Komentarz do Liczb 24:22

כי אם יהיה לבער קין וגו׳ FOR IF THE KENITES WILL BE REMOVED etc. — Happy are you that you have firmly settled yourself in such strength, to which I have referred, so that thou will therefore never be driven from the world. For even if you will in the future go into exile with the Ten Tribes and be removed from the place where you had settled, what does it matter?

כי אם יהיה לבער, "how long before it will burn?" Bileam trains his mind's eye on what will befall the Kenite saying: "how long will it be until even the Kenite will burn?" אשור תשבך, "Ashur will take you into captivity." This is a reference to Sancheriv king of the Assyrians taking the Kenite into captivity.

ASSYRIA WILL TAKE YOU CAPTIVE. The kingdom of Assyria will take you captive and will exile you in captivity.

כי אם יהיה לבער קין, “for if the Kenite should be laid waste, etc.” They would have no reason to worry, as their exile would end at the time the Assyrians would take the ten tribes captive. There would be no residents left in the land formerly occupied by the ten tribes, so that the Kenites would have no one to restrict their tenure.

כי אם יהיה לבער קין עד מה אשור תשבך, “yet shall Kayin be consumed when Ashur takes you captive.” According to Ibn Ezra, Bileam uses the word Kayin to describe the Kenite, saying: “how long can Ashur keep you captive, i.e. the exile of the Ten Tribes of the Jewish people by the Assyrians is of limited duration, whereas the other captives of Assyria would never regain their freedom. The reason the word Assyria is used in the feminine gender is that Bileam relates to the camp of Assyria, similar to Job 1,15 referring to Sheba in the feminine gender. The same feminine form is used to describe Israel in verse Samuel I 17,21.

Perhaps to Chalach and Chavor. Meaning: He will only exile you to Chalach and Chavor, and this is not considered being driven [from the world]. “To Chalach and Chavor” are names of places, and the verse is saying as follows: Even if you are destined to be uprooted along with Yisroel, [you] Kayin, what difference will this make to you, until where Ashur will take you captive? Meaning that they will only exile you to Chalach and Chavor, and this is not considered being driven from the world.

כי אם יהיה לבער קין, “nonetheless Kayin will be laid to waste;” this will occur when the are exiled. [Seeing that there had not been male descendants of Kayin since the deluge, the meaning of this line is somewhat obscure. Ed.]

כי אם יהיה לבער קין, “nonetheless Kayin shall be wasted;” his descendants will be wiped off the earth.

עד מה אשור תשבך HOW FAR WILL ASSYRIA CARRY YOU AWAY CAPTIVE? Possibly as far as Chaloch and Chabor — this is not being driven from the world, but only being moved from place to place, and in the end you will return with the other exiles!

עד מה אשר תשבך, “where to can Assyria take you captive?” This is a rhetorical question, designed to reassure; “how long could your exile under the Assyrians possibly continue?” You would, at the least, be redeemed at the same time as will Israel, whereas if you were to throw in your lot with Amalek you would face utter annihilation just as Amalek.

עד מה אשור תשבך, “for how long or when will this occur?” When the Israelites themselves will go into exile and will be sent to Assyria. [According to this, the word Kayin here is a derivative of Kenites. Ed.] The descendants of Yitro will never be subject to total oblivion as will the Amalekites. Therefore it is foolish to be hostile to them, and it is wise to befriend them.

עד מה אשור תשבך, “How long? Until Ashur shall carry you away captive;” He will not give you rest unless you will make common cause with him until you will burn up.

The expression כי אם, occurs frequently as meaning: אלא, but.

קין, this word here is a reference to the name of a place. This is why Ammon here is identified with the place known as Kenite. (According to most interpretations the descendants of Yitro, if they distance themselves from Amalek, will not share in Amalek’s destruction, but will survive together with Israel)