John Gill Bible Commentary

And he took up his parable, and said,.... Or delivered another prophecy, having made some little pause: alas, who shall live when God doeth this? referring not to what goes before, but to what follows; though Jarchi and Aben Ezra think it refers to the Assyria conquering and carrying captive, not only the Kenites, but all the nations of the world, so that there was no living comfortably in it on his account; but this is said after Balaam had taken up his parable again, and so respects what follows, as the destruction of the Persian empire by Alexander, in which Ashur or the Assyrians were included; and the destruction of the Jews by the Romans more especially; which was such as had not been the like from the beginning of the world, Mat 24:21, and perhaps may have a further respect to the affliction of the witnesses and church of Christ by antichrist; see Dan 12:1.