Numbers 24:17
Hebrew Bible
15 Then he uttered this oracle: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eyes are open, 16 the oracle of the one who hears the words of God, and who knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground with eyes open: 17 ‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth. 18 Edom will be a possession, Seir, his enemy, will also be a possession; but Israel will act valiantly. 19 A ruler will be established from Jacob; he will destroy the remains of the city.’”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
LXX Numbers 24:17
Septuagint
15 And then, taking up his poetic discourse, he said, “Balaam son of Beor says, the person who sees the truth says, 16 ‘The one who hears the oracles of God, who is acquainted with the knowledge from the Most High, and the one who sees the vision from God as in sleep, his eyes being open, 17 I will show him, but not just now, I bless, but he is not near. A star will rise up out of Jacob, and a person will be established out of Israel, and he will shatter the rulers of Moab and will plunder all the sons of Seth. 18 And Edom will be an inheritance, and Esau, his enemy, will be an inheritance; and Israel does mightily. 19 And he will stir forth out of Jacob, and he will slay anyone being rescued from the city.’ ”
Date: 3rd Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Notes and References
"... Numbers 24:17 probably communicates that the star or the scepter will break the temples of Moab and crush all the sons of Seth. Scholars debate the connotation of the phrase, “sons of Seth.” It could refer to descendants of Adam’s son, Seth. Alternatively, it might symbolize all nations. There is insufficient evidence to indubitably establish their identity ... Unlike the Masoretic text, the LXX of Numbers 24:17 interprets the star that will rise from Jacob as a man who will arise from Israel. This man will break Moab’s rulers. He will additionally plunder all the sons of Seth ..."
Winchester, Christopher
Thematic Association in the Gospel of Matthew: Situating Exegesis in the Gospel of Matthew in its Second Temple Context
(p. 114) University of Edinburgh, 2017
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
User Comments
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.