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.
I can see him, but not right now; I will look at him, but he's not close by. A Star will come from Jacob's family, and a King will rise from Israel. He will defeat the corners of Moab and destroy all the descendants of Sheth.
This verse is a prophecy about a future king from Israel who will be powerful enough to defeat Israel's enemies.
📚 Historical Context
This prophecy was spoken by Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet hired by Moab's king to curse Israel, but God caused him to bless them instead. The 'Star' and 'Sceptre' language refers to royal imagery, and many scholars see this as one of the earliest messianic prophecies in the Bible. Moab was a neighboring nation that was often at conflict with Israel.
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