ולא הלך כפעם בפעם לקרת נחשים, to try different locations in order to find one from which he could curse the people. The Torah reports that as of now Bileam had his heart in blessing the Israelites. As a result, ותהי עליו רוח אלוקים, the spirit of G’d now remained with him. G’d now inspired him out of a feeling of genuine liking for him.

שתום העין, someone whose eyes were open, someone granted divine visions, as we have been told in Avodah Zarah 69. [ what we have been told there is that the expression שתום refers to the brief moment which elapses between opening one’s eye and blinking before closing it again. Ed.]

אשר מחזה שדי יחזה, sometimes, when he was asleep in bed, and sometimes with his eyes open, i.e. גלוי עיניפ in daytime. At the time he was speaking these lines he was granted prophetic vision in full daylight. The word נופל means that the subject had no control over his body, compare Samuel I 31,8.

כנחלים נטיו, brooks which run in a straight course.

כאהלים, similar to the same word in Song of Songs 4,14 מר ואהלות, “myrrh and aloes.” The vowels patch under the letters כ in the words כאהלים and כארזים are justified as they substitute for the semi vowel sheva which could not be used twice in a row. Seeing the next letter had a chataf patach. We find similar construction in Isaiah 44,4 כערבים על יבלי מים,

וירום מאגג מלכו, a reference to King Sha-ul. Every ruler of the people of Amalek was always called Agag, just as Egyptian rulers were called Pharaoh, and just as the rulers of the Philistines were always known as Avimelech. Kings of Jerusalem in those days always had a title incorporating the word צדק, such as Malki Tzedek, and Adoni Tzedek.

תועפות, strength, as in Psalms 95,4 ותועפות הרים לו, “He possesses the strength of mountains.”

איעצך, a counsel of how to entrap the Israelites in sin.

Although I know what these people are going to do to yours in the distant future, at this time, during your life, you have no call to fear them. This was the advice that is described later on in Numbers 31,16. Here Moses does not spell out the details of this advice as Bileam himself did not have the courage to say this aloud, and he only whispered it to Balak. It was revealed in detail by Moses only when there was a need to do so.

אראנו, I can see it now but it will not happen until some time in the future. ולא עתה; none of these prophecies are meant to become reality in the immediate future.

כל בני שת, according to the plain meaning a reference to the Messiah, i.e. the words דרך כוכב מיעקב. (compare Ibn Ezra and Nachmanides in order to understand this. Ed.]

ירשה, a construction similar to שמנה, shemeynah, or seveyah in Proverbs 27,7 נפש שבעה

וירד מיעקב, a ruler emanating from Yaakov will wield authority over all kingdoms. We may add the word איש in front of the word מיעקב.

והאביד שריד מעיר, from Edom; in accordance with Ovadiah 1,18 that “there will not be a single person who belongs to the descendants of Esau escaping, seeing G’d had so decreed.”

וירא את עמלק, from a location where these people were visible he beheld them.

ראשית גויים, as per Onkelos, i.e. the first organised nation militarily opposing the Jewish nation.

איתן מושבך, you imagined that your seat of power was inviolate, unconquerable as the rock of Gibraltar. It will turn out to be different from what you thought, but יהיה לבער קין, Kayin will be consumed, by the time the Kingdom of Assyria will emerge you will be taken prisoner, and will go into exile.

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

אוי מי יחי, who will be able to survive on account of the King Messiah when G’d will orchestrate all these events which will disintegrate all the descendants of mankind.

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