Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Bilangan 24:20

At the opening of his speech, Bildad rages over Job’s admission that he does not believe in, or at least doubts, the survival of the soul after death. For if this is so, man is no better than the animals; the death of the one being no different from the death of the other; all drawing the same breath (Ecclesiastes 3:19), In which case, why did God create man in His image, breathing a living soul into him (Genesis 2:7); one that knows and thinks? Viewed in this way, the human psyche is worthless and its presence in man is only to his own detriment; there, just to make him understand that his end is utter annihilation (Numbers 24:20). But since we see that God has endowed man with wondrous spiritual powers, the like of which are not found in the souls of the other animals, it is clear that this is the essential feature of man and that his soul does not perish with the mortal body but lives on eternally, for ever.

You rebuked nations [This alludes to Amalek, described in Num. 24:20 as] “Amalek is the first of the nations.”

“Of the dew of heaven and the fat of the earth” [Genesis 27:28]. Amalek was descended from Esau, who wanted to take revenge on Jacob, who had taken away the blessings. Therefore, we praise God with the first fruits and say that the first fruits are called “the first fruits of the soil” [26:10]. Amalek was called “a leading nation is Amalek” [Numbers, 24:20]. His [Balaam’s] advice did not succeed and Israel conquered the land. “The fat of the earth” [Genesis, 27:28]. We have the good fruits from God who is called First, the first, before the first ones. They praised God for the lovingkindness that the Holy One helped us escape from Amalek and in addition we mentioned the other good things that God has helped us.⁶Zeror ha-Mor, Deuteronomy, 26:2.

And I applied my heart to [understand] all the work. And also to all mankind’s work I applied my mind, and I saw the time that a man ruled over another and overpowered him, and ultimately it turned to his own detriment.¹⁷Because, “God seeks the pursued,” see above 3:15. [E.g.,] Amoleik overpowered Yisroel, and ultimately [it states about Amoleik], “and his end will be that he will be lost forever.”¹⁸Bamidbar 24:20. And the same happened to Pharaoh, and the same with Nevuchadnetzar, and the same with Sancheiriv.