And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
And Edom shall be a possession. Seir, which is used in the parallelism, corresponds with Edom. According to the reading in the English version, Seir should be a possession for his enemies, i:e., in the opinion of some writers, of Edom; but that is erroneous, because Seir had in the Mosaic age been long the settled residence of Esau's descendants.
The latter clause, "Israel shall do valiantly," clearly determines who were to become the possessors [The Septuagint interprets it correctly ho echthros autou - i:e., Israel.] The prediction was historically verified in the time of Saul (1 Samuel 14:47), of David (2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-16; 1 Chronicles 18:12), and of Solomon (1 Kings 9:26). But this view does not exhaust the prophecy; because Balaam represents the result of conquest over both Moab and Edom as an absolute and permanent possession; and hence, although the Edomites did for a time recover their independence (2 Kings 8:20), and make partial reprisals upon Judah (2 Chronicles 28:17), we find the prophets, while proclaiming their gross idolatries, denouncing their consequent doom in the most solemn and fearful terms (Isaiah 34:5; Jeremiah 49:7-22; Lamentations 4:21-22; Ezekiel 25:12-14; Ezekiel 35:15; Obad.; Malachi 1:2-4: cf. Josephus, 'Antiquities,' b. 10:, ch. 9:, sec. 7; also b. 13:, ch. 9:, sec. 1; ch. 15:, sec. 4).
And Israel shall do valiantly, х `oseh (H6213) chaayil (H2428)] (cf. Ps. 60:14; 108:14; Psalms 118:15-16). But this clause was evidently designed to exhibit the state of Israel in victorious ascendency, when 'Edom should be a possession;' and the translation, therefore, should be, 'and Israel shall acquire power or wealth'-a sense in which Hengstenberg has shown the words are used (Deuteronomy 8:17-18; Ruth 4:11; Proverbs 31:29; Ezekiel 28:4).