God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
Parallel Translations
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God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
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God 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.
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God who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Science (1)
Historical claims about the natural world, weighed against the scientific record.
Cross-references (14)
Passages linked to Numbers 24:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 45:5 Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies.
- Numbers 14:9 Only don’t rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don’t fear them.”
- Numbers 23:22 God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
- Numbers 23:24 Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.”
- Psalms 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
- Jeremiah 50:17 “Israel is a hunted sheep. The lions have driven him away. First, the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.”
- Isaiah 38:13 I waited patiently until morning. He breaks all my bones like a lion. From day even to night you will make an end of me.
- Jeremiah 50:9 For, behold, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they will set themselves in array against her. She will be taken from there. Their arrows will be as of an expert mighty man. None of them will return in vain.
- Numbers 21:5 The people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, there is no water, and our soul loathes this disgusting food!”
- Deuteronomy 7:1 When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—seven nations greater and mightier than you;
- Deuteronomy 32:23 “I will heap evils on them. I will spend my arrows on them.
- Deuteronomy 32:42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood. My sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the head of the leaders of the enemy.”
- Psalms 21:12 For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.
- Daniel 6:24 The king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Num 24:8 God brought him forth out of Egypt;…
Num 24:8 God 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.
Ver. 8. God brought him forth out of Egypt.] This he tells Balak, in answer to that complaint of his. {Num 20:5} Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, q.d., Come they are indeed, but not of themselves, but by God, who said, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Shall break their bones, or, unbone, or, take out,…
Shall break their bones, or, unbone, or, take out, i.e. shall eat the flesh to the very bones, and then break them also.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain God brought him forth out of Egypt, he hath…
God brought him forth out of Egypt, he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn,.... Here he repeats what he had said in a former prophecy; see Gill on Num 23:22, he shall eat up the nations his enemies: the seven nations of Canaan, which should be subdued by Israel, and that with as much ease as a lion devours its prey; nor would the Canaanites be able to make any more resistance to them than a creature in the paws of a lion; and the phrase denotes the utter destruction of them:
and shall break their bones; as the lion breaks the bones of such creatures that fall a prey to him; signifying that all their strength should be taken from them, their mighty men slain, and their fortified cities taken:
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and pierce them through with his arrows: slay them utterly.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 8. God brought him forth out of Egypt]…
Verse 8. God brought him forth out of Egypt] They were neither expelled thence, nor came voluntarily away. God alone, with a high hand and uplifted arm, brought them forth. Concerning the unicorn, See Clarke on Nu 23:22.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Num 24:8-9. He shall eat up the nations, &c.…
Num 24:8-9. He shall eat up the nations, &c. — The expressions in these verses are intended to signify the victories which the Israelites should gain over their enemies, and particularly the Canaanites, and the secure and quiet possession they should have of the land afterward, all which was fulfilled especially in the days of David and Solomon. He couched, he lay down as a lion — It is remarkable that God here put into the mouth of Balaam nearly the same expressions which Jacob had used concerning Judah, (Gen 49:9,) and Isaac concerning Jacob, Gen 27:29. And what wonder, considering that all these prophecies proceeded from one and the same spirit?
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Lioness. See ver. 22, 24, of the preceeding chapter.…
Lioness. See ver. 22, 24, of the preceeding chapter. (Haydock) --- This prediction was accomplished under the reigns of David and of Solomon. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 8. Unicorn — This comparison is only an amplification…
8. Unicorn — This comparison is only an amplification of that in chap. xxiii, 22. See note.
Eat up the nations — Destroy them. As an illustration take the seven nations of Canaan. Num_14:9; Deu_7:1. So all nations shall be utterly wasted or conquered by spiritual Israel. Isa_60:12.
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Break their bones — Literally, unmarrow their fat bones — weakening them beyond recovery.
Arrows — The chief missiles of ancient war. They are figurative of the piercing words of inspiration. Psa_45:5; Psa_64:4.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 8. The first two lines are identical (with the…
8. The first two lines are identical (with the exception of ‘him’ for ‘them’) with Num_23:22 (E ); and in both traditions the words follow a reference to Israel’s king, and precede the metaphor of the lion and lioness.
And smite them through with his arrows] lit. ‘and (as for) his arrows he shall smite.’ ‘His arrows’ (חִצָּיו) should perhaps be either ‘his oppressors’ (להֲצָיו) or ‘his loins’ (חֲלָצָיו). For the latter cf. Deu_33:11.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (8) God brought him forth out of Egypt.—(Comp. Num_23:22,…
(8) God brought him forth out of Egypt.—(Comp. Num_23:22, and Note.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And shall break their bones. (cf. Eze_23:34) seems to…
And shall break their bones. (cf. Eze_23:34) seems to mean "crush" or "smash." The Septuagint has ekmueliei , "shall suck out," i.e., the marrow, but the word does not seem to bear this meaning. Pierce them through with his arrows, or, "dash in pieces his arrows," i.e., the arrows shot at him. xjmiy wyXji. The difficulty is the possessive suffix to "arrows," which is in the singular; otherwise this rendering gives a much better sense, and more in keeping with the rest of the passage The image in Balaam"s mind is evidently that of a terrible wild beast devouring his enemies, stamping them underfoot, and dashing to pieces in his fury the arrows or darts which they vainly launch against him. (compare the imagery in Dan_7:7)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
General Information:
Balaam continues to prophesy under the control of the Spirit of God.
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God brings him
"God brings the Israelites"
with strength like a wild ox
This simile emphasizes that the Israelites have great strength. (See: Simile)
He will eat up the nations
Balaam speaks of the Israelites as if they are wild animals that eat their enemies. This means they will destroy their enemies. (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
God
Egypt
strength
cow
nation
bow and arrow
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.