Saturday, October 03, 2026

Several messianic themes are sounded in the Balaam oracles, but most prominent for the present is what appears to be the interpretation of Gen 3:15 in Num 24:17. There is enmity between Israel and Moab, and fearing Israel’s numbers (22:3) Balak king of Moab summons Balaam to curse Israel. As Balaam’s oracles are recounted, the text indicates that a male Israelite will arise whose coming is associated with the arrival of a star and the rising of a scepter, pointing to his royal status. The Targum on this text seems to interpret the star as “the King” (malkā’) and the scepter as “the Messiah” (měšîhā’). This individual will “crush the forehead of Moab” (Num 24:17). The words used in Numbers are not the words used in Genesis, but the image of the crushed head of an enemy is clearly invoked. - James Hamilton, The Skull Crushing Seed of the Woman: Inner-Biblical Interpretation of Genesis 3:15, AI generated podcast format of article

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