Numbers 23

Numbers · Chapter 23

Numbers 23:21

1And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.2And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.3And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.4And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.5And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.6And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.7And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.8How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.10Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!11And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.12And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?13And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.14And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.15And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.16And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.17And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?18And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.22God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.23Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!24Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.25And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.26But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?27And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.28And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.29And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Jehovah his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
notלֹֽא־lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he has looked atהִבִּ֥יטhi-BITH5027
to look

נָבַט (na.vat) 1) to look, regard 1a) (Piel) to look 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) tolook 1b2) to regard, show regard to, pay attention to, consider 1b3) to look upon, regard, show regard to

disasterאָ֙וֶן֙'a-venH0205H
evil: wickedness

אָ֫וֶן (a.ven) 1) trouble, wickedness, sorrow 1a) trouble, sorrow 1b) idolatry 1c) trouble of iniquity, wickedness Also means: a.ven (אָ֫וֶן ": trouble" H0205H)

in Jacobבְּיַעֲקֹ֔בbe-ya-'a-KOH3290
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

and notוְלֹא־ve-lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

he has seenרָאָ֥הra-'AHH7200G
to see: see

רָאָה (ra.ah) : see/show 1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to see 1a2) to see, perceive 1a3) to see, have vision 1a4) to look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out 1a5) to see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish 1a6) to look at, gaze at 1a7) to provide, choose 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to appear, present oneself 1b2) to be seen 1b3) to be visible 1c) (Pual) to be seen 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to see, show 1d2) to cause to look intently at, behold, cause to gaze at 1e) (Hophal) …

troubleעָמָ֖ל'a-MALH5999
trouble

עָמָל (a.mal) 1) toil, trouble, labour 1a) trouble 1b) trouble, mischief 1c) toil, labour

in Israelבְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לbe-YIS-ra-'ELH3478
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

Yahwehיְהוָ֤הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

God hisאֱלֹהָיו֙'e-lo-HAVH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

[is] with himעִמּ֔וֹi-MOH5973A
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as

and a shout ofוּתְרוּעַ֥תu-te-ru-'ATH8643
shout

תְּרוּעָה (te.ru.ah) 1) alarm, signal, sound of tempest, shout, shout or blast of war or alarm or joy 1a) alarm of war, war-cry, battle-cry 1b) blast (for march) 1c) shout of joy (with religious impulse) 1d) shout of joy (in general)

a kingמֶ֖לֶךְME-lekhH4428G
king

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) 1) king Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.