Numbers 24:23

“And he took up his parable, and said, etc.] Or delivered another prophecy, having made some little pause: alas, who shall live when God doeth this? referring not to what goes before, but to what follows; though Jarchi and Aben Ezra think it refers to the Assyria conquering and carrying captive, not only the Kenites, but all the nations of the world, so that there was no living comfortably in it on his account; but this is said after Balaam had taken up his parable again, and so respects what follows, as the destruction of the Persian empire by Alexander, in which Ashur or the Assyrians were included; and the destruction of the Jews by the Romans more especially; which was such as had not…”

“who shall live when God doeth this!--Few shall escape the desolation that shall send a Nebuchadnezzar to scourge all those regions.”

“When God doeth this - The eventual carrying away of the allies of Israel by Assyria presented itself to Balaam as the ruin of all peace and safety upon earth. One prediction was howerer, yet wanting, and is next given, namely, that the conquerors of the Kenites should fare no better than the Kenites themselves. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Who shall live - How calamitous and miserable will the state of the world be, when the Assyrian, and after him the Chaldean, shall over - turn all these parts of the world? Who will be able to keep his heart from fainting under such grievous pressures? Nay, how few will escape the destroying sword? Numbers 24:24”

“24:23-24 The oracle ends with a word about the rise and fall of invaders from Cyprus (Hebrew Kittim; this term probably referred to a number of Mediterranean people groups; cp. Gen 10:4; Jer 2:10; Dan 11:30). 24:23 This verse, like 22:12, sums up the lesson of the entire incident.”

“when God: Num 23:23; Kg2 5:1; Mal 3:2 Numbers 24:24”

“The fourth saying applies to Asshur, and is introduced by an exclamation of woe: "Woe! who will live, when God sets this! and ships (come) from the side of Chittim, and press Asshur, and press Eber, and he also perishes." The words "Woe, who will live," point to the fearfulness of the following judgment, which went deep to the heart of the seer, because it would fall upon the sons of his own people (see at Num 22:5). The meaning is, "Who will preserve his life in the universal catastrophe that is coming?" (Hengstenberg). משּׂמו, either "since the setting of it," equivalent to "from the time when God sets (determines) this" (ὅταν θῇ ταῦτα ὁ Θεός, quando faciet ista Deus; lxx, Vulg.),…”