לָכֵ֞ן שִׁמְע֣וּ עֲצַת־יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָעַץ֙ אֶל־אֱד֔וֹם וּמַ֨חְשְׁבוֹתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖ב אֶל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵימָ֑ן אִם־לֹ֤א יִסְחָבוּם֙ צְעִירֵ֣י הַצֹּ֔אן אִם־לֹ֥א יַשִּׁ֛ים עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם נְוֵהֶֽם׃
그런즉 에돔에 대한 나 여호와의 도모와 데만 거민에 대하여 경영한 나 여호와의 뜻을 들으라 양떼의 어린 것들을 그들이 반드시 끌어가고 그 처소로 황무케 하리니
Rashi
to drag to drag. Cf. (infra. 49: 20) “If the young of the sheep do not drag them (יִסְחָבוּם).”
Ramban
COME AND I WILL COUNSEL THEE. Since Balaam wanted to tell [Balak] about the punishment [that would befall] his people, as it is written, and he shall smite through the corners of Moab,227Further Verse 17. therefore he told him, I will counsel thee, that is to say: “I will tell you ‘on the side’ an advice, so that others should not hear it.” “Come and I will counsel thee what you have to do [to revenge yourself upon Israel]. And what was the advice [that he gave him]? [He told him]: ‘The G-d of these [Israelites] hates immorality, etc., [therefore I advise you to seduce Israel into sin by means of the lure of the Moabite women],’ as is narrated in the Chapter Cheilek.228Literally: “Portion” — “All Israel have ‘a portion’ in the World to Come.” Sanhedrin 106a. The story of the Israelites committing immorality with the Moabite women is related in the following chapter of the Torah, and tradition has it that this plan was suggested by Balaam in his parting words to Balak. This, as Rashi explains, is the reason why he used the phrase “I will ‘counsel thee’ what this people shall do”, meaning: “I will counsel thee how to lead the people astray, and I will tell you what this people shall do …” Ramban explains the phrase “I will counsel thee” differently. You may know that it was Balaam who gave them this counsel [to lead Israel astray] through immorality, for it is said, Behold, these [women] caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, [to revolt so as to break faith with the Eternal].229Further, 31:16. WHAT THIS PEOPLE SHALL DO TO THY PEOPLE. This is an elliptical verse [which means as follows]: ‘I will counsel thee how to corrupt them, and I will [also] tell you what evil they are destined to do to Moab in the end of days.’” This is Rashi’s language.
The correct interpretation [of the word i’atzcha, normally translated: I will counsel thee] seems to me to be that Balaam told Balak: “I will tell you the purpose that G-d has planned that this people shall do to thy people in the end of days,” this being similar to the expressions: This is the ‘eitzah’ (purpose) that is ‘y’utzah’ (purposed) upon the whole earth;230Isaiah 14:26. Hear ye the ‘atzath’ (design) of the Eternal, that He hath ‘ya’atz’ (purposed) against Edom.231Jeremiah 49:20. Balaam said i’atzcha [which literally means “I will give you counsel”], because one who hears counsel, [as Balaam heard G-d’s counsel], is called a no’atz [he with whom counsel is taken].232See Isaiah 40:14: ‘Eth mi no’atz’ (with whom took He counsel).
And this prophecy [in the following verses], refers to Messianic times, for all of Balaam’s prophecies added [to the previous ones] in [speaking of more] distant events. Thus at first233Above, 23:7-10. he said that Israel is [now] the portion of the Eternal and His inheritance;234Deuteronomy 32:9. in the second prophecy235Above, Chapter 23, Verses 18-24. he added that they would [later on] conquer the Land and kill its kings. In the third [prophecy]236Above, Verses 3-9. he saw them dwelling in the Land and increasing and multiplying therein, and that they would appoint a king [Saul] who would defeat Agag, and that the kingdom [of Israel] would be further exalted; for he saw David [whose kingdom] was exalted exceedingly,237I Chronicles 14:2. as it is said, And David perceived that the Eternal had established him king over Israel, and that He hath exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake,238II Samuel 5:12. that is to say, because He had promised them that their kingdom would be exalted. And now in this fourth prophecy Balaam continued [on the future] and saw the Messianic era; therefore he spoke of it as a very distant event, saying, I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh,227Further Verse 17. [a phrase] which he did not use in his first [three] prophecies. He stated that this is the purpose of G-d which He had planned, to come to pass in the end of days.239Verse 14.
The correct interpretation [of the word i’atzcha, normally translated: I will counsel thee] seems to me to be that Balaam told Balak: “I will tell you the purpose that G-d has planned that this people shall do to thy people in the end of days,” this being similar to the expressions: This is the ‘eitzah’ (purpose) that is ‘y’utzah’ (purposed) upon the whole earth;230Isaiah 14:26. Hear ye the ‘atzath’ (design) of the Eternal, that He hath ‘ya’atz’ (purposed) against Edom.231Jeremiah 49:20. Balaam said i’atzcha [which literally means “I will give you counsel”], because one who hears counsel, [as Balaam heard G-d’s counsel], is called a no’atz [he with whom counsel is taken].232See Isaiah 40:14: ‘Eth mi no’atz’ (with whom took He counsel).
And this prophecy [in the following verses], refers to Messianic times, for all of Balaam’s prophecies added [to the previous ones] in [speaking of more] distant events. Thus at first233Above, 23:7-10. he said that Israel is [now] the portion of the Eternal and His inheritance;234Deuteronomy 32:9. in the second prophecy235Above, Chapter 23, Verses 18-24. he added that they would [later on] conquer the Land and kill its kings. In the third [prophecy]236Above, Verses 3-9. he saw them dwelling in the Land and increasing and multiplying therein, and that they would appoint a king [Saul] who would defeat Agag, and that the kingdom [of Israel] would be further exalted; for he saw David [whose kingdom] was exalted exceedingly,237I Chronicles 14:2. as it is said, And David perceived that the Eternal had established him king over Israel, and that He hath exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake,238II Samuel 5:12. that is to say, because He had promised them that their kingdom would be exalted. And now in this fourth prophecy Balaam continued [on the future] and saw the Messianic era; therefore he spoke of it as a very distant event, saying, I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh,227Further Verse 17. [a phrase] which he did not use in his first [three] prophecies. He stated that this is the purpose of G-d which He had planned, to come to pass in the end of days.239Verse 14.
Rabbeinu Bahya
According to Midrash Tanchuma Ki Teytze 10 the words: “and he did not fear G’d,” mean that the people of Amalek (descendants of Esau) had a tradition that they could be defeated only by descendants of Rachel seeing that we have a verse in Jeremiah 49,20 אם לא יסחבום צעירי הצאן, “(hear then the plan G’d has devised against Edom) surely the shepherd boys shall drag them away.” These latter words are understood to refer to the youngest of the tribes of Israel, the ones which have been described as נער, (compare Genesis 37,2 where Joseph is described in these terms). We find that also Edom is described as junior in Ovadiah 2, קטן, “junior,” and it is appropriate that a junior such as Edom be defeated by another junior. The reason is that Joseph who attained prominence and remained loyal to G’d although in the environment of two sinners (Pharaoh and Potiphar) without learning from their deeds, is so superior to Esau who grew up between two righteous people (Yitzchak and Avraham) and still did not learn from the good deeds of those righteous people. The Torah testifies that Joseph said: “I fear the Lord,” (Genesis 44,18) as opposed to Amalek. No wonder that the one was doomed to fall by the hand of the other. [If Moses chose the נער Joshua to battle Amalek this was because he was a descendant of Ephrayim, a son of Joseph. Ed.]