Комментарий к Бамидбар 24:24

צים מיד כתים SHIPS FROM THE LAND OF CHITTIM and the people of Chittim — these are the Romans — will pass over in big ships against Assyria.

וצים, as in Isaiah 33,21 וצי אדיר, where not even a mighty vessel can keep afloat.

וצים מיד כתים, “and Tzim from Kittim;” a reference to the Romans.”

Similarly Doniel explains. That is to say that afterwards, the nations who caused suffering to Ashur and those on the other side will ultimately be lost for eternity.

V. 24. וצים וגו׳. (Jes.33, 21) וצי אדיר לא יעברנו, (Jecheskel 30, 9) יצאו מלאכים מלפני בצים, ergibt für צי plur. צים die Bedeutung: Schiff. Anderseits heißt צִיָה die Wüste, und ציים Wüstenbewohner. Analogien wie בי (die Bittpartikel) von בהה בעה (siehe Bereschit 1, 2), הי die Klage von ”ההה“ in מי ;אהה von ,פי מהה ,מה Plur. פים (Sam. I. 13, 21) von פהה ,פה, verwandt mit קי ,פחה ,פעה (in קיקלון Habakuk 2, 16) von קאה, lassen vielleicht als gemeinschaftliche Wurzel von צי, Schiff, und ציה, Wüste: צאה, verwandt mit שהה ,שאה ,צעה, wovon auchשי , annehmen. Grundbedeutung wäre eine lange oder starke Bewegung zu einem Ziele, verwandt damit auch זוע und יזע: Bewegung und Schweiß. שהה chald.: lange verweilen, ohne zum Ziele zu kommen, säumen, שאה: seinen Sinn lange auf etwas richten, ohne das Erkenntnisziel zu erreichen, daher auch wüst sein. שי etwas, dessen Überbringung lange Zeit erfordert, ein großes Geschenk. צעה: sich mit Nachdruck, mit besonderer Aufmerksamkeit bewegen, einherschreiten. צי ein Schiff, das weite, Überwindung von Schwierigkeiten erfordernde Reisen zu machen hat, ein großes Seeschiff. ציה: eine Gegend, in welcher man lange wandern und Schwierigkeiten überwinden muss, ehe man zu einem Ziele gelangt: eine Wüste.

וצים מיד כתים, “and the fleet of large ships sailing from the harbours of the Assyrians.” [Many commentators understand the word כתים, as a reference to the Romans. Ed.] We find what appears like a similar reference in a prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 33,21: וציר אדיר לא יעברנו, “where no floating vessels can travel.”

וענו עבר AND WILL AFFLICT THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE (עבר) of the river Euphrates.

וענו אשור, “they will afflict Ashur.”(Assyria)

כתים .מיד כתים (Bereschit 10, 4) waren Nachkommen Javans. Die Überlieferung sieht in ihnen die aktitalische Bevölkerung griechischer Abkunft, daher איטליא של יון Großgriechenland, und versteht unter כתים die Römer. יד בתים wäre dann die italienische Küste am Mittelmeer. עבר nach ת א die Länder jenseits des Euphrats. Möglich, dass עבר alle die Bereschit 10, 26-30 genannten Joktaniden als Nachkommen Ebers begreift. יד בתים wie יד הירדן (Kap. 13, 29). יד אשדוד (Josua 15, 45). Es kann auch מיד כתים: von der Kitter Macht bedeuten. וגם הוא bezieht sich wohl auf יד כתים und wäre dann יד hier männlich gedacht, wie Jechesk. 2, 9 והנה יד וגו׳ והנה בו וגו׳.

וענו אשור, “and they shall afflict the Assyrians.” This will occur despite the might of the Assyrian Empire.

וגם הוא עדי אבד BUT HE ALSO SHALL PERISH EVERLASTINGLY — (“He” means the Romans). And so, too, did Daniel expressly state, (Daniel 7:11) “until the beast (Rome) was slain and its body destroyed".

וענו עבר, “they will afflict those on the other bank of the great river.”

וענו עבר, “and they shall afflict Ever, (Ivri) i.e. the Hebrews.”

וצים means [AND] BIG SHIPS, as it is written (Isaiah 33:21) “A gallant ship (צי)", the Targum translation of which is “a big ship” (Yoma 77b).

וגם הוא עדי אובד, “but it too will be destroyed forever.” It will face destruction in the end just as will the Kittim (the Romans). Bileam concluded his words with a reference to the Romans and their perishing ultimately, as they were symbolized by the fourth of the four beasts in Daniel’s famous vision (Daniel chapter 8) According to the unanimous opinion of our sages the Roman Empire, or its successors, will be vanquished by the Messiah. May we soon live to see this prophecy come true! Even though in Genesis 10,4 כתים is listed as one of the four sons of Yavan, (commonly regarded as the forerunner of the Macedonians and Greeks) and they are the third (not fourth) of the four beasts in Daniel’s vision, the true state of affairs is as follows: seeing that the descendants of Elisha Dodanim and Tarshish, the other sons of Yavan, were not numerous, they were lumped together under the heading of their father Yavan, who between them formed the third empire discussed in that chapter of Daniel. The Kittim, however, developed into a numerous and powerful nation so that they are considered the fourth of the empires in Daniel’s vision. This power will be predominant until the Messiah will destroy it when he comes. Ibn Ezra explains the expression ראשית גוים, not as “the first of the nations (ever),” but as the first of the nations warring against Israel. Its end will be utter destruction in the days of the first Jewish King, Sha’ul who killed every man woman and child, the prophet Samuel killing the King, Agag, whom Sha’ul had failed to kill, a sin of omission which cost him his dynasty. He explains the words ושים בסלע קנך, (verse 21) not as an advice but as a warning that even if you were to build your nest in a solitary inaccessible rock this will not save you. The words לבער קין refer to the time when the Kenite will be laid waste by the all-consuming army of the Assyrians. “Ashur” is in the feminine mode, a reference to the camp of Ashur [the word מחנה in Hebrew may be used both in the masculine and in the feminine mode. Ed.] When Bileam refers to Ashur taking the Kenite captive, however, in verse 25, Bileam foresees the time when the Assyrians who had thus far taken others captive, will themselves become victims and will perish completely. The meaning of the word עבר, is a reference to the Kenites who had “crossed over” to the Israelites, had thrown in their lot with theirs, and as a result had suffered exile when the Israelites did, but they would not be wiped out as did the other pagan nations Bileam speaks of. Some commentators say that the meaning of צים is similar to that of ציים in Isaiah 34,14 where it refers to wildcats or hyenas. Bileam compares Ashur to these animals, animals that men sometimes dress up as, i.e. they are impostors. This explains the previous line אוי מי יחיה משמו א-ל, “who can survive when he comes up against human (such as the King of Ashur) beings that try to play G’d?” [An appropriate comment in view of the boastful messenger of Pul, the King of the Assyrians. [Ravshakeh in Kings II 18,9-19-8. Ed.]

וגם הוא עדי אובד, “and it too will perish totally.” (The Roman Empire) The successors of the Roman Empire too will perish when the era of the messiah will commence.