Albert Barnes Commentary Numbers 24:17

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult." — Numbers 24:17 (ASV)

To render it: I see him, though he is not now: I behold him, though he is not near. Balaam here describes what is actually before him in inward vision.

Him – that is, the prince, represented in the succeeding words by the Star and Scepter. The star has among all nations served as a symbol of regal power and splendour. The birth and future glory of great monarchs were believed by the ancients to be heralded by the appearance of stars or comets. Compare also Isaiah 14:12; Daniel 8:10; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 1:20; Revelation 2:1; and Revelation 9:1.

The corners of Moab – literally, “the two sides of Moab,” that is, the length and breadth of the land .

Destroy all the children of Sheth – Rather, “overthrow the sons of tumult,” that is, the warriors of Moab, whose valour and fierceness are frequently referred to elsewhere (Isaiah 15:4; Isaiah 16:6; etc.). Compare Jeremiah 48:45.