1 And When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
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Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. 5:3
Trivia: What did Moses his soldiers to do to the Midianites in Numbers 31?
1 And When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Nice tents you've got there, Jacob.And tabernacles, Israel.
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
The valleys are like gardens, with aloes that God has planted and cedars beside the water.
7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
Water will pour from his buckets and his seed will be in many waters.His king will be higher than Agag [1] and his kingdom will be exalted.
8God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows..
God is as strong as a unicorn [2].He will eat up nations, break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
God crouches and lays down as a lion. Who will stir him up?
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.
I called you to curse my enemies, and you have blessed them three times. [3]Go home.
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak?
Didn't I say to your messengers,Even if Balak gives me his house filled with silver and gold, I will only say what God tells me to say.
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
But okay, I'll go home.First, though, let me tell you what the Israelites will do to you in the latter days.
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:
16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
A star will come out of Jacob and a scepter from out of Israel. [4]
They will smite Moab and Sheth.
18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
Edom and Seir will be their possessions.
19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
Jacob will have dominion and will destroy all those who remain in the city.
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
Amalek was the first nation, but he will perish forever.
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
Your dwelling place is strong and you nest in a rock.
22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
But the Kenites will be wasted until Asshur carries them captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
Alas, who will live when God does this?
24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
Ships will come and afflict Asshur and Eber. He will perish forever.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
God says Israel's "king shall be higher than Agag."
But Agag didn't live until the time of King Saul.
(See 1 Samuel 15:33 where Samuel hacks king Agag into pieces before the Lord.)
Oh heck, I bet he's even stronger than a unicorn. Cf. 23:22
This verse is called the "star prophecy" and is sometimes claimed to be a prophecy of the star of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:2).
But this seems unlikely, since the verse refers to Moab, and the kingdom of Moab didn't exist in New Testament times.
Jesus didn't smite Moab or kill the children of Sheth.
("Sheth" here refers to Seth -- the son of Adam, from whom Noah and, according to the Bible, all other humans descended. So if this is a prophecy about Jesus, then it prophesies that Jesus will someday kill everyone on earth.)
See Ex 17:14-16.