וְ֭יֵרְדְּ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֑ם וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
Maghari nawa siya mula dagat hanggang dagat, at mula sa Ilog hanggang sa mga dulo ng lupa.
Rabbeinu Bahya
אראנו ולא עתה, “I can see it — but not now.” The prophecy being introduced refers to David who four hundred years from this date would smash the nobles of Moav. The words וקרקר כל בני שת, “and undermine the children of Sheth,“ is a reference to mankind as such which is descended in the main from the descendants of Sheth, Adam’s third son Noach being one of them. (Compare Samuel II 8,2 where David’s victory over Moav is documented.)
Another way of understanding the reference by Bileam to the “descendants of Sheth.” The word שת may not refer to a human being but to “foundation.” We find the word שתין meaning “the foundations of the earth” in Talmudic language, a reference to the “navel” of the earth under the Holy Temple. Bileam foresaw that David’s victories would create havoc among the existing world order in the countries surrounding the land of Israel. The words “and Edom will become a conquest” also apply to that period as we know from Kings I 11,16 that Edom”s males were wiped out by David’s general Yoav. The words (verse 19) וירד מיעקב mean that someone descended from Yaakov will arise and destroy the remnants of all the cities of Edom. This may be a veiled reference to Rome. Finally, the words וירד מיעקב also mean that the messiah will be descended from Israel. The words ולא יהיה שריד לבית עשו, “no remnant will remain of Esau,” in Ovadiah 18 are the logical conclusion of Bileam’s prophecy here.
Another way of understanding the reference by Bileam to the “descendants of Sheth.” The word שת may not refer to a human being but to “foundation.” We find the word שתין meaning “the foundations of the earth” in Talmudic language, a reference to the “navel” of the earth under the Holy Temple. Bileam foresaw that David’s victories would create havoc among the existing world order in the countries surrounding the land of Israel. The words “and Edom will become a conquest” also apply to that period as we know from Kings I 11,16 that Edom”s males were wiped out by David’s general Yoav. The words (verse 19) וירד מיעקב mean that someone descended from Yaakov will arise and destroy the remnants of all the cities of Edom. This may be a veiled reference to Rome. Finally, the words וירד מיעקב also mean that the messiah will be descended from Israel. The words ולא יהיה שריד לבית עשו, “no remnant will remain of Esau,” in Ovadiah 18 are the logical conclusion of Bileam’s prophecy here.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A Midrashic approach: the words “I will see but not now,” refer to David, whereas the subsequent words: “I can see it but not in the near future,” refer to the messiah. The words: a star comes forth from Yaakov” refer to David, whereas the words וקם שבט מישראל, “a scepter-bearer emerges from Israel,” is a reference to King Messiah. The words ומחץ פעמי מואב again refer to David, of whom it is written in Samuel II 8,2 that “he defeated the Moabites and made them lie down on the ground and measured them with a rope.” The words וקרקר כל בני שת again refer to the King Messiah of whom it is written (Psalms 72,8) that וירד מים עד ים, “he will rule from sea to sea.” The words: והיה אדם ירשה again refer to David seeing the Edomites all became slaves to David (Samuel II 8,14) whereas the words וישראל עושה חיל, “and Israel will perform deeds of valour” refer to King Messiah of whom we have read (Ovadiah 1,21) “For the liberators shall march up on Mount Zion to wreak judgment on Mount Esau, and Dominion shall be the Lord’s.”
Rashi
והאביד שריד מעיר AND HE WILL DESTROY THE REMNANT OF THE CITY — the most important city of Edom, and that is Rome. It is of King Messiah that he is thus speaking, of whom it is said, (Psalms 72:8) “And he shall have dominion (וירד) from sea to sea”; (Obadiah v. 18) “And there shall be no remnant (שריד) of the house of Esau".