Numbers 24 8

Numbers 24:8 kjv

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.

Numbers 24:8 nkjv

"God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones And pierce them with his arrows.

Numbers 24:8 niv

"God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them.

Numbers 24:8 esv

God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows.

Numbers 24:8 nlt

God brought them out of Egypt;
for them he is as strong as a wild ox.
He devours all the nations that oppose him,
breaking their bones in pieces,
shooting them with arrows.

Numbers 24 verses

Numbers 24 8 Meaning

Numbers 24:8 proclaims God's divine hand in delivering Israel from Egypt and declares their future invincibility and power against enemy nations, comparing their God-given strength to that of a formidable wild ox. It foretells complete and devastating victory over all who oppose them, signifying total dominion and the unbreakable nature of God's protective and empowering presence.

Numbers 24 8 Context

Numbers chapter 24 details the third (and longest) of Balaam's four oracles. Balak, King of Moab, hired Balaam, a non-Israelite diviner, to curse Israel, who were camped on Moab's borders, preparing to enter the Promised Land. Despite Balak's pressure and his desire for Israel's demise, God sovereignly intervened in each instance, turning Balaam's intended curses into powerful blessings. This verse specifically comes after God had already thwarted Balaam's previous attempts to curse. Here, Balaam is filled with the Spirit of God and declares not just blessings, but Israel's inevitable and overwhelming military triumph, emphasizing God's past powerful deliverance from Egypt as a guarantee of future victories against any who would oppose His chosen people. The prophecy highlights Yahweh's absolute control over all peoples and kings, showcasing His unique sovereignty compared to regional deities.

Numbers 24 8 Word analysis

• God brought him out of Egypt (אֵל מַקְרִיבוֹ מִמִּצְרָיִם, `El maqrivo miMitzrayim`):
• אֵל (`El`): Hebrew word for "God," often referring to the powerful, sovereign God. It emphasizes divine strength and omnipotence as the source of Israel's power.
• מַקְרִיבוֹ (`maqrivo`): "The One bringing him out" or "leading him forth." The active participle emphasizes continuous and direct divine agency. This points directly to the Exodus event (e.g., Exo 12:51, Deut 4:37), the foundational act of redemption in Israel's history, establishing God's claim over them and His protective power.
• he has as it were the strength of a wild ox (כְּתוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לוֹ, `k’to‘afot re’em lo`):
• כְּתוֹעֲפֹת (`k’to‘afot`): "As the strength," "as the high/lofty peak/power." Denotes tremendous, towering power.
• רְאֵם (`re’em`): The "wild ox," or aurochs (Bos primigenius). This formidable, now-extinct bovidae was known for its immense size, aggressive nature, and untamable strength, with massive, powerful horns. In biblical imagery, it represents unconquerable might and aggressive power (e.g., Ps 92:10; Deut 33:17), often applied to mighty leaders or powerful entities. It's an apt metaphor for God-given, irresistible military strength.
• he shall eat up the nations his enemies (יֹאכַל גּוֹיִם צָרָיו, `yokhal goyim tsarav`):
• יֹאכַל (`yokhal`): "He shall eat," "consume." Strong, vivid imagery for total and utter destruction, as a predator consumes its prey. It conveys complete annihilation and subjugation, leaving nothing behind.
• גּוֹיִם צָרָיו (`goyim tsarav`): "Nations his enemies." Explicitly states the targets: gentile nations who oppose Israel.
• and shall break their bones in pieces (וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶם יְגָרֵם, `v’atzmoteihem yegarem`):
• וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶם (`v’atzmoteihem`): "And their bones." Referring to the fundamental structure, the very core.
• יְגָרֵם (`yegarem`): "He shall gnaw/break in pieces." A forceful verb indicating crushing, grinding, or pulverizing. This powerful, gruesome imagery further emphasizes absolute, decisive, and irreversible defeat. It suggests a dismantling of the enemy's very being, rendering them utterly helpless and unable to rise again.
• and pierce them through with his arrows (וְחִצָּיו יִמְחַץ, `v’chitsav yimchatz`):
• וְחִצָּיו (`v’chitsav`): "And his arrows." Refers to military weaponry, instruments of precise and lethal force. In many biblical contexts, divine arrows signify judgment (Deut 32:23; Ps 7:13; Zec 9:14).
• יִמְחַץ (`yimchatz`): "He shall pierce/shatter/smite." Implies striking through, a piercing, decisive blow that incapacitates or kills. It rounds off the picture of Israel's military dominance, empowered by God, making every strike count.

• Words-Group Analysis:
• "God brought him out of Egypt; he has as it were the strength of a wild ox": This clause seamlessly links God's past miraculous deliverance of Israel from the superpower of Egypt with their current and future formidable strength. It highlights that Israel's power is not inherent but is divinely conferred, rooted in God's faithful historical actions. The `re'em` imagery encapsulates an unstoppable, divinely infused military prowess.
• "he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows": This segment builds a cumulative and terrifying image of total conquest. The three verbs — "eat up," "break," and "pierce" — form a hyperbole for utter and merciless destruction. It conveys complete domination, subjugation, and permanent elimination of any threat posed by surrounding hostile nations, leaving no possibility of their resurgence. It underscores God's promise to utterly defeat Israel's adversaries through Israel's divinely empowered agency.

Numbers 24 8 Bonus section

• The "wild ox" (re'em) symbolism here points beyond mere physical strength to a deeper spiritual and authoritative might, hinting at a messianic strength (often linked with the Tribe of Joseph/Ephraim and even Judah in other prophecies of dominion).
• Balaam's enforced prophecies highlight a key biblical theme: God's absolute sovereignty overrides all human intentions, even those of pagan diviners. God used Balaam to declare His unwavering commitment to His covenant with Israel.
• This oracle foreshadows Israel's successful conquest of Canaan and subsequent expansion under kings like David, but ultimately looks forward to the eschatological victory of the Messiah, who will "break the nations" (Ps 2:9) and establish His kingdom.
• The progression of imagery—eating, bone-breaking, piercing—suggests increasingly intimate and thorough destruction, emphasizing that no part of the enemy, not even their foundations, will remain.

Numbers 24 8 Commentary

Numbers 24:8 stands as a resounding declaration of Yahweh's unwavering commitment to Israel and their destined triumph, articulated by a non-Israelite prophet whose words are compelled by God. It begins by rooting Israel's current strength and future victories in God's monumental past act of delivering them from Egypt, demonstrating a consistent divine faithfulness. The vivid metaphor of the "wild ox" emphasizes Israel's insurmountable strength against their adversaries, a power not born of their own might but gifted by God. The following clauses "eat up the nations his enemies," "break their bones in pieces," and "pierce them through with his arrows" are a crescendo of intense military imagery, assuring utter, decisive, and permanent subjugation of all opposing forces. This oracle reassures Israel of God's active presence as they prepare to enter Canaan and prophesies their ultimate dominance under divine guidance. The verse powerfully refutes the notion that curses from external powers or weaknesses within Israel can thwart God's sovereign plan for His chosen people and points to future kingship, particularly the ultimate triumph of the Messiah.