Numbers 24:17 nasb — "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Isra…

NASB

""I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth."

— Numbers 24:17, NASB

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Numbers 24:17 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

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

  • ASV

    “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult. ”

  • WEB

    “I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth.”

  • NET

    “‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth.”

  • DRB

    “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A STAR SHALL RISE out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth”

  • BBE

    “I see him, but not now: looking on him, but not near: a star will come out of Jacob, and a rod of authority out of Israel, sending destruction to the farthest limits of Moab and on the head of all the sons of Sheth.”

  • KJVA

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

Numbers 24 — Context

14

"And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come."

15

He took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,

16

The oracle of him who hears the words of God, And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.

17

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.

18

"Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly.

19

"One from Jacob shall have dominion, And will destroy the remnant from the city."

20

And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction."

Numbers 24:17 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Numbers 24:17 say?
Numbers 24:17 in the NASB reads: “"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.”
Where is Numbers 24:17 in the Bible?
Numbers 24:17 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Numbers, chapter 24, verse 17.
Who wrote Numbers?
Numbers is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). It was written c. 1446–1406 BC.
What is the book of Numbers about?
Numbers records Israel's forty years of wilderness wandering — two censuses (hence the name), rebellions, the failure at Kadesh-Barnea, and the slow journey to the plains of Moab. It is a sober portrait of human unbelief and God's patient faithfulness across a generation.
What are the major themes of Numbers?
Numbers explores themes including Wilderness, Faithfulness, Rebellion, Guidance, Provision. These themes shape the meaning and context of Numbers 24:17.
What translation should I read Numbers 24:17 in?
Numbers 24:17 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Numbers 24:17?
Numbers 24:17 reads (NASB): “"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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