“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth .”
My Notes
What Does Numbers 24:17 Mean?
Numbers 24:17 is one of the oldest messianic prophecies in the Bible, spoken by Balaam — the pagan prophet hired to curse Israel who found himself unable to do anything but bless. "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh" — Balaam sees a figure in the prophetic distance. The vision is real but remote. What he describes hasn't arrived yet, but he can see it clearly.
"There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel" — two images, one meaning. The star (kokhav) represents divine radiance, heavenly origin, and guidance. The sceptre (shevet) represents royal authority, rulership, and dominion. Both emerge from Israel — this king is Jewish, Jacobite, specific. The star/sceptre figure will "smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth" — exercising military and judicial authority over Israel's enemies.
Jewish tradition identified this as messianic from early on. The Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135 AD) took its leader's name from this verse — Bar Kokhba means "Son of the Star." Christians see the fulfillment in Christ — the Star that the Magi followed (Matthew 2:2), the King who holds the sceptre of an eternal kingdom. What makes this prophecy remarkable is its source: a pagan diviner, hired to curse, unable to do anything but announce the coming King. Even Balaam couldn't stop this word from being spoken.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean to you that God used a pagan prophet — someone working against His people — to announce the Messiah?
- 2.Have you ever seen God turn something meant to harm you into something that actually blessed you?
- 3.Balaam saw the future clearly but from a distance. What promises of God feel real to you but distant?
- 4.How does the image of Christ as both Star (light) and Sceptre (authority) shape how you relate to Him?
Devotional
A pagan prophet hired to curse Israel opens his mouth and announces the Messiah instead. That's how unstoppable God's plan is.
Balaam sees something in the distance — a Star rising out of Jacob, a Sceptre from Israel. He can see it clearly, but it's not close. "Not now... not nigh." The vision is centuries away. And yet it's so real, so vivid, so certain that Balaam describes it as though he's watching it happen. That's what prophecy does — it collapses the distance between now and then, making the future as real as the present.
A Star and a Sceptre. Light and authority. Guidance and rule. The King who's coming isn't just powerful — He's radiant. He doesn't just demand allegiance — He draws people by His brightness. When the Magi followed a star to Bethlehem centuries later, they were following the fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by a man who tried to fight against God's people and couldn't.
That's the part that should encourage you. God's plan doesn't depend on willing participants. Even the man hired to oppose it ended up announcing it. Even the mouth that was paid to curse couldn't produce anything but blessing. If God can use Balaam to prophesy the Messiah, nothing in your circumstances — no opposition, no hostility, no force working against you — can derail what God has determined to do. The Star rises regardless.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And Edom shall be a possession,.... Of the children of Israel, which was fulfilled in part when the Edomites became the…
Render, I see him, though he be not now: I behold him, though he be not near. Balaam here describes what is actually…
The office of prophets was both to bless and to prophesy in the name of the Lord. Balaam, as a prophet, per force had…
In accordance with Num 24:24 Balaam treats of the future of Israel. -I see him (Israel), but not (as he is) now; I…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture