Numbers 24:23-25

Numbers 24:23-25

[23] And he took up  his parable,  and said,  Alas,  who shall live  when God  doeth  [24] And ships  shall come from the coast  of Chittim,  and shall afflict  Asshur,  and shall afflict  Eber,  and he also shall perish  for ever.  [25] And Balaam  rose up,  and returned  to his place:  and Balak  also went  his way. 

What does Numbers 24:23-25 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The final prophetic oracle deals with the overthrow of other powers of the ancient world. "Kittim" refers to Cyprus as representative of western powers (the Philistines, Greeks, Romans , and others at various times). "Asshur" here probably refers to the eastern Semites including the Assyrians. "Eber" includes the western Semites descended from Eber ( Genesis 10:21) who settled in Canaan, excluding the Israelites. Thus Numbers 24:24 is a very broad prophecy ranging over thousands of years foretelling the ultimate destruction of these Semites by western powers. Final fulfillment awaits the Tribulation period and the second advent of Messiah.
Balaam returned to "his place," perhaps in Ammon or Mesopotamia ( Numbers 31:8; Numbers 31:16; Deuteronomy 23:4). [1]
In summary, the first three oracles were a reconfirmation of the Abrahamic promises to Israel and a testimony to their partial fulfillment thus far in Israel"s history.
Oracle1:seed promise ( Numbers 23:10)Oracle2:land promise ( Numbers 23:24)Oracle3:blessing promise ( Numbers 24:9)
In each case the allusion to the promise concludes these oracles. The writer showed that God"s promise to bless those nations that blessed Abraham"s descendants and curse those who cursed them was reliable. The key to the future prosperity of Israel"s neighbor nations was their treatment of God"s chosen people.
The fourth through seventh oracles differ from the others in that they looked farther down the corridors of time. They prophesied the success of Israel in the years ahead culminating in Israel"s ultimate glory under her great Messiah"s reign.
"Not only do the Balaam narratives play an important role in developing the themes of the Abrahamic covenant, but they also serve as an inclusio to the Exodus -wilderness narratives. That Isaiah , the Balaam narratives restate the central themes of these narratives at their conclusion in a way that parallels the statement of these themes at their beginning.
"The Balaam story, which lies at the close of Israel"s sojourn in the wilderness, parallels many of the events and ideas of the story of Pharaoh at the beginning of the book of Exodus." [2]