He shall pour the water out of his buckets, &c.— Very different are the interpretations given to this obscure passage. 1. The LXX render the Hebrew widely different from our translation; a man shall come out of his seed, and shall rule over many nations; which also is the translation of Onkelos, and the Targum of Jerusalem, though the latter is somewhat more particular; a king shall proceed from their sons; their Redeemer shall come from among them, and the reign of the king-Messiah shall be greatly exalted. St. Cyprian follows exactly the version of the LXX, in quoting this passage against the Jews, lib. 2: cap. 10 and the learned Bishop Fell, in a note upon the place, has shewn, that the Greek interpreters rendered it thus, because in the language of the Hebrews they speak proverbially of water which distills from a bucket, for a man who is born, or who issues from his father: he adds, that זרע zerang, signifying equally posterity, and the arm of power, the LXX have taken the word in the latter sense, as an emblem of empire over many people: in the same manner as God says, (speaking to David,) I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers, to mark the extent of his power. This conjecture must at least be granted to be ingenious. 2. Houbigant says that the Hebrew, literally rendered, is aquas prorumpere faciet ex precordiis suis, (Israel) He shall make waters to flow from his bowels, דל dal, in the Persian language is, says he, the inward part of a thing, the heart, the bowels; which signification we have therefore chosen, because our Lord Christ referred to this place, when he said, he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. John 7:38. For unless you interpret it in this manner, there is no place in the sacred volume which speaks of water flowing from the belly. Balaam speaks in this place metaphorically, as becomes him who had taken up his parable: but waters, thus used, it appears from St. Paul, signified the doctrine with which one is imbued. See 1 Corinthians 3:6. This was fixed among the Jews before the apostle's time, as appears from the baptism of John, and from others of the like kind used before John; for if any one was sprinkled with the water of baptism, he professed thereby to embrace that doctrine and form of manners, into which he was instituted by him who baptized him. This interpretation of our's agrees well with what follows; and his seed in many waters: that is, his seeds or plants shall be well watered. So that, according to Houbigant, the meaning is, "he shall be well instructed in true doctrine himself, and plentifully afford that instruction to his posterity." 3. Those who may think the foregoing interpretations too much forced, will read the passage according to its most literal translation, thus, waters shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be by many waters; which seems to be a metaphorical expression for the great increase of Israel; for increase of posterity is represented in Scripture by the flowing out of waters. Isaiah 48:1. Proverbs 5:15-18 a passage which seems clearly to explain this: many waters are put for many people, Jeremiah 47:2. Revelation 17:15 and Isaiah 32:20 the expression seems well to explain the latter clause, his seed shall be, &c. It may be proper just to observe, that Le Clerc would render it, from his boughs the waters shall distill; and he understands the passage as expressive of the plenty and fertility of the country which the Hebrews should possess. See Ezekiel 17:23. Dr. Lowth, in his elegant version, understands the passage in this last sense.
Illi uda multo rore stillant germina, Faetusque alunt juges aquae.
His king shall be higher than Agag— Most commentators suppose that Agag was a common name of all the kings of the Amalekites, as Pharaoh was of Egypt, &c. and as the Amalekites at this time were the most flourishing and formidable people of the East, it is supposed that Balaam foretels in these words, that the king of Israel should be the greatest of kings; for he knew none greater than Agag. Some think that they have a particular respect to Saul the first king of Israel, who subdued the Amalekites, and took Agag captive. The Jews themselves, however, think the passage has its full completion in the Messiah. The LXX, Samar. Onkelos, Syr. Arab. Aquila, Symmachus, and many fathers of the church, to whom we may add Houbigant, read the passage differently; his king shall be greater than Gog. Now Gog, in the Scripture, means the Scythians, and other northern nations. See Ezek. Chapter s 38: and 39: and Mede's Works, p. 574. Many learned men prefer this reading to the other, meaning by Gog the enemies of the church in general. It was easy to confound the Hebrew מגוג magog, with מאגג meagag, says Mr. Samuel Wesley, Dissert. on Job; and so to read Agag instead of Gog; and if so, may we not as well suppose, that the reading was changed from מהגג mehagog, which may signify above the top, or above all height; for גג gag signifies locus sublimis, the top of any thing, the roof of a house; and is frequently so used in Scripture. See Calasio's Concordance on the word. And then the meaning of the passage will be, his king shall be exalted above all height; i.e. super-eminently, and above all kings; to which the correspondent clause is, and his kingdom shall be exalted; shall be raised to the highest dignity and glory; in which, most probably, there is a reference to the Messiah and his kingdom.