (Num. 24:22, 24); this might refer to the Assyrians (cf. discussion on v. 24 below), who deported all Galilee and beyond (2 Kings 15:29). “Takes you away captive” is perhaps a presage of the notorious Assyrian deportation policy (2 Kings 17:23–24).200

“Kittim” (Num. 24:24) as a people refers to the descendants of Javan (Gen. 10:4) and as a locality to the Mediterranean coastlands and islands, and perhaps specifically Cyprus (Isa. 23:1, 12; Jer. 2:10), known for its wood used for ships (cf. Ezek. 27:6). Numbers 24:24 may predict the invasion of the Sea Peoples, known from Egyptian and Hittite sources, among whom were the Philistines (cf. Gen. 10:6, 14; 1 Chron. 1:12, descendants of Ham). Their incursions into Anatolia, bordering northern Mesopotamia, would bring them in conflict with “Asshur” and “Eber” (Num. 24:24). Eber is the name of the Hebrews’ ancestor (Gen. 11:14), reflected in the LXX rendering Ebraios (translating the gentilic ʿibri; e.g., Gen. 39:14, “Hebrew”). Shem’s descendants include both Asshur and Aram (Gen. 10:21–22) and, through Aram, Eber (Num. 24:24). Asshur, linked to Elam (v. 22), may refer to eastern Mesopotamian Semites. Like Aram, Eber may refer to western Mesopotamian Semites.201 “He too shall come to utter destruction” refers to Kittim, and thus ultimately to the fall of Rome (Dan. 11:30).

“Balaam . . . went back to his place” (Num. 24:25). “Place” (maqom) may refer to a residence (Gen. 18:33) or a cultic center (Gen. 28:19; Acts 6:14). His instigation of Israelite involvement in Baal worship at Peor (Numbers 25) indicates he remains nearby; he is killed by Israelites encamped in the southern Jordan Valley (31:8).