and Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick clean all that is about us as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,
sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor in Pethor, which is by the Euphrates, ” in the land of his kinsfolk, to invite him, saying, “There is a people that came out of Egypt; it hides the earth from view, and it is settled next to me.
Come then, put a curse upon this people for me, since they are too numerous for me; perhaps I can thus defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whomever you bless is blessed indeed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”
Here is a people that came out from Egypt and hides the earth from view. Come now and curse them for me; perhaps I can engage them in battle and drive them off.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
הנה
60
העם
115
היצא
106
ממצרים
420
ויכס
96
אתעין
531
הארץ
296
עתה
475
לכה
55
קבהלי
147
אתו
407
אולי
47
אוכל
57
להלחם
113
בו
8
וגרשתיו
925
Numbers 22:12
Gematria: 2570
ויאמראלהיםאלבלעםלאתלךעמהםלאתאראתהעםכיברוךהוא
But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.”
Balaam replied to Balak’s officials, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, big or little, contrary to the command of my God יהוה.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויען
136
בלעם
142
ויאמר
257
אלעבדי
117
בלק
132
אםיתןלי
541
בלק
132
מלא
71
ביתו
418
כסף
160
וזהב
20
לא
31
אוכל
57
לעבר
302
אתפי
491
יהוה
26
אלהי
46
לעשות
806
קטנה
164
או
7
גדולה
48
Numbers 22:19
Gematria: 2051
ועתהשבונאבזהגםאתםהלילהואדעהמהיסףיהוהדברעמי
So you, too, stay here overnight, and let me find out what else יהוה may say to me.”
That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If the agents agents See note at 13.2; cf. note at Gen. 18.2. have come to invite you, you may go with them. But whatever I command you, that