B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

Numbers 24:17 is usually translated as "a star is stepping forth (dalet resh kaf) from Jacob, and will rise up a scepter from Israel..."

I think it could say "a generation (dalet resh) is like (kaf) a star from Jacob, and (but) will rise up a scepter (a tribe) from Israel (more than Israel)..."
Maybe the generation is high up like a star, but a tribe or a scepter will rise up even higher. It is a wild guess, but it might make sense if you consider the whole section to be poetry.

Kenneth Greifer

1. A comet is called today כוכב שביט. Is this what Balaam means by, Nu. 24:17, אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב NIV: “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near."?
2. דרך is possibly a play of words upon זרח.

Isaac Fried, Boston University