Numbers

Numbers 24:5–10

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.”

¹⁰Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together and said to Balaam, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times.

Footnotes

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 24:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
How	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
lovely are	טֹּ֥בוּ	ṭō·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H2895 pleasing, good
your tents	אֹהָלֶ֖יךָ	’ō·hā·le·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H168 tent
O Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֑ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
your dwellings	מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶ֖יךָ	miš·kə·nō·ṯe·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H4908 dwelling-place, 'tabernacle'
O Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel

Numbers 24:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They spread out	נִטָּ֔יוּ	niṭ·ṭā·yū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
like palm groves	כִּנְחָלִ֣ים	kin·ḥā·lîm	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine plural	H5158 torrent, torrent-valley, wady
like gardens	כְּגַנֹּ֖ת	kə·ḡan·nōṯ	Preposition-k; Noun - feminine plural	H1593 garden
beside	עֲלֵ֣י	‘ă·lê	Preposition	H5921 height
a stream	נָהָ֑ר	nā·hār	Noun - masculine singular	H5104 stream, river
like aloes	כַּאֲהָלִים֙	ka·’ă·hā·lîm	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine plural	H174 aloe wood
the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
has planted	נָטַ֣ע	nā·ṭa‘	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5193 strike, fix, plant
like cedars	כַּאֲרָזִ֖ים	ka·’ă·rā·zîm	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine plural	H730 cedar
beside	עֲלֵי־	‘ă·lê-	Preposition	H5921 height
the waters	מָֽיִם׃	mā·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine

Numbers 24:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Water	מַ֙יִם֙	ma·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
will flow	יִֽזַּל־	yiz·zal-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5140 flow, trickle, drop, distil
from his buckets	מִדָּ֣לְיָ֔ו	mid·dā·lə·yāw	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H1805 bucket
and his seed	וְזַרְע֖וֹ	wə·zar·‘ōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
will have abundant	רַבִּ֑ים	rab·bîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great
water	בְּמַ֣יִם	bə·ma·yim	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
His king	מַלְכּ֔וֹ	mal·kōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4428 king
will be greater	וְיָרֹ֤ם	wə·yā·rōm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular	H7311 be high, exalted, rise
than Agag	מֵֽאֲגַג֙	mê·’ă·ḡaḡ	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H90 Agag
and his kingdom	מַלְכֻתֽוֹ׃	mal·ḵu·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4438 royalty, royal power, reign, kingdom
will be exalted	וְתִנַּשֵּׂ֖א	wə·ṯin·naś·śê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5375 lift, take, carry

Numbers 24:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
God	אֵ֚ל	’êl	Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
brought him	מוֹצִיא֣וֹ	mō·w·ṣî·’ōw	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3318 go or come out
out of Egypt	מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם	mim·miṣ·ra·yim	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
with strength	כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת	kə·ṯō·w·‘ă·p̄ōṯ	Preposition-k; Noun - feminine plural construct	H8443 eminence
like a wild ox	רְאֵ֖ם	rə·’êm	Noun - masculine singular	H7214 wild ox
to devour	יֹאכַ֞ל	yō·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
hostile	צָרָ֗יו	ṣā·rāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H6862 narrow, tight
nations	גּוֹיִ֣ם	gō·w·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H1471 nation, people
and crush	יְגָרֵ֖ם	yə·ḡā·rêm	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1633 lay aside, leave, save
their bones	וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶ֛ם	wə·‘aṣ·mō·ṯê·hem	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H6106 bone, substance, self
to pierce them	יִמְחָֽץ׃	yim·ḥāṣ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4272 smite through, wound severely, shatter
with arrows	וְחִצָּ֥יו	wə·ḥiṣ·ṣāw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H2671 arrow

Numbers 24:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
He crouches	כָּרַ֨ע	kā·ra‘	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3766 bow down
he lies down	שָׁכַ֧ב	šā·ḵaḇ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7901 lie down
like a lion	כַּאֲרִ֛י	ka·’ă·rî	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H738 lion
like a lioness	וּכְלָבִ֖יא	ū·ḵə·lā·ḇî	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H3833 lioness
who	מִ֣י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
dares to rouse him	יְקִימֶ֑נּוּ	yə·qî·men·nū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
Blessed are	בָר֔וּךְ	ḇā·rūḵ	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
those who bless you	מְבָרֲכֶ֣יךָ	mə·ḇā·ră·ḵe·ḵā	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
and cursed are	אָרֽוּר׃	’ā·rūr	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H779 curse
those who curse you	וְאֹרְרֶ֖יךָ	wə·’ō·rə·re·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H779 curse

Numbers 24:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Balak’s	בָּלָק֙	bā·lāq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1111 Balak
anger	אַ֤ף	’ap̄	Noun - masculine singular construct	H639 nostril, nose, face, anger
burned	וַיִּֽחַר־	way·yi·ḥar-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2734 burn, be kindled
against	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Balaam	בִּלְעָ֔ם	bil·‘ām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1109 Balaam
and he struck his hands	כַּפָּ֑יו	kap·pāw	Noun - feminine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan
together	וַיִּסְפֹּ֖ק	way·yis·pōq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5606 clap, be enough, vomit
and said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Balaam	בִּלְעָ֗ם	bil·‘ām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1109 Balaam
I summoned you	קְרָאתִ֔יךָ	qə·rā·ṯî·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular; second person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
to curse	לָקֹ֤ב	lā·qōḇ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6895 utter a curse against, curse
my enemies	אֹֽיְבַי֙	’ō·yə·ḇay	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H341 be hostile to
but behold	וְהִנֵּה֙	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
you have persisted in blessing	בֵּרַ֣כְתָּ	bê·raḵ·tā	Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
these	זֶ֖ה	zeh	Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
three	שָׁלֹ֥שׁ	šā·lōš	Number - feminine singular	H7969 a three, triad
times	פְּעָמִֽים׃	pə·‘ā·mîm	Noun - feminine plural	H6471 beat, foot, anvil, occurrence