Numbers 24:21-22

The Kenites, who were identical to or part of the Midianites, were Israel’s neighbors to the southwest of the Dead Sea (cf. Numbers 10:29; Judges 1:16; 1 Samuel 15:6; 1 Samuel 27:10; 1 Samuel 30:29). The Asshurites who lived in the northern Sinai (Genesis 25:3; Genesis 25:18; 2 Samuel 2:9) and the Assyrians eventually defeated them. "Asshur" may refer to either or both of these nations. Probably Balaam prophesied concerning the future great Assyrian Empire.

"Why the Kenites come under attack here is not sure, except that it is possible that they became associated with the Midianites who come under the scourge of Israel (Numbers 31). The mention of Assyria is also a surprise, as its ascendancy to power in the ancient Near East was centuries away from Balaam’s day; yet Assyria was known as a powerful city-state even in Abraham’s day." [Note: Allen, p. 912.]