Numbers

Numbers 24:2–9

2When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him, 3and he lifted up an oracle, saying:

“This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,

the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,

4the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,

who sees a vision from the Almighty,a

who bows down with eyes wide open:

5How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,

your dwellings, O Israel!

6They spread out like palm groves,b

like gardens beside a stream,

like aloes the LORD has planted,

like cedars beside the waters.

7Water will flow from his buckets,

and his seed will have abundant water.

His king will be greater than Agag,

and his kingdom will be exalted.

8God brought him out of Egypt

with strength like a wild ox,

to devour hostile nations and crush their bones,

to pierce them with arrows.

9He crouches, he lies down like a lion,

like a lioness— who dares to rouse him?

Blessed are those who bless you

and cursed are those who curse you.”

Footnotes

  • a 24:4 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 16
  • b 24:6 Or like valleys

Read all of Numbers 24

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Numbers 24:2

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When Balaamבִלְעָ֜םḇil·‘āmNoun - proper - masculine singularH1109 Balaam
looked upוַיִּשָּׂ֨אway·yiś·śāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5375 lift, take, carry
and sawוַיַּרְא֙way·yarConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7200 see
Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
encampedשֹׁכֵ֖ןšō·ḵênVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH7931 settle down, abide, dwell
tribe by tribeלִשְׁבָטָ֑יוliš·ḇā·ṭāwPreposition-l; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH7626 rod, staff, club, sceptre
the Spiritר֥וּחַrū·aḥNoun - common singular constructH7307 breath, wind, spirit
of Godאֱלֹהִֽים׃’ĕ·lō·hîmNoun - masculine pluralH430 God
cameוַתְּהִ֥יwat·tə·hîConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
upon himעָלָ֖יו‘ā·lāwPreposition; third person masculine singularH5921 height

Numbers 24:3

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
and he lifted upוַיִּשָּׂ֥אway·yiś·śāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5375 lift, take, carry
an oracleמְשָׁל֖וֹmə·šā·lōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH4912 proverb, parable
sayingוַיֹּאמַ֑רway·yō·marConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
the prophecyנְאֻ֤םnə·’umNoun - masculine singular constructH5002 utterance
of Balaamבִּלְעָם֙bil·‘āmNoun - proper - masculine singularH1109 Balaam
sonבְּנ֣וֹbə·nōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1121 son
of Beorבְעֹ֔רḇə·‘ōrNoun - proper - masculine singularH1160 Beor
the prophecyוּנְאֻ֥םū·nə·’umConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular constructH5002 utterance
of a manהַגֶּ֖בֶרhag·ge·ḇerArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1397 man
whose eyesהָעָֽיִן׃hā·‘ā·yinArticle; Noun - common singularH5869 eye
are openשְׁתֻ֥םšə·ṯumAdjective - masculine singular constructH8365 open

Numbers 24:4

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
the prophecyנְאֻ֕םnə·’umNoun - masculine singular constructH5002 utterance
of one who hearsשֹׁמֵ֖עַšō·mê·a‘Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular constructH8085 hear
the wordsאִמְרֵי־’im·rê-Noun - masculine plural constructH561 something said
of Godאֵ֑ל’êlNoun - masculine singularH410 god
whoאֲשֶׁ֨ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
seesיֶֽחֱזֶ֔הye·ḥĕ·zehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH2372 see, behold
a visionמַחֲזֵ֤הma·ḥă·zêhNoun - masculine singular constructH4236 vision
from the Almightyשַׁדַּי֙šad·dayNoun - proper - masculine singularH7706 Almighty
who bows downנֹפֵ֖לnō·p̄êlVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5307 fall, lie
with eyesעֵינָֽיִם׃‘ê·nā·yimNoun - cdH5869 eye
wide openוּגְל֥וּיū·ḡə·luiConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH1540 uncover, remove

Numbers 24:5

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Howמַה־mah-InterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
lovely areטֹּ֥בוּṭō·ḇūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH2895 pleasing, good
your tentsאֹהָלֶ֖יךָ’ō·hā·le·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH168 tent
O Jacobיַעֲקֹ֑בya·‘ă·qōḇNoun - proper - masculine singularH3290 Jacob
your dwellingsמִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יךָmiš·kə·nō·ṯe·ḵāNoun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH4908 dwelling-place, 'tabernacle'
O Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃yiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel

Numbers 24:6

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
They spread outנִטָּ֔יוּniṭ·ṭā·yūVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralH5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
like palm grovesכִּנְחָלִ֣יםkin·ḥā·lîmPreposition-k; Noun - masculine pluralH5158 torrent, torrent-valley, wady
like gardensכְּגַנֹּ֖תkə·ḡan·nōṯPreposition-k; Noun - feminine pluralH1593 garden
besideעֲלֵ֣י‘ă·lêPrepositionH5921 height
a streamנָהָ֑רnā·hārNoun - masculine singularH5104 stream, river
like aloesכַּאֲהָלִים֙ka·’ă·hā·lîmPreposition-k; Noun - masculine pluralH174 aloe wood
the LORDיְהוָ֔הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
has plantedנָטַ֣עnā·ṭa‘Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH5193 strike, fix, plant
like cedarsכַּאֲרָזִ֖יםka·’ă·rā·zîmPreposition-k; Noun - masculine pluralH730 cedar
besideעֲלֵי־‘ă·lê-PrepositionH5921 height
the watersמָֽיִם׃mā·yimNoun - masculine pluralH4325 water, juice, urine

