Numbers 24:8

God brought him forth out of Egypt— The meaning of which both here and in chap. Numbers 23:22 is, That as it was God, their guide and king, who with a strong arm brought them forth out of Egypt; so that same God will make them victorious over all their enemies; and, consequently, all opposition is in vain. As a proof of which, the prophet adds, he, i.e. Israel, hath, i.e. from God, as it were, the strength of an unicorn. That there is no such animal as the unicorn, vulgarly understood, is on all hands agreed. The question therefore is, what animal is meant by the original word ראם reem? There are two opinions, 1st, that of Bochart, who thinks that an eastern animal, of the stag or deer kind, is meant, remarkable for his height, [see Psalms 92:10.] strength, and fierceness; see Bochart, vol. 2: p. 949. 2nd, Others, of which number particularly is the learned Scheuchzer, suppose the rhinoceros to be meant. See Scheuch. Phys. Sacr. vol. 4. Bochart's opinion seems the most probable, (as we may collect from Deuteronomy 33:17.) that no one-horned animal can be meant; for it is there said of Joseph, his horns are the horns of a ראם reem; with them he shall push the people to the ends of the earth; and they (that is, these two horns) are the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh, i.e. the two tribes which sprung from Joseph. See Parkhurst's Lexicon: who says that רים rim, which occurs, Job 39:9 and plural רמים ramim, Psalms 22:21 in his opinion, denote the same kind of animal as ראם reem, or are only other names for the Oryx. So that, according to this interpretation, Balaam foretels that, as the ראם reem or oryx, exceeds other goats in eminence and size, so Israel should surpass in glory the other neighbouring nations, and rule over them by his strength and power. The word which we may render strength תועפת toapat, rendered by the interlineary version indefatigationes, and by Le Clerc altitudines, the heights, may, perhaps, more properly signify quick and indefatigable motions; and if so, it is with great propriety applied to the oryx, as well as to the quick and sudden conquest of the children of Israel. We should, however, just observe, that there is a species of the rhinoceros with two horns, which is a native of Africa, and is very frequently found at the Cape of Good Hope.

He shall eat up the nations his enemies— If this refers to the animal just mentioned, it will be a strong argument for interpreting it of the rhinoceros, since the particulars here expressed can by no means be applied to any thing of the goat or deer kind. If, however, ראם reem be understood to mean the oryx, we must understand Balaam as referring to the lion, whereof he speaks in the next verse, and pierce them with his arrows, which entirely destroys the metaphor. The Hebrew literally is, and his transfixings shall transfix, ימוחצ וחציו vechitzaiv yimchatz; by which, I apprehend, no more is meant, than that he shall deeply pierce and wound his enemies; and, if we understand it of the rhinoceros, we may very properly translate it, and deeply wound them with his horns; for every naturalist informs us what terrible havock the rhinoceros makes with his horn, or horns, in combat with other beasts.