In the first four lines of this verse Balaam sees a human king rising out of Israel sometime in the distant future. The star and scepter are both metonyms for a king or even for a messianic figure. Some scholars see these lines as a prophetic reference to King David or to Jesus, the Messiah. The star that led the wise men to Jesus (Matt 2.2) is a reminder of this verse.

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: The pronoun him in these two parallel lines refers to the star mentioned in the next line. This delay in explicit reference to the star marks it as important and adds suspense to the text, arousing the hearer’s interest. Therefore, translators should keep this delay in identification of the star if possible. Furthermore, the pronoun him could also refer to Israel as a nation (as in the preceding oracle). There may be deliberate poetic ambiguity with this pronoun. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh achieves the delay in identification of the star in a slightly different way by beginning this verse with “What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon: A star…” (similarly De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling). To maintain the ambiguity of the Hebrew text, a better model is “What I see has not come yet, what I behold will not come soon: a star….” Bible en français courant renders these two lines as “I see what happens, but it is not for today, I discern an event, but it will happen later.” New Living Translation is better with “I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future.” In some languages this model will be more natural, and at the same time more in line with the distinct genre of this prophetic text than a rendering such as “I look into the future. And I see the nation of Israel” (Good News Translation).

A star shall come forth out of Jacob: The image of a star used with reference to a “king” was common in the ancient Near East, and the royal reference is confirmed by the parallel term scepter (so Ashley, page 500). The Hebrew verb rendered come forth (darak) is a common verb of movement, which leads Alter to translate this line as “A star steps forth from Jacob,” and Levine has “A star marches forth from Jacob.” These may be useful models for other languages. Good News Translation renders Jacob as “that nation” to avoid confusion with the parallel name Israel (see the comments on 23.7b).

And a scepter shall rise out of Israel is parallel to the previous line. The Jewish medieval commentator Rashi interpreted the scepter as referring to a king who chastises and rules. Good News Translation and Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting have “comet” (similarly “meteor” in Alter and Levine), which has the same shape as a scepter and fits well with star as a parallel. However, a scepter was a well-known symbol of royalty in the ancient Near East, so it is helpful to retain this image in the translation (see the comments on 21.18). (The Peshitta has “prince” here.)

It shall crush the forehead of Moab: For the Hebrew verb rendered crush (machats), see verse 8. The meaning of the Hebrew word for forehead (paʾatey) is uncertain. The form of this word in Hebrew is dual, so it may mean “temples” (that is, the temples of the forehead). This is what Bible en français courant, La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle, Die Bibel: Einheitsübersetzung der Heiligen Schrift, Zürcher Bibel, Luther, Buber, Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling, Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting, and Contemporary Russian Version have. This sense combines well with the verb crush (“smashes” in Alter). If the meaning of this word is forehead or “temples,” then it may be a figurative expression for “headship,” so Good News Translation and Bijbel in Gewone Taal render the forehead of Moab as “the leaders of Moab,” and Revised English Bible is similar with “the warriors of Moab.” These nonfigurative renderings follow the Septuagint and the Vulgate. Alternatively, the Hebrew word paʾatey is sometimes understood to mean “corners” (King James Version), referring to “borders,” so New Revised Standard Version has “the borderlands of Moab.” The Jewish medieval commentators Rashi and Ibn Ezra considered this line to be a reference to King David, who killed Moabites during a military campaign (2 Sam 8.2). Rashbam, however, saw it as a reference to the Messiah.

And break down all the sons of Sheth: The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered break down (qarqar) is uncertain since it only occurs here and in Isa 22.5 in the Old Testament. On the positive side, however, break down or “beat down” (Good News Translation) is a plausible parallel with the verb crush in the previous line. The renderings of King James Version, Revised English Bible, Parole de Vie, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bijbel in Gewone Taal, Bijbel: Vertaling in opdracht van het Nederlandsch Bijbelgenootschap, and De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling for this word are very similar to those of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. A proposed alternative is to change the word qarqar to qadqod (so Hebrew Old Testament Text), which means “skull” or “top of the head.” (The Hebrew letters for “d” and “r” look very similar and are easily confused.) This reading is based only on the Samaritan Pentateuch and on Jer 48.45, where qodqod occurs in a context similar to that here. On the positive side, however, “skull” is a plausible parallel with “temples” in the previous line. Translations that follow this reading are New International Version, New Living Translation, NET Bible, Bible en français courant, La Bible de Jérusalem Nouvelle, Die Bibel: Einheitsübersetzung der Heiligen Schrift, Willibrordvertaling, Luther, Buber, Alter, and Levine. For these translations the verb crush is implied from the previous line. Good News Translation and most other translations spell the Hebrew name for Sheth as “Seth.” This is also the name of Adam and Eve’s son mentioned in Gen 4.25-26. In translation it will be helpful to use the same form of the name as there. Rashi suggested that all the sons of Sheth refers to all the neighbors of Israel, so this line means Israel will defeat all its enemies. Others have linked them with nomads in the area near Moab, which leads to renderings such as “those tribes who live in the desert” (Contemporary English Version) and “all the Sutites” (Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting), who were a nomadic people south of Moab and are known from Egyptian texts. (In a footnote Good News Translation mentions the alternative rendering “all who are proud and violent.” However, this doubtful rendering can be based only on Jer 48.45, not on Num 24.17.)

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .