e lion without fear."

BALAAM'S PROPHECY.
(Numb. xxiv. 17-19.)

Carried by the Spirit into the far distant future, Balaam sees here how
a star goeth out of Jacob and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and how
this sceptre smiteth Moab, by whose enmity the Seer had been brought
from a distant region for the destruction of Israel. And not Moab only
shall be smitten, but its southern neighbour, Edom, too shall be
subdued, whose hatred against Israel had already been prefigured in its
ancestor, and had now begun to display Itself; and In general, all the
enemies of the [Pg 99] people of God shall be cast down to the ground
by the Ruler out of Jacob.

Ver. 17. "_I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh. A star
goeth out of Jacob, and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and smiteth
the borders of Moab, and destroyeth all the sons of the tumult._
Ver. 18. _And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir shall be a
possession--his enemies, and Israel acquireth might._ Ver. 19. _And a
Ruler shall come out of Jacob, and destroyeth what remaineth out of
the city._"

The star is, in Scripture, the symbol of the splendour of power.
The sceptre leads us back to Gen. xlix. 10; and, in general, the
announcements of Balaam have, throughout, the promises and hopes of the
Patriarchs for their foundation. As in the fundamental passage, so here
also, the sceptre, the symbol of dominion, stands for dominion itself.
The substance of the two figurative expressions is briefly stated in
ver. 19, in the words, "They shall rule out of Jacob," which are
tantamount to, "A Ruler shall come out of Jacob."

A difference of opinion exists regarding the glorious King who is
here announced. From the earliest times, the Jews understood thereby
the Messiah, either exclusively, or, at least, principally, so as to
admit of a secondary reference to David. _Onkelos_ translates: "When
a King shall rise out of Jacob, and out of Israel Messiah shall be
anointed;"--_Jonathan_: "When a valiant King shall rise out of the
house of Jacob, and out of Israel, Messiah, and a strong Sceptre shall
be anointed." The Book of Sohar remarks on the words, "I see him, but
now:" "This was in part fulfilled at that time; it will be completely
fulfilled in the days of Messiah." (Compare the passages in _Jos. de_
_Voisin_, in the _Prooem._ on _R. Martini Pugio fid._ p. 68; _R._
_Martini_ iii. 3, c. 11; _Schoettgen_, "_Jesus