Numbers 24:17

I see it. I see the praise and greatness of Yaakov. Not, however, now, but at a later time.

A star has gone forth. As Targum [Onkelos] interprets. דָּרַךְ means the same as דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתּוֹ, “He hurled with His bow,” as a star travels like an arrow. In Old French, “destente” (“hurl”). As if to say, “a constellation shall rise.”

A staff has arisen. A king who subdues and rules.

Smash the corners of Moav. This refers to David, of whom it is said, “he laid them on the ground and measured two strings to kill, etc.”

And impale. The meaning is to penetrate, like, “I have excavated,” “the pit ax which quarried you” “let the ravens of the river gouge it.” “Forjier” (“pierce”), in Old French.

All of the sons of Sheis. All the nations, since they were all descended from Sheis, the son of Adam.

I shall see Him, but not now; I shall behold Him, but it is not near. When the mighty King of Jakob's house shall reign, and the Meshiha, the Power-sceptre of Israel, be anointed, He will slay the princes of the Moabaee, and bring to nothing all the children of Sheth, the armies of Gog who will do battle against Israel and all their carcases shall fall before Him.

As in (Isaiah 22:5), "Mekarkar a wall." And its explanation is that he destroys a wall, as in (Isaiah 10:33), "He will hew off the tree-crowns with an ax."...

The Children of Seth (Shet): [This is] like the sons of Adam (all people), since [Seth] was the main [son of Adam], as Noah was from his descendants (such that everyone who lived afterwards was of the Children of Seth). And the Yitzchaki1 said that its understanding is [that it refers to] the Children of Ammon and also [the Children of] Moab, and its meaning is [hence] twofold. He also said that its usage [is like its usage in], "those with revealed shet" (Isaiah 11:3), which is a reference to the daughters of Lot (the mothers of Ammon and Moab). But that is distant [from the correct understanding] in my eyes; as shet is the posterior, which is like a foundation, as in (Psalms 11:3), "When the shatot are destroyed." And many understood, "all the children of shet" as the same usage as "When the shatot." And the explanation is that when he destroys the countries (which are like foundations). And this is not distant.

THERE SHALL STEP FORTH A STAR OUT OF JACOB. Because the Messiah will gather together the dispersed of Israel from all the corners of the earth, Balaam compares him [metaphorically] to a star that passes through the firmament from the ends of heaven, just as it is said about [the Messiah]: and behold, there came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man etc. Balaam thus said that he saw that at a distant time a star would pass from the ends of heaven, and there would rise out of it the sceptre of a ruler, and he shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth, the son of Adam, who was the father of all the nations., Vol. I, p. 98. He mentioned the corners of Moab in order to inform Balak that his people would not fall into the hand of Israel now, but in the end of days Moab will not be saved from the hand of the ruling king [in Israel]. And the meaning of ‘the corners’ of Moab is that this ruler [in Israel] will break down all the sons of Seth, and they [Moab] will not be saved, even though they are cut off on ‘the corner,’ and have no name among the nations, and will not fight against Israel.

אראנו, I can see it now but it will not happen until some time in the future. ולא עתה; none of these prophecies are meant to become reality in the immediate future.

כל בני שת, according to the plain meaning a reference to the Messiah, i.e. the words דרך כוכב מיעקב. (compare Ibn Ezra and Nachmanides in order to understand this. Ed.]

אראנו, I can clearly see it but it is not due now.

דרך כוכב, both physical and enduring. We find the word כוכב used in this sense in Daniel 12,3 as ומצדיקי הרבים ככוכבם לעולם, “and those who lead many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.”

ומחץ פאתי מואב, even though all the nations will be wiped out by G’d the nations Edom and Moav will be decisively defeated by the Jewish people themselves as an act of vengeance for their longstanding enmity to the Jewish people.

אראנו ולא עתה, אשורנו ולא קרוב, “what I see for them will not be yet, what I behold will not occur soon.” This is in contrast to prophecies by Moses in Deuteronomy 32,35: כי קרוב יום אידם וחש עתידות למו, “for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste.” The subject can be better understood by a parable. A king took a stroll accompanied by both one of his friends and by someone whom he knew to be hostile to him. When the king mentioned that he had become thirsty, the hostile man said that they were a long distance from the nearest source of water, in order to make the king feel even more uncomfortable. His friend, on the other hand, encouraged him to ride on, assuring him that there was a source of water nearby. (He wanted to encourage the king even though he was not certain that what he said was true) Bileam, the enemy of the Israelites portrayed the salvation of that people as being a long way off, whereas Moses, the people’s friend, encouraged the people to observe the law of the Torah as a result of which their salvation would prove to be quite near (chronologically).

דרך כוכב מיעקב, “there shall step forth a star from Yaakov, etc.” The verb דרך here is used as similar to the prophetess Devorah using it in Judges 5,21: תדרכי נפשי עוז, “march on my soul with courage!” [In both instances it is used poetically as walking in a reinforced manner, with determination and purpose. Ed.] (Compare Isaiah 56,1,כי קרובה ישועתי לבא וצדקתי להגלות, “for soon My salvation shall come and My deliverance will be revealed.”)

וקם שבט מישראל, “and a scepter shall arise out of Israel;” our author understands the word שבט here as meaning a rod used to discipline someone. This rod will be applied to Moav in the distant future. The word פאתי in our verse, commonly translated as “corners of,” is understood by our author as meaning the same or almost the same as in Psalms 118,22: היתה לראש פנה, “had become the chief cornerstone.” This prophecy was fulfilled in the time of David (Samuel II 8,2) ויך את מואב וימדדם בחבל וגו', “He smote Moav and made them lie down on the ground, and measured them with a cord.”