The Meaning of Numbers 24:17 Explained

Numbers 24:17

KJV: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

YLT: I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.

Darby: I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: There cometh a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall cut in pieces the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.

ASV: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I shall see  him, but not now: I shall behold  him, but not nigh:  there shall come  a Star  out of Jacob,  and a Sceptre  shall rise  out of Israel,  and shall smite  the corners  of Moab,  and destroy  all the children  of Sheth. 

What does Numbers 24:17 Mean?

Study Notes

Sceptre
See "Kingdom" , See Scofield " Zechariah 12:8 ".
make man in our image
Man. Genesis 1:26 ; Genesis 1:27 gives the general, Genesis 2:7 ; Genesis 2:21-23 the particular account of the creation of man. The revealed facts are:
(1) Man was created not evolved. This is
(a) expressly declared, and the declaration is confirmed by Christ Matthew 19:14 ; Mark 10:6 ,
(b) "an enormous gulf, a divergence practically infinite" (Huxley) between the lowest man and the highest beast, confirms it;
(c) the highest beast has no trace of God-consciousness--the religious nature;
(d) science and discovery have done nothing to bridge that "gulf."
(2) That man was made in the "image and likeness" of God. This image is found chiefly in man's tri-unity, and in his moral nature. Man is "spirit and soul and body" 1 Thessalonians 5:23 .
"Spirit" is that part of man which "knows" 1 Corinthians 2:11 and which allies him to the spiritual creation and gives him God-consciousness. "Soul" in itself implies self-consciousness life, as distinguished from plants, which have unconscious life. In that sense animals also have "soul" Genesis 1:24 . But the "soul" of man has a vaster content than "soul" as applied to beast life. It is the seat of emotions, desires, affections Psalms 42:1-6 . The "heart" is, in Scripture usage, nearly synonymous with "soul." Because the natural man is, characteristically, the soulual or physical man, "soul" is often used as synonymous with the individual, e.g. Genesis 12:5 . The body, separable from spirit and soul, and susceptible to death, is nevertheless an integral part of man, as the resurrection shows; John 5:28 ; John 5:29 ; 1 Corinthians 15:47-50 ; Revelation 20:11-13 . It is the seat of the senses (the means by which the spirit and soul have world-consciousness) and of the fallen Adamic nature. Romans 7:23 ; Romans 7:24 .
us , Genesis 11:7

Context Summary

Numbers 24:15-25 - The "star Out Of Jacob"
When your heart is dismayed because of the hatred and opposition of Satan; the great accuser, turn to this chapter. If he stands up to resist, the Son of God stands in your defense. The Eternal God is on your side, not because you are perfect, but because you have linked your little life with Jesus Christ in His glory and beauty. In Deuteronomy 23:5 we learn the blessed secret that explained Balaam's failure.
Balaam describes in glowing anticipation Israel's future, and his forecast is marvelously accurate. It is clear that a man may speak the truth of which his soul is destitute, as a marble fountain may dispense water which it does not taste.
Balaam started for his home, but never reached it. You may long to die the death of the righteous, but it is a vain dream unless you live their life. Compare Numbers 23:10 with 31:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 24

1  Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel
10  Balak, in anger, dismisses him
15  He prophesies of the Star of Jacob, and the destruction of some nations

What do the individual words in Numbers 24:17 mean?

I see Him but not now I behold Him near shall come a Star out of Jacob and shall rise a Scepter out of Israel and batter the brow of Moab and destroy all the sons of tumult
אֶרְאֶ֙נּוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א עַתָּ֔ה אֲשׁוּרֶ֖נּוּ קָר֑וֹב דָּרַ֨ךְ כּוֹכָ֜ב מִֽיַּעֲקֹ֗ב וְקָ֥ם שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמָחַץ֙ פַּאֲתֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב וְקַרְקַ֖ר כָּל־ בְּנֵי־ שֵֽׁת

אֶרְאֶ֙נּוּ֙  I  see  Him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְלֹ֣א  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עַתָּ֔ה  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אֲשׁוּרֶ֖נּוּ  I  behold  Him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּר  
Sense: to see, behold, observe, regard.
קָר֑וֹב  near 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָרֹוב  
Sense: near.
דָּרַ֨ךְ  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּרַךְ  
Sense: to tread, bend, lead, march.
כּוֹכָ֜ב  a  Star 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּוכָב  
Sense: star.
מִֽיַּעֲקֹ֗ב  out  of  Jacob 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
וְקָ֥ם  and  shall  rise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
שֵׁ֙בֶט֙  a  Scepter 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  out  of  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּמָחַץ֙  and  batter 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָחַץ  
Sense: to smite through, shatter, wound severely.
פַּאֲתֵ֣י  the  brow 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: פֵּאָה 
Sense: corner, edge, side, quarter, extremity.
מוֹאָ֔ב  of  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
וְקַרְקַ֖ר  and  destroy 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּר 
Sense: (Qal) to bore, dig, dig for water.
בְּנֵי־  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שֵֽׁת  of  tumult 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁת  
Sense: seat of body, buttocks Nu 24:7.