Numbers 24:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Waterמַ֙יִם֙ma·yimNoun - masculine pluralH4325 water, juice, urine
will flowיִֽזַּל־yiz·zal-Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH5140 flow, trickle, drop, distil
from his bucketsמִדָּ֣לְיָ֔וmid·dā·lə·yāwPreposition-m; Noun - masculine dual construct; third person masculine singularH1805 bucket
and his seedוְזַרְע֖וֹwə·zar·‘ōwConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH2233 sowing, seed, offspring
will have abundantרַבִּ֑יםrab·bîmAdjective - masculine pluralH7227 much, many, great
waterבְּמַ֣יִםbə·ma·yimPreposition-b; Noun - masculine pluralH4325 water, juice, urine
His kingמַלְכּ֔וֹmal·kōwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH4428 king
will be greaterוְיָרֹ֤םwə·yā·rōmConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH7311 be high, exalted, rise
than Agagמֵֽאֲגַג֙mê·’ă·ḡaḡPreposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine singularH90 Agag
and his kingdomמַלְכֻתֽוֹ׃mal·ḵu·ṯōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH4438 royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom
will be exaltedוְתִנַּשֵּׂ֖אwə·ṯin·naś·śêConjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singularH5375 lift, take, carry

Numbers 24:8

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Godאֵ֚ל’êlNoun - masculine singularH410 god
brought himמוֹצִיא֣וֹmō·w·ṣî·’ōwVerb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH3318 go or come out
out of Egyptמִמִּצְרַ֔יִםmim·miṣ·ra·yimPreposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singularH4714 Egypt, Egyptians
with strengthכְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥תkə·ṯō·w·‘ă·p̄ōṯPreposition-k; Noun - feminine plural constructH8443 eminence
like a wild oxרְאֵ֖םrə·’êmNoun - masculine singularH7214 wild ox
to devourיֹאכַ֞לyō·ḵalVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH398 eat
hostileצָרָ֗יוṣā·rāwNoun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH6862 narrow, tight
nationsגּוֹיִ֣םgō·w·yimNoun - masculine pluralH1471 nation, people
and crushיְגָרֵ֖םyə·ḡā·rêmVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1633 lay aside, leave, save
their bonesוְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶ֛םwə·‘aṣ·mō·ṯê·hemConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine pluralH6106 bone, substance, self
to pierce themיִמְחָֽץ׃yim·ḥāṣVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH4272 smite through, wound severely, shatter
with arrowsוְחִצָּ֥יוwə·ḥiṣ·ṣāwConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singularH2671 arrow

Numbers 24:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
He crouchesכָּרַ֨עkā·ra‘Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH3766 bow down
he lies downשָׁכַ֧בšā·ḵaḇVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH7901 lie down
like a lionכַּאֲרִ֛יka·’ă·rîPreposition-k; Noun - masculine singularH738 lion
like a lionessוּכְלָבִ֖יאū·ḵə·lā·ḇîConjunctive waw, Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singularH3833 lioness
whoמִ֣יmîInterrogativeH4310 who?
dares to rouse himיְקִימֶ֑נּוּyə·qî·men·nūVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singularH6965 arise, stand up, stand
Blessed areבָר֔וּךְḇā·rūḵVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH1288 kneel, bless
those who bless youמְבָרֲכֶ֣יךָmə·ḇā·ră·ḵe·ḵāVerb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH1288 kneel, bless
and cursed areאָרֽוּר׃’ā·rūrVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH779 curse
those who curse youוְאֹרְרֶ֖יךָwə·’ō·rə·re·ḵāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singularH779 curse

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Numbers 24:2 1 Samuel 19:20 · 2 Chronicles 15:1 · 1 Samuel 19:23 · 1 Samuel 10:10 · Numbers 11:25–29 · Numbers 2:2–34

Numbers 24:3 Numbers 23:7 · Numbers 24:16 · Numbers 22:31 · Numbers 23:18 · Numbers 24:4

Numbers 24:4 Revelation 1:17 · Revelation 1:10 · Ezekiel 1:28 · Numbers 12:6 · 2 Corinthians 12:1–4

Numbers 24:6 Psalm 1:3 · Isaiah 58:11 · Psalm 104:16

Numbers 24:7 2 Samuel 5:12 · 1 Chronicles 14:2 · Revelation 17:1 · Jeremiah 51:13 · 1 Samuel 15:8–9 · Revelation 19:16 · Revelation 17:15

Numbers 24:8 Psalm 45:5 · Numbers 23:22 · Numbers 23:24 · Jeremiah 50:17 · Numbers 14:9 · Psalm 2:9 · Isaiah 38:13 · Jeremiah 50:9 · Numbers 21:5 · Daniel 6:24 · Deuteronomy 32:42 · Deuteronomy 32:23

Numbers 24:9 Genesis 12:3 · Genesis 27:29 · Genesis 49:9 · Numbers 23:24 · Matthew 25:45 · Matthew 25:40 · Job 38:39–40

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.