Numbers 24:3-9

Numbers 24:3 (3a-9)

‘And he took up his incantation (parable), and said,'

Here he begins with what was clearly his normal way of going into deep trance and follows it with a series of contrasts presented chiastically.

Numbers 24:3 (3b-9)

“Balaam the son of Beor says,

And the man whose eye was closed says,

He says, who hears the words of God,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Falling down,

And having his eyes open.

a How goodly are your tents, O Jacob,

a Your tabernacles, O Israel!

b As valleys are they spread forth,

b As gardens by the riverside,

b As fragrant aloes which Yahweh has planted,

b As cedar trees beside the waters.

c Water shall flow from his buckets,

c And his seed shall be in many waters,

d And his king shall be higher than Agag,

d And his kingdom shall be exalted.

d God brings him forth out of Egypt,

d He has as it were the towering horns (‘strength') of the wild-ox.

c He shall eat up the nations his adversaries,

c And shall break their bones in pieces,

c And smite them through with his arrows.

b He couches, he lay down as a lion,

b And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?

a Blessed be every one who blesses you,

a And cursed be every one who curses you.”

Note how different is the opening here. Balaam is deliberately going into a visionary state.

“Balaam the son of Beor says; And the man whose eye was closed says; He says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down (or ‘falling into a trance”), and having his eyes open.' These first phrases would instantly refer back in the reader's mind to the incident with his ass. There Balaam's eyes had been closed. That may also have been Balaam's intention if rumours had begun to spread around about what had happened, (and it was not the kind of thing that servants kept to themselves). But then he had heard the words of God, and had seen the vision of the Almighty, and had fallen down and had his eyes opened (see Numbers 22:31, ‘then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angel of Yahweh -- and he bowed his head and fell on his face -- and the Angel of Yahweh said to him').

But these phrases may also be words that Balaam regularly used when working himself into a trance, with the name of the right god inserted in each case. He was revealing himself as one who can move from having his eyes closed to having his eyes opened by meeting with, in this case, ‘the Almighty' (Shaddai). Note the change of title. Calling on Yahweh by His other title ‘the Almighty' (Shaddai) might succeed.

So the process is outlined. His ‘eyes' are first closed, then he hears the words of God, then he sees the vision of Shaddai, then he falls into a trance, then his eyes are opened. In his trance-like state all is now ready for him to affect issues by his words.

Once again his incantation could hardly please the frustrated Balak. ‘How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your tabernacles, O Israel! As valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the riverside, As fragrant aloes (aromatic trees) which Yahweh has planted, As cedar trees beside the waters.' Israel's tents were to be ‘goodly', prosperous and flourishing and fruitful. They were to be like valleys fed by water which are thus luxuriant, like gardens by the riverside which therefore flourish, like aromatic trees which Yahweh has planted giving pleasure to all around, the kind of trees found in king's gardens (they were Yahweh's planting - compare Psalms 1:3; Isaiah 27:2), and as cedar trees beside the waters, which grow very strong. Cedar trees were not noted for being by water, but the thought was that a cedar in such a place would be even stronger and more luxuriant than normal. Note the emphasis again on water. Nothing mattered to ancient peoples more than water. It was their life source. So Israel's dwellingplaces would be like fruitful valleys, like flowering gardens, like scented trees and like strong cedars made even stronger by being by the riverside. All these were pictures of what was most desirable to mankind.

“Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters.” This probably indicates fruitfulness in childbearing, and the spreading of His people like refreshing and reviving water among the nations so as to bless them and bring justice to the world. In them will all the families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 28:14). They will flow out to the nations like water and dwell among them abundantly, as the waters of Eden went out to all the world (Genesis 2:10).

The thought of water as an agent of life and blessing and bringer in of justice is found everywhere in Scripture. Compare here Isaiah 33:20, where Jerusalem would be like an immovable tent where Yahweh would be with His people in majesty, and it would be a place of broad rivers and streams, because Yahweh was their judge, lawgiver and king. Consider also Ezekiel 47:1 (compare Numbers 26:25) where the flowing forth of water brought life, as expanded in John 7:38, ‘out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water'; and the going forth of God's Instruction, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3). Consider also the constant picture throughout Isaiah of spiritual blessedness in terms of water, Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 33:20; Isaiah 35:1; Isaiah 35:7; Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 45:8; Isaiah 55:1; Isaiah 55:10; Isaiah 58:11.

“And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.” Agag was probably a royal name of the Amalekite kings like Pharaoh was of Egypt and Abimelech of the Philistines. The Amalekites were doughty fighters, and their Agag was seen as wielding widespread power because of the widespread nature of the Amalekites as they spread over the wilderness descending to take their pickings where they would (compare Num 13:45; Exodus 17:8; Judges 6:3; Judges 6:33; Judges 7:12). Agag was feared, but Israel's future king (whether heavenly or earthly, for the king in mind here may be God) would be more feared. He would enjoy more power and more widespread influence than Agag. Note how Balaam also prophesies against the Amalekites in Numbers 24:20 demonstrating that Amalek were very much in his mind. An Amalekite king under the name was defeated by Saul and slain by Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:8; 1 Samuel 15:32. Haman the Agag-ite in Esther 3:1 etc. possibly traced his descent back to the dynasty (Josephus links him with the Amalekites).

“His king.” The King here is probably Yahweh (compare verse 21). But it would not be surprising if Balaam spoke of Israel's ‘king'. He probably knew little of the way in which Israel was run, and would assume a supreme ruler. To him that would be expressed in terms of ‘king', for all nations in one way or another had a king. His point was simply that whoever ruled Israel would be exalted, and that the sphere of their rule would be exalted. It is not prophesying a particular king.

“God brings him forth out of Egypt. He has as it were the towering horns/strength of the wild-ox. He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and smite them through with his arrows.” Again he compares God as the Deliverer from Egypt to a mighty wild ox, eating up the nations as a wild ox devours the vegetation; breaking their bones in pieces as a wild ox treads down those who stand in its way; and smiting them through with his arrows, because He is more than just a wild ox, but a wild ox typifying a mighty warrior. Who can withstand such a God? And He is on Israel's side.

The eating up of the nations is in contrast with Israel's seed in many waters. In the one case blessing, in the other judgment. It is the former who are to be blessed and the latter who are to be cursed.

“He couches, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?” As Numbers 23:24 suggests this description is of Yahweh and his consort Israel. Yahweh is identified with His people. They are like an established pride of lions at rest, best avoided and left undisturbed, lest they rend those who disturb them. It is a brave and foolish people who dare to stir them up. This picture of the sleeping pride of contented lions parallels the earlier pictures of Israel like watered gardens and valleys, and aromatic and towering trees.

“Blessed be every one who blesses you, And cursed be every one who curses you.” This parallels the ‘goodly tents' of Jacob (Numbers 24:5). They are a people blessed by Yahweh. Thus all who bless them will be blessed, and all who curse then will be cursed, a real smack in the face to Balak.

So with this all round picture of Yahweh's blessings on Israel we can understand why Balak might feel that somehow he was not being fairly treated.