24:1 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 a
wilderness.
(a) Where the Israelites camped.
24:3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of
Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes b are open hath
said:
(b) His eyes were shut up before in respect to the clear
visions which he saw after.
24:4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the
vision of the Almighty, c falling [into a trance], but
having his eyes open:
(c) Though he lay as in a sleep, yet the eyes of his mind
were open.
24:7 He shall pour the d water out of his buckets, and his
seed [shall be] in many waters, and his king shall be
higher than e Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
(d) His prosperity and posterity will be very great.
(e) Which name was common to the kings of Amalek.
24:10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he f
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.
(f) In token of anger.
24:11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote
thee unto great honour; but, lo, the g LORD hath kept
thee back from honour.
(g) Thus the wicked burden God when they cannot carry out
their wicked enterprises.
24:14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come [therefore,
and] I will h advertise thee what this people shall do
to thy people in the latter days.
(h) He gave also wicked counsel to cause the Israelites to
sin, that God might forsake them, (Nu 31:16).
24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not
nigh: there shall come a i Star out of Jacob, and a
Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the k
corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of l
Sheth.
(i) Meaning Christ.
(k) That is, the princes.
(l) He shall subdue all that resist: for of Sheth came
Noah, and of Noah all the world.
24:19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and
shall destroy him that remaineth of the m city.
(m) Of the Edomites.
24:20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and
said, Amalek [was] the n first of the nations; but his
latter end [shall be] that he perish for ever.
(n) The Amalekites first made war against Israel,
(Nu 14:45).
24:21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and
said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou o puttest
thy nest in a rock.
(o) Make yourself as strong as you can.
24:23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, p who shall
live when God doeth this!
(p) Some read, Oh who shall not perish when the enemy
(that is, Antichrist) shall set himself up as God?
24:24 And ships [shall come] from the coast of q Chittim, and
shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and r he
also shall perish for ever.
(q) The Grecians and Romans.
(r) Meaning, Eber, or the Jews for rebelling against God.
