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Numbers 24:11
Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

Numbers 31:8
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain;namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

Joshua 13:22
Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

they will subdue Asshur and Eber,
Asshur refers to the Assyrian Empire, a dominant power in the ancient Near East known for its military strength and expansive conquests. Eber is often associated with the Hebrew people, as Eber is an ancestor of the Israelites according to the genealogies in Genesis. The subduing of Asshur and Eber suggests a significant shift in power dynamics, where even mighty empires and peoples would be overcome by these maritime forces. This could symbolize the eventual decline of Assyrian dominance and the challenges faced by the Israelites from external forces.

but they too will perish forever.”
This final phrase indicates the ultimate downfall of these invading forces. Despite their initial success in subduing powerful nations, they are destined to perish. This reflects a common biblical theme where human powers, no matter how formidable, are transient and subject to divine judgment. The phrase underscores the sovereignty of God over the nations and the futility of relying on human strength. It also serves as a reminder of the prophetic nature of Balaam's oracle, pointing to the eventual fulfillment of God's plans and the establishment of His kingdom.

“Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus” (Numbers 24:24).

• The term “coasts of Cyprus” (Kittim) points to western, seafaring peoples—first the island of Cyprus, later extended to Greek and Roman naval powers.Genesis 10:4 names Kittim among the sons of Javan, tying it to the Mediterranean world.

•Isaiah 23:1 pictures “ships of Tarshish” arriving at Cyprus, reinforcing the idea of formidable fleets entering the eastern Mediterranean arena.

•Daniel 11:30 shows “ships of Kittim” pushing back an eastern king, a prophetic preview of Mediterranean intervention.

Taken together, Balaam foretells that future western invaders will reach the Near East by sea, stepping onto the stage God controls (Acts 17:26).

“they will subdue Asshur and Eber” (Numbers 24:24).

• “Asshur” represents the Assyrian heartland (Genesis 10:11). Though powerful in Balaam’s day,Isaiah 10:12 promises its humbling; the prophecy anticipates a later blow delivered by western forces (fulfilled in stages under Babylon, Persia, then decisively under Alexander’s Greeks who swept through Assyria’s former territory,Daniel 8:8–9).

• “Eber” points to a broader Semitic heritage, ultimately embracing Israel (Genesis 10:21; 14:13). History records successive conquests of the Holy Land—first by Greeks (332 BC) and later by Romans (63 BC), both arriving from the west.

• God remains sovereign: He uses one empire to discipline another (Habakkuk 1:6–11) while preserving His covenant purposes (Jeremiah 31:35–37).

“but they too will perish forever” (Numbers 24:24).

• No empire, however mighty, escapes God’s timetable. Assyria fell (Zephaniah 2:13), Babylon toppled (Jeremiah 51:8), Greece fragmented (Daniel 11:4), and Rome declined.Psalm 9:5 sums it up: “You have blotted out their name forever and ever.”

•Daniel 2:44 promises a kingdom “that will never be destroyed,” contrasting temporary human rule with God’s eternal reign.Revelation 11:15 echoes the same triumph.

• The prophetic line of Balaam ends with a sober reminder: every earthly power that rises against God’s plan will meet the same fate—complete, irreversible ruin (Obadiah 1:15–16).

Numbers 24:24 sketches three linked movements: western maritime forces appear, they conquer mighty eastern and Semitic realms, and they themselves disappear in judgment. The verse underlines God’s precise control over history, His use of nations as instruments, and the certainty that only His kingdom endures. For believers, it offers steady confidence: though empires rise and fall, God’s word never fails, and His redemptive plan marches on unhindered.

And shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber.--Some understand byEbertheHebrewsonly. The word, however, appears to be used in a wider signification, as comprising "all the children of Eber" (Genesis 10:21). Perhaps the wordAsshurmay here be used to denote theEastern Shemites,andEbertheWestern Shemites.

And he also shall perish for ever--i.e.,the victorious power which was to afflict Asshur and Eber. "The overthrow of this last power of the world," says Keil,in loc.,"concerning which the prophet Daniel was the first to receive and proclaim new revelations, belongs 'to the end of the days,' in which the star out of Jacob is to rise upon Israel as 'a bright morning-star'" (Revelation 22:16). There is no evidence as to the manner in which Balaam's prophecies came into the hands of the Israelites. It is possible that he may have communicated them to Moses, in the expectation of receiving from him the reward which he had failed to obtain from Balak, or, if captured, in the hope of thereby saving his life.