Numbers 24:8
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
Original Language Analysis
אֵ֚ל
God
H410
אֵ֚ל
God
Strong's:
H410
Word #:
1 of 13
strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the almighty (but used also of any deity)
מֽוֹצִיא֣וֹ
brought him forth
H3318
מֽוֹצִיא֣וֹ
brought him forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
2 of 13
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
כְּתֽוֹעֲפֹ֥ת
he hath as it were the strength
H8443
כְּתֽוֹעֲפֹ֥ת
he hath as it were the strength
Strong's:
H8443
Word #:
4 of 13
(only in plural collective) weariness, i.e., (by implication) toil (treasure so obtained) or speed
גּוֹיִ֣ם
the nations
H1471
גּוֹיִ֣ם
the nations
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
8 of 13
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
וְעַצְמֹֽתֵיהֶ֛ם
their bones
H6106
וְעַצְמֹֽתֵיהֶ֛ם
their bones
Strong's:
H6106
Word #:
10 of 13
a bone (as strong); by extension, the body; figuratively, the substance, i.e., (as pron.) selfsame
יְגָרֵ֖ם
and shall break
H1633
יְגָרֵ֖ם
and shall break
Strong's:
H1633
Word #:
11 of 13
(causative) to bone, i.e., denude (by extensive, craunch) the bones
Cross References
Psalms 45:5Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.Psalms 2:9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.Jeremiah 50:17Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.Numbers 23:22God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.Numbers 23:24Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.Numbers 14:9Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.Isaiah 38:13I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.Jeremiah 50:9For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.Psalms 21:12Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.Deuteronomy 32:23I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
Historical Context
The Exodus was Israel's defining redemptive event, constantly referenced as evidence of God's electing love and mighty power (Deuteronomy 5:6). Balaam's oracle from an outside perspective confirmed what Israel knew internally: their God was unmatched. The imagery of consuming enemies and breaking bones prophesied military victories under Joshua, the judges, and David. God's redemption purposes inevitably triumph.
Questions for Reflection
- How does remembering God's past deliverance strengthen faith for future battles?
- What role does the Exodus play in understanding our redemption in Christ?
- How should believers leverage Christ's finished work when facing present challenges?
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Analysis & Commentary
The oracle 'God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn' grounds Israel's present blessing in past redemption. The Hebrew re'em (wild ox/unicorn) symbolized untamed power. Israel's strength derives not from military might but from God who brought them from Egypt with mighty acts. This past deliverance guarantees future victories: 'he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.' God's past faithfulness ensures future triumph—a principle Christians claim through Christ's finished work.