SEV Biblia, Chapter 24:21
Y viendo al ceneo, tomó su parábola, y dijo: Fuerte es tu habitación, pon en la peña tu nido;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Numbers 24:21
Verse 21. He looked on the Kenites] Commentators are not well agreed who the Kenites were. Dr. Dodd's opinion is, I think, nearest to the truth. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, is called a priest or prince of Midian, Exod. iii. 1, and in Judg. i. 16 he is called a Kenite; we may infer, therefore, says he, that the Kenites and the Midianites were the same, or at least that the Kenites and the Midianites were confederate tribes. Some of these we learn from Judg. i., followed the Israelites, others abode still among the Midianites and Amalekites. When Saul destroyed the latter, we find he had no commission against the Kenites, 1 Sam. xv. 6, for it appears that they were then a small and inconsiderable people; they had doubtless been wasted, as the text says, though by what means does not appear from history. On the other hand, it may be observed that the Midianites mentioned here lived close to the Dead Sea, at a great distance from the Midian where Jethro lived, which was near Horeb. Perhaps they were a colony or tribe that had migrated from the vicinity of Mount Sinai.
It seems that at this time the Kenites occupied a very strong position: Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock; where there is a play on the original word yq , which signifies both a Kenite and a nest. High rocks in these countries were generally used as their strong places.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And he looked on the Kenites , etc.] Not the family and posterity of Jethro, as Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Abendana; for they were not a people by themselves, but were now encamped with Israel, and went with them into the land of Canaan, and were not carried captive with the ten tribes, though some might that dwelt in Naphtali, ( Judges 9:4,11,17), for they after that remained with Judah under the name of Rechabites, ( Jeremiah 35:2) and returned with the two tribes, being carried captive with them, ( 1 Chronicles 2:55) but they were a people, though of the same original and family Jethro descended from, which dwelt near, and afterwards among the Amalekites, and therefore were seen by Balaam, and taken notice of at the same time they were; (see 1 Samuel 15:6). Abarbinel takes them to be the same with those in ( Genesis 15:19) and took up his parable ; or prophecy concerning them, and delivered it: and said, strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock , they dwelling in craggy rocky places, where they thought themselves secure and out of danger; and this their habitation he calls “Ken”, a nest, in allusion to their name Kenites.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 15-25 - Under the powerful influence of the Spirit of prophecy, Balaam foretol the future prosperity and extensive dominion of Israel. Balaam boast that his eyes are open. The prophets were in old times called seers. He had heard the words of God, which many do who neither heed them, no hear God in them. He knew the knowledge of the Most High. A man may be full of the knowledge of God, yet utterly destitute of the grace of God. He calls God the Most High and the Almighty. No man could seem to express a greater respect to God; yet he had no true fear of him, love to him, nor faith in him; so far a man may go toward heaven, and ye come short of it at last. Here is Balaam's prophecy concerning Him wh should be the crown and glory of his people Israel; who is David in the type; but our Lord Jesus, the promised Messiah, is chiefly pointed at and of him it is an illustrious prophecy. Balaam, a wicked man, shal see Christ, but shall not see him nigh; not see him as Job, who saw his as his Redeemer, and saw him for himself. When he comes in the clouds every eye shall see him; but many will see him, as the rich man in hel saw Abraham, afar off. He shall come out of Jacob, and Israel, as Star and a Sceptre; the former denoting his glory and lustre; the latter his power and authority. Christ shall be King, not only of Jaco and Israel, but of all the world; so that all shall be either governe by his golden sceptre, or dashed in pieces by his iron rod. Balaa prophesied concerning the Amalekites and Kenites, part of whose countr he had now in view. Even a nest in a rock will not be a lastin security. Here is a prophecy that looks as far forward as to the Greek and Romans. He acknowledges all the revolutions of states and kingdom to be the Lord's doing. These events will make such desolations, tha scarcely any will escape. They that live then, will be as brand plucked out of the fire. May God fit us for the worst of times! Thu Balaam, instead of cursing the church, curses Amalek the first, an Rome the last enemy of the church. Not Rome pagan only, but Rome papa also; antichrist and all the antichristian powers. Let us as ourselves, Do we in knowledge, experience, or profession, excel Balaam No readiness of speech, even in preaching or prayer, no gifts of knowledge or prophecy, are in themselves different from, or superior to the boasted gifts of him who loved the wages of unrighteousness, an died the enemy of God. Simple dependence on the Redeemer's atonin blood and sanctifying grace, cheerful submission to the Divine will constant endeavours to glorify God and benefit his people, these ar less splendid, but far more excellent gifts, and always accompan salvation. No boasting hypocrite ever possessed these; yet the feebles believer has something of them, and is daily praying for more of them __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
וירא 7200 את 853 הקיני 7017 וישׂא 5375 משׁלו 4912 ויאמר 559 איתן 386 מושׁבך 4186 ושׂים 7760 בסלע 5553 קנך׃ 7064
