Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Numbers 24:15 - 24:25

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | Download

Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Numbers 24:15 - 24:25


(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)

This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

Of The Star of Jacob. —

v. 15. And he took up his parable and said, Balaam, the son of Beor, hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said;


v. 16. he hath said which heard the words of God, and. knew the knowledge of the Most High,
who had been given this wonderful knowledge in a Revelation which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open, v. 4:

v. 17. I shall see Him, but not now; I shall behold Him, but not nigh.
What Balaam saw here in a vision would not happen in the near future, as men count time, but at a far distant period. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, as the symbol of the power and majesty of a great ruler, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, Gen_49:10, also a picture of a future mighty king in Israel, namely, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Lord; and shall smite the corners of Moab, strike down its people on both sides, and destroy all the children of Sheth, of confusion, for the Moabites were noted as men of wild and unrestrained warfare. Although this prophecy, in type, was fulfilled when Israel gained dominion over this and other heathen nations, its ideal fulfillment came in Jesus Christ, whose spiritual power has been extended to include also heathen nations everywhere, for men from all nations have bowed their heads under His scepter.

v. 18. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly,
shall gain strength and dominion. The fulfillment of this prophecy began with the conquest of Edom at the time of David, 2Sa_8:14; 1Ki_11:15-16, but was not fully completed until the coming of the most majestic Ruler, at whose footstool God has laid all His enemies, Psalms 110.

v. 19. Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion,
for out of that people, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, Rom_9:5, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city; no matter where the remnant of the people might be in hiding, the spirit of this mighty King would find them; they must yield to Him or face everlasting punishment. In accordance with the peculiarity of prophecy, which combines visions of far-distant events with those that are comparatively near at hand, the prophet now reveals the future of other heathen nations.

v. 20. And when he,
Balaam, in his condition of ecstasy, looked on Amaiek, he took up his parable and said, Amaiek -was the first of the nations, namely, to take up weapons of warfare against Israel; but his latter end shall be that he perish forever, he should be utterly destroyed, 1Sa_15:7-8.

v. 21. And he looked on the Kenites,
a nation which had shown itself friendly to Israel, Num_10:29-32; Gen_15:19, and took up his parable and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock; their habitations were chiefly in the mountainous regions of the Sinaitic Peninsula.

v. 22. Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive;
or: Should the Kenite be destroyed, until Asshur shall lead thee away captive? The answer is an emphatic "No. " The outward association of this people with the children of Israel gained security for them even when the Kenites were led away into the Assyrian captivity.

v. 23. And he took up his parable and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
The judgment of God upon the disobedient and idolatrous enemies of His people would be so terrible that men would despair of their lives in seeing its severity.

v. 24. And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish forever.
Both the Semitic nations of the East, which included the inhabitants of Assyria, and those of the West, which occupied the country between Assyria and Palestine, Gen_10:21, would be overthrown by a powerful nation coming from the Northwest, with ships coming from Greece, by way of Cyprus. The historic relations are not yet definitely shown, but the prophecy of doom stands out with great distinctness; for the gist of the utterance is that God will destroy all the enemies that oppose His will, and give victory to His people.

v. 25. And Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place,
not to Mesopotamia, as history shows, but to the land of the Midianites. Far from being overcome by the power of the Lord, he apparently hardened his heart and gave the Midianites the advice to effect the overthrow of the Israelites by means of idolatry, Num_31:8-16. And Balak also went his way.