Numbers 24:8
8
God brings him forth out of Egypt; He has as it were the strength of the wild-ox: He will eat up the nations his adversaries, And will break their bones in pieces, And strike [them] through with his arrows.
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Commentary
Adam Clarke
Pulpit Commentary
And shall break their bones. éÀâÈøÅí (cf. Eze 23:34) seems to mean "crush" or "smash." The Septuagint has ἐκμυελιεῖ, "shall suck out," i.e; the marrow, but the word does not seem to bear this meaning. Pierce them through with his arrows, or, "dash in pieces his arrows," i.e; the arrows shot at him. çÄçÈÌéå éÀîÄçÈõ. The difficulty is the possessive suffix to "arrows," which is in the singular; otherwise this rendering gives a much better sense, and more in keeping with the rest of the passage The image in Balaam’s mind is evidently that of a terrible wild beast devouring his enemies, stamping them underfoot, and dashing to pieces in his fury the arrows or darts which they vainly launch against him (compare the imagery in Dan 7:7).