Numbers 23:22

From Textus Receptus

אֵ֖ל מֹוצִיאָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם כְּתֹועֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם לֹֽו׃ א במדבר

Numbers 23:22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Numbers 23:22 God brought them out of Egypt; he has as it were the strength of a Rhinoceros.

Commentary

The first clause is "God brought them out of Egypt," which is in the active voice and uses the simple past tense to describe a completed action. This clause contains a subject "God," a verb "brought," and an object "them," which refers to the Israelites.

The second clause is "he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn," which is also in the active voice but uses the present perfect tense to describe a state or condition that exists up to the present time. This clause contains a subject "he," which refers to God, an auxiliary verb "hath," and a predicate "as it were the strength of an unicorn."

The phrase "as it were" is an idiomatic expression that means "as if" or "in a manner suggesting." The phrase "the strength of an unicorn" is a metaphor that compares God's strength to that of a the unicorn, i.e., Rhinoceros or similar creature, perhaps extinct, which was is extremely powerful and untamable.

In terms of the parts of speech, "God" and "he" are both nouns that function as the subjects of their respective clauses. "Brought" is a transitive verb that takes "them" as its object in the first clause, while "hath" is an auxiliary verb that helps to form the present perfect tense in the second clause. "As it were" is an adverbial phrase that modifies "the strength of an unicorn," and "the strength of an unicorn" is a noun phrase that serves as the predicate complement in the second clause.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) God brought them out of Egypt.—Literally, is bringing them. The use of the participle denotes the continuance of the action. He who brought them forth out of Egypt was still conducting them on their march. There is an obvious allusion in these words to those of Balak in Numbers 22:5 : “Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt.” Seeing that the people did not come out of Egypt in obedience to their own caprice, but under Divine guidance, it was vain for Balak to resist them on their course, seeing that to contend with them was to contend against God.

The strength of an unicorn.—Better, of a buffalo. (Comp. Deuteronomy 33:17—a passage closely resembling the present—from which it appears that the reem had more than one horn.)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. He hath as it were the horns of the wild-ox] ‘He’ means Israel, not God. The word for ‘horns’ is rare; but Deuteronomy 33:17 helps to decide the meaning. In Psalm 95:4 it denotes mountain peaks. The wild-ox (re’çm) ‘is the rîmu of the Assyrian inscriptions. It is represented on the Assyrian sculptures as a huge species (now extinct) of the bovine kind.’ See art. ‘Unicorn’ in Hastings’ DB. iv.

Benson Commentary

Numbers 23:22. Out of Egypt — Namely, by a strong hand, and in spite of all their enemies, and therefore it is in vain to seek or hope to overcome them. He hath the strength of a unicorn — He, Israel, whom God brought out of Egypt, such change of numbers being very common in the Hebrew language. The sense is, Israel is not now what he was in Egypt, a poor, weak, dispirited, unarmed people, but high, and strong, and invincible. The only difficulty is, what creature is here meant by ראם, reem, which we translate unicorn. Bochart, who is followed by Le Clerc, Patrick, and others, is of opinion that it is a kind of mountain goat, or wild goat, of a very tall size, well known in Arabia. Others, with the learned Scheuchzer, suppose the rhinoceros to be meant, concerning one species of which, the unicorn is, Buffon informs us in his Natural History, that its length, from the extremity of the muzzle to the origin of the tail, is at least twelve feet, and the circumference of the body nearly the same. Of one of this species, sent to London from Bengal in the year 1739, Dr. Parsons observes, “The vivacity and promptitude of his movements led me to think that he is altogether unconquerable, and that he could easily overtake any man who should offend him.” — See Ency. Brit. It seems very probable this is the animal here alluded to, and in Numbers 23:8 of the next chapter.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 22. - God. אֵל, and also at the end of the next verse, and four times in the next chapter (verses 4, 8, 16, 23). The use seems to be poetic, and no particular signification can be attached to it. Brought them, or, perhaps, "is leading them." So the Septuagint: Θεὸς ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν αὐτόν. Unicorn. Hebrew, רְאֵם. It is uniformly rendered μονοκέρως by the Septuagint, under the mistaken notion that the rhinoceros was intended. It is evident, however, from Deuteronomy 33:17 and other passages that the reem had two horns, and that its horns were its most prominent feature. It would also appear from Job 39:9-12 and Isaiah 34:7 that, while itself untameable, it was allied to species employed in husbandry. The reem may therefore have been the aurochs or urus, now extinct, but which formerly had so large a range in the forests of the old world. There is some doubt, however, whether the urns existed in those days in Syria, and it may have been a wild buffalo, or some kindred animal of the bovine genus, whose size, fierceness, and length of horn made it a wonder and a fear. Numbers 23:22

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

"God brings them out of Egypt; his strength is like that of a buffalo." אל is God as the strong, or mighty one. The participle מוציאם is not used for the preterite, but designates the leading out as still going on, and lasting till the introduction into Canaan. The plural suffix, ם-, is used ad sensum, with reference to Israel as a people. Because God leads them, they go forward with the strength of a buffalo. תּועפות, from יעף, to weary, signifies that which causes weariness, exertion, the putting forth of power; hence the fulness of strength, ability to make or bear exertions. ראם is the buffalo or wild ox, an indomitable animal, which is especially fearful on account of its horns (Job 39:9-11; Deuteronomy 33:17; Psalm 22:22).

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

An unicorn - A wild bull, the now extinct Aurochs, formidable for its size, strength, speed, and ferocity.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

22. he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn—Israel is not as they were at the Exodus, a horde of poor, feeble, spiritless people, but powerful and invincible as a reem—that is, a rhinoceros (Job 39:9; Ps 22:21; 92:10).

Gill's Exposition

He hath as it were the strength of an unicorn; that is, not God, but the people he brought out of Egypt, being a mighty people, able to push their enemies and subdue them, being numerous and strong, especially as strengthened by the mighty God of Jacob; and therefore their strength is expressed by the strength of this creature; for be it what it will, whether the rhinoceros or the wild ox, or one kind of goats, as Bochart (l) thinks; whatever is meant by the term here must be a strong creature, see Deuteronomy 33:17 and great is the strength of the spiritual Israel of God, which they have from him to exercise grace, perform duty, withstand and overcome all their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world.

(l) Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 27. col. 965.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

God brought them out of Egypt, to wit, by a strong hand, and in spite of all their enemies, and therefore it is in vain to seek or hope to overcome them.

He; either,

1. God, last mentioned. But so the comparison is mean and unbecoming. Or rather,

2. Israel, whom God brought out of Egypt; such change of numbers being very common in the Hebrew language. The sense is, Israel is not now what he was in Egypt, a poor, weak, dispirited, unarmed people, but high, and strong, and invincible. The great strength and fierceness of a unicorn is celebrated in Scripture, Numbers 24:8 Deu 33:17 Job 39:9 Psalm 22:21 92:10. But whether it be a unicorn, or a rhinoceros, or a strong and fierce kind of wild goat, which is here called reem, it is not needful here to determine.

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