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The Lion in Balaam's Oracle
Balaam finally stops seeking enchantments and looks toward Israel. The Spirit of God comes upon him, and he describes Israel as beautiful, fruitful, victorious, and lion-like. The lion imagery strongly recalls Jacob’s blessing of Judah in Genesis 49.
Numbers 24:9 substantially reproduces Genesis 49:9’s lion imagery and crouching/rising language, carrying Judah’s royal image forward into Balaam’s oracle. The close wording makes the relationship stronger than a generic shared lion metaphor.
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