Matthew Poole and continuators on Numbers 24:17

17 I shall see him but not now : I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth .

Or, I have seen, or do see, for the future is oft put for other times or tenses: he speaks of a prophetical sight, like that of Abrahams, who saw Christs day, Ioh. 8. 56.

To wit▪ the star, and scepter, as it here follows, i. e. a great and eminent prince, which was to come out of Israels loyns, either 1. David, who first did the things here spoken of, 2 Sam. 8. 2. Psal. 60. 8. and 108. 9. and some of the kings of Iudah and Israel after him, for it is not necessarily understood of one particular person: or 2. the Messias, as both Iewish and Christian interpreters expound it, who most eminently and fully performed what is here said, in destroying the enemies of Israel or of Gods Church, who are here described under the names of the nearest and fiercest enemies of Israel, which he doth partly by himself, by his word and spirit, and spiritual plagues; and partly by his ministers, those princes whom he makes nursing-fathers to his Church, and scourges to his enemies. And to him alone agrees the foregoing verb properly, I shall see him, to wit, in my own person, or with the eyes of my own body, as every eye shall see him, Rev. 1. 7. when he comes to judgement. Nor can it seem strange that Balaam should speak of such high and remote things, seeing he foresaw and foretold these things by the revelation of the spirit of God, by which also he foresaw the great felicity of good men, and the miserable state of bad men after death and judgment, Numb. 23. 10.

Not yet, but after many ages.

A title oft given to princes and eminent and illustrious persons, and particularly to the Messias, Rev. 2. 28. and 22. 16.

(i. e.) A scepter-bearer, a king or ruler, even that scepter mentioned Gen. 49. 10.

Either 1. literally, the borders, which by a Synecdoche, are oft used in Scripture, for the whole country to which they belong, as Exod. 8. 2. Psal. 74. 17. and 147. 14. Ier. 15. 13. and 17. 3. Or 2. metaphorically, to wit, Princes and rulers, who ate sometimes compared to corners, as Zach. 10. 4. and Christ himself is called a corner stone, because he unites and supports the building. But I prefer the former sence.

Which seems to be the name of some then eminent, though now unknown, place or prince in Moab, where there were many princes, as appears from Numb▪ 23. 6. Amos 2. 3. there being innumerable instances of such places or persons sometimes famous, but now utterly lost as to all monuments and remembrances of them.

Marginal references: Mat. 2. 2.; Psal. 110. [illegible: 1+ letters].; Or, [illegible: 1 word] through th[illegible: 1+ letters] princes of [illegible: 1 word] ▪