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24. Balaam's Oracles

¹ Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. ² When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him ³ and he spoke his message:

   “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
   the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
⁴ the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
   who sees a vision from the Almighty, Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
   who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

⁵ “How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel!

    ⁶ “Like valleys they spread out,
   like gardens beside a river,
like aloes planted by the LORD,
   like cedars beside the waters.
⁷ Water will flow from their buckets;
   their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;
their kingdom will be exalted.

    ⁸ “God brought them out of Egypt;
   they have the strength of a wild ox.
They devour hostile nations
   and break their bones in pieces;
   with their arrows they pierce them.
⁹ Like a lion they crouch and lie down,
   like a lioness—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessed
and those who curse you be cursed!”

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. ¹¹ Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded.”

¹² Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, ¹³ ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD—and I must say only what the LORD says’? ¹⁴ Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”

Balaam’s Fourth Message

¹⁵ Then he spoke his message:

   “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,
   the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
¹⁶ the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,
   who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
   who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

    ¹⁷ “I see him, but not now;
   I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
   a scepter will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
   the skulls Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Jer. 48:45); the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain. of Or possibly Moab, / batter all the people of Sheth. Or all the noisy boasters
¹⁸ Edom will be conquered;
   Seir, his enemy, will be conquered,
   but Israel will grow strong.
¹⁹ A ruler will come out of Jacob
   and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

²⁰ Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
but their end will be utter destruction.”

Balaam’s Sixth Message

²¹ Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his message:

   “Your dwelling place is secure,
   your nest is set in a rock;
²² yet you Kenites will be destroyed
   when Ashur takes you captive.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message

²³ Then he spoke his message:

   “Alas! Who can live when God does this? Masoretic Text; with a different word division of the Hebrew The people from the islands will gather from the north.
    ²⁴ Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;
they will subdue Ashur and Eber,
   but they too will come to ruin.”

²⁵ Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.

24. And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim. It is unquestionable that the word Chittim is sometimes used for the Greeks. Some, indeed, imagine that the Macedonians alone are strictly called by this name; it is, however, plain that it is applied generally to the whole of Greece. But since the countries beyond the sea were not so well known to the Jews as to allow of their distinguishing them, Scripture sometimes transfers this same name to Italy. Without doubt in Daniel, (Daniel 11:30,) “the ships of Chittim” must be taken for those of Italy or Rome; ¹⁸¹¹⁸¹ See C. on Daniel, (C. Soc. Edit.,) vol. 2, pp. 316, 317, 318. “Writers on the geography of the Bible entertain remarkably different ideas as to the country or countries intended by this denomination. The most probable opinion seems to us to be that which considers that the Hebrews used it to express, in a general sense, all the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean Sea, so far as known to them.” — Illustr. Corn. in loco. because the angel there predicts that the ships of Chittim would come, which should overcome, and render frustrate the efforts of Antiochus; which was plainly brought to pass by the mission of Popilius. With regard to the present passage, first of all the Greeks under Alexander afflicted both Judea and Assyria; and then another affliction followed at the hands of the Romans. Since, however, Balaam has begun to prophesy of the kingdom of Christ, it is probable that the Romans are included together with the Greeks. But from hence we more clearly perceive, what I have lately adverted to, that the children of God are not so exempted from common evils as not to be often involved in them promiscuously with unelievers, as if their conditions were precisely identical. Although the Hebrews are placed on a par with the Assyrians as their companions in misfortune, still a consolation is added, i.e., that the Assyrians also shall perish like Chittim, when they have persecuted the Church.

What Moses adds in conclusion, viz., that Balaam returned to his people, and Balak also went to his place, tends to the commendation of God’s grace, since He dissipates the evil counsels of the wicked like clouds, and overthrows their machinations; even as Moses commemorates elsewhere this peculiar blessing of God. ¹⁸²¹⁸² This deliverance is commemorated by Moses again in Deuteronomy 23:4, 5, 6; but the Fr. reads Joshua for Moses, and refers to Joshua 24:9 Micah, too, celebrates this amongst other Divine mercies:

“O my people, (he says,) remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,” etc. (Micah 6:5.)

The sum is, that the enemies of the chosen people departed in dishonor without accomplishing their purpose, since God put them to confusion.