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Tanach (JPS): Numbers: Numbers Chapter 24

Book of ChroniclesHebrew Bible TranslationJewish Publication Society Bible

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This is a passage from the Hebrew Bible (Numbers 24), drawn from the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 English translation of the Tanach — the canonical Jewish scriptural tradition. It records the third and fourth oracles of Balaam, a non-Israelite seer hired by the Moabite king Balak to curse Israel, who instead delivers blessings compelled by divine force. The central content is Balaam's poetic prophecies: the third oracle praises Israel's beauty and military power, comparing the nation to flourishing gardens and a crouching lion, while the fourth looks forward to a future ruler — "a star out of Jacob, a sceptre out of Israel" — who will conquer Moab, Edom, and surrounding peoples. The passage is notable for the "star prophecy" (v. 17), one of the Hebrew Bible's most debated messianic or royal texts, later interpreted by Christians as foretelling Jesus and by some Jewish groups as a messianic sign. A distinctive narrative tension runs throughout: Balak's fury at receiving blessings instead of curses frames Balaam's insistence that he can only speak what God compels, raising questions about prophecy, free will, and divine sovereignty. The passage closes with short oracles against Amalek, the Kenites, and distant maritime powers, sketching an eschatological vision of regional realignment "in the end of days."

Tanach (JPS): Numbers: Numbers Chapter 24

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