Numbers 24:1
At other times — In former times. Toward the wilderness — Where Israel lay encamped, expecting what God of his own accord would suggest to him concerning this matter.... [ Continue Reading ]
At other times — In former times. Toward the wilderness — Where Israel lay encamped, expecting what God of his own accord would suggest to him concerning this matter.... [ Continue Reading ]
Came upon him — Inspired him to speak the following words.... [ Continue Reading ]
Whose eyes are open — Heb. Who had his eyes shut, but now open. The eyes of his mind, which God had opened in a peculiar and prophetical manner, whence prophets are called Seers, 1 Samuel 9:9. It implies that before he was blind and stupid, having eyes, but not seeing nor understanding.... [ Continue Reading ]
The vision — So called properly, because he was awake when this was revealed to him: A trance — Or, extasy, fainting and falling upon the ground, as the prophets used to do.... [ Continue Reading ]
As the valleys — Which often from a small beginning are spread forth far and wide. As gardens — Pleasant and fruitful and secured by a fence. As lign — aloes — An Arabian and Indian tree of a sweet smell, yielding shade and shelter both to man and beast; such is Israel, not only safe themselves, but... [ Continue Reading ]
He shall pour the water — That is. God will abundantly water the valleys, gardens, and trees, which represent the Israelites; he will wonderfully bless his people, not only with outward blessings, of which a chief one in those parts was plenty of water, but also with higher gifts and graces, with hi... [ Continue Reading ]
He lay down — Having conquered his enemies the Canaanites, and their land, he shall quietly rest and settle himself there.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord — Whose commands thou hast preferred before my desires and interest; and therefore seek thy recompence from him, and not from me.... [ Continue Reading ]
I shall see him — Or, I have seen, or do see the star, and sceptre as it here follows, that is, a great and eminent prince, which was to come out of Israel's loins, the Messiah, as both Jewish and Christian interpreters expound it, who most eminently and fully performed what is here said, in destroy... [ Continue Reading ]
A possession — Which was also foretold, Genesis 25:23, and in part fulfilled, 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Chronicles 18:13, but more fully by Christ, Amos 9:12; Obadiah 1:1:Obadiah 1:18, who shall subdue and possess all his enemies; here signified by the name of Edom, as Jacob or Israel, his brother, signifies... [ Continue Reading ]
Out of Jacob — Out of Jacob's loins. He that shall have dominion — David, and especially Christ. Of the city — Or from or out of this city, that is, the cities, the singular number for the plural. He shall not subdue those Moabites and Edomites which meet him in the field, but he shall pursue them e... [ Continue Reading ]
He looked on Amalek — From the top of Pisgah, which was exceeding high, and gave him the prospect of part of all these kingdoms. The first — Heb. the firstfruits; so called either, because they were the first of all the neighbouring nations which were embodied together in one government: or, because... [ Continue Reading ]
The Kenites — The posterity or kindred of Jethro; not that part of them which dwelt among the Israelites, to whom the following words do not agree, but those of them who were mingled with the Amalekites and Midianites. Thy nest — Thy dwelling — place, so called, either because it was in an high plac... [ Continue Reading ]
The Kenite — Heb. Kain, that is, the Kenite, so called, either by a transposition of letters, which is very usual in the Hebrew tongue; or from the name of some eminent place where they lived, or person from whom they were descended, though now the memory of them be utterly lost, as it hath fared wi... [ Continue Reading ]
Who shall live — How calamitous and miserable will the state of the world be, when the Assyrian, and after him the Chaldean, shall over — turn all these parts of the world? Who will be able to keep his heart from fainting under such grievous pressures? Nay, how few will escape the destroying sword?... [ Continue Reading ]
Chittim — A place or people so called from Chittim the son of Javan, Genesis 10:4, whose posterity were very numerous, and were first seated in the lesser Asia, and from thence sent forth colonies into the islands of the Aegean sea, and into Cyprus, afterwards into Macedonia and other parts of Greec... [ Continue Reading ]
To his place — To Mesopotamia; tho' afterwards he returned to the Midianites, and gave them that devilish counsel which was put in practice, Numbers 25:16.... [ Continue Reading ]