Numbers 24

Chap. XXIV. Ver. 1—14. Balaam farther predicts the prosa jarge crooked horn, nearly resembling in shape the cock’s spur, pointing backward, and a short one of the same form, immediately behind it. Campbell was very desirous to obtain as adequate an idea as possible of the bulk of the animal killed near Mashow, and, with this view, questioned the Hottentots; who described it as being much larger than the rhinoceros, and equal in size to three oxen, or four horses.”—See Orient. Lit. No. 305. Ver. 23, What hath God wrought!—This is a note of great admiration. When Baron De Tott was in Turkey, firing cannon at a mark, he happened to hit the centre of the butt, which seemed to them so extraordinary, that they exclaimed, Machalia!

i. e. What has God done! as considering the circumstance miraculous. See Harmer’s Obs. Chap. XXIV. Ver. 1. To seek for enchantments.—Heb. ‘To the meeting of enchantments,” or omens, as Dr. M‘Clintock (after the LXX.) renders it; meaning augury by means of birds. Now it should be recollected, that all the situations in which Balaam offered sacrifices, were the tops of mountains, or rocks, where the eagle is wont to make her nest. (See ver. 21.) Now the eagle, when lively, and sporting about the air, was esteemed one of the best omens that the gods could give; therefore king Priam begs Jupiter to assure him of his protection, by sending to him his beloved bird, the eagle. It may farther be remarked, that the Hebrew Rechashim, rendered “enchantments,”

is nearly related to Nachash, the common name of a serpent; and Abp. Potter remarks, that the Greeks professed to derive their skill in augury from this animal. Melampus feigned that he attained his art by having his ears made open. A like story is told of the children of king Priam above. Ver. 3. The man whose eyes are opened.—Hebrew, ‘‘Who had his eyes shut.” This verse may strike some as containing a remarkable opposition between the text and margin; the latter (as generally) is the most correct, but the sense differs little. This man who had his eyes shut, had them opened to behold the angel, (here called the Almighty,) when he “fell flat on his face” before him; but not “in a trance,”

which words seem improperly supplied. See ch. xxii. 31. Where the Israelites were encamped, seems struck with the beauty and regularity of the scene, which he compares to a plantation of gardens and of groves, well watered and regularly disposed. The imagery of the next verse is not so clear. Dr. Clarke thinks the words, “He shall pour water out of his buckets,” alludes to a method of raising water in the East by a kind of tread-mill, when the water raised in buckets is received by persons who distribute it over the land: and the other simile, “His seed shall be in many waters,” may allude to some sort of grain that (like rice) is sown in land when flooded. Both images refer to the great increase of the chosen nation in the promised land; as the following does to the honour of their king: “He shall be higher than Agag;’”

that is, than the king of the Amalekites, which was at this time (ver. 20.) the first of the nations in those parts; and his strength is compared to the unicorn, or great rhinoceros, and to the lion, the sovereign of the forest. After these predictions of the increase and prosperity of Israel, it is natural to expect that Balak should be offended, and the action of smiting his hands together, indicates that he was not a little agitated: the only wonder is, that, instead of sending him back to his own country, he did not order his head to be struck off: but his prophecies were not yet finished, and till then he was immortal. While we consider these oracles as referring to the Israelites and their prosperity, we should not forget “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,”

whose victories have been and shall be more splendid, more universal, and more durable. (See (Psalms 72)) Ver. 15—25. Balaam prophecies of the Messiah; of Moab, Amalek, and other nations.—Balaam, before he returns, is desirous to “advertise” or admonish Balak of his own fate and that of his posterity, which he does in reference to the reign of David, in the first place, and more remotely in reference to David’s Son and Lord. These prophecies are very striking, and demand our particular attention. The introduction to this is nearly the same as to the preceding prophecy, and verse 16 is little more than a repetition of verse 4, already explained. But the following words, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh;”

&c. are variously interpreted. Rabbi Maimonides explains them, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh;’ this is King Messiah. ‘A star shall arise out of Jacob;’ this is David: ‘and a sceptre shall arise out of Israel;’ this is King Messiah. ‘He shall smite all the corners of Moab;’ this is David: ‘and destroy all the children of Sheth;’ this is King Messiah.” This extract (given by Ainsworth) is sufficient to show, that the most learned Jews of former times found it necessary to apply the prophecy in part to the Messiah. Christian interpreters (Bishop Newton in particular) consider it as a double prophecy, referring, in the first instance, to David, and, in the second, but chief, to his greater Son, Messiah. The introductory sentence, ‘I shall see him,”

&c. the learned prelate just quoted, and many others, interpret in the present tense, of the prophet discerning, by the spirit of prophecy, events yet future, with the same certainty as if they were present; though he was sensible that he was speaking of events yet “a long time to come.” Some practical commentators give the words also a reference to the second coming of King Messiah, “in the clouds of heaven,” when “every eye shall see him;’ though many, to their own sorrow, at an awful distance. ((Revelation 1:7).); The star and the sceptre, the hieroglyphics of divine and sovereign power, point evidently to him who was “The root and offspring of David;” “The bright morning star: the prince of the kings of the earth.” ((Revelation 22:16).) The prediction, as respects Moab, however, has evidently a reference to the victories of David over this country when he smote Moab, “casting them down to the ground.” ((2 Samuel 8:2).) But even this part of the prophecy does not appear to terminate in David; Moab being often used as a term for idolaters and enemies to God, his victories may shadow out the final triumphs of David’s Son and Lord. If Sheth be the name of any city or prince of Moab, (as many learned men conjecture,) this verse is easily explained; and the rules of Hebrew poetry seem to countenance the idea: but if Sheth, or Seth, be taken for the son of Adam and the ancestor of Noah, his children include all mankind; in that case, we must look for another meaning to the verb rendered destroy, which is certainly not the primary one.

The Greeks explain it, shall take captive, or make a prey of; and the Chaldee, rule, or have dominion over; both which senses Ainsworth derives from unwalling, breaking down the wall, and so