Numbers 23

Numbers · Chapter 23

Numbers 23:7

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
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.And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel.

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.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he lifted upוַיִּשָּׂ֥אvai-yi-SA'H5375N
to lift: raise

נָשָׂא (na.sa) : raise/take_up 1) to lift, bear up, carry, take 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lift, lift up 1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure 1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted 1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up 1b3) to be borne, be carried 1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist 1c2) to desire, long (fig.) 1c3) to carry, bear continuously 1c4) to take, take away 1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity) …

oracle hisמְשָׁל֖וֹme-sha-LOH4912
proverb

מָשָׁל (ma.shal) 1) proverb, parable 1a) proverb, proverbial saying, aphorism 1b) byword 1c) similitude, parable 1d) poem 1e) sentences of ethical wisdom, ethical maxims

and he saidוַיֹּאמַ֑רvai-yo-MARH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

fromמִן־min-H4480A
from

מִן־ (min) prep 1) from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than 1a) from (expressing separation), off, on the side of 1b) out of 1b1) (with verbs of proceeding, removing, expelling) 1b2) (of material from which something is made) 1b3) (of source or origin) 1c) out of, some of, from (partitively) 1d) from, since, after (of time) 1e) than, more than (in comparison) 1f) from...even to, both...and, either...or 1g) than, more than, too much for (in comparisons) 1h) from, on account of, through, because (with infinitive) conj 2) that …

Aramאֲ֠רָם'A-romH0758L
Aram

אֲרָם (a.ram) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.22; son of: Shem (H8035); brother of: Asshur (H0804H), Elam (H5867C), Arpachshad (H0775) and Lud (H3865); father of: Uz (H5780), Hul (H2343), Gether (H1666) and Mash (H4851) § Aram or Arameans = "exalted" 1) Aram or Syrian nation 2) the Syrian or Aramean people Aram = "exalted" n m 3) fifth son of Shem 4) a grandson of Nahor 5) a descendant of Asher

he led meיַנְחֵ֨נִיyan-CHE-niH5148
to lead

נָחָה (na.chah) 1) to lead, guide 1a) (Qal) to lead, bring 1b) (Hiphil) to lead, guide

Balakבָלָ֤קva-LAKH1111
Balak

בָּלָק (ba.laq) A man of the Moabites living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.22.2; son of: Zippor (H6834) Also named: Balak (Βαλάκ "Balak" G0904) § Balak = "devastator" a king of Moab who hired Balaam to curse Israel

[the] king ofמֶֽלֶךְ־ME-lekh-H4428G
king

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

Moabמוֹאָב֙mo-'AVH4124G
Moab

מוֹאָב (mo.av) Moab = "of his father" the nation descended from the son of Lot Also named: mo.a.vi (מוֹאָבִי "Moab" H4125)

from [the] mountains ofמֵֽהַרְרֵי־me-ha-rei-H2042
mountain

הָרָר (ha.rar) mountain, hill, hill country, mount Another spelling of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)

[the] eastקֶ֔דֶםKE-demH6924G
east

קֵ֫דֶם (qe.dem) adv eastward, to or toward the East Another spelling of qe.dem (קֶ֫דֶם ": east" H6924)

come !לְכָה֙le-KHAHH1980K
to go: went

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) : went/go[away] 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to walk 1b2) to walk (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to traverse 1c2) to walk about 1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

curse !אָֽרָה־'a-rah-H0779
to curse

אָרַר (a.rar) 1) to curse 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to curse 1a2) cursed be he (participle used as in curses) 1b) (Niphal) to be cursed, cursed 1c)(Piel) to curse, lay under a curse, put a curse on 1d) (Hophal) to be made a curse, be cursed

Jacobיַעֲקֹ֔בya-'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 come !וּלְכָ֖הu-le-KHAHH1980K
to go: went

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) : went/go[away] 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to walk 1b2) to walk (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to traverse 1c2) to walk about 1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

denounce !זֹעֲמָ֥הzo-'a-MAHH2194
be indignant

זָעַם (za.am) 1) to denounce, express indignation, be indignant 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to have indignation, be indignant, be angrily indignant, be defiant 1a2) to be abhorrent 1a3) to express indignation in speech, denounce, curse 1b) (Niphal) to show indignation, show anger

Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃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" …

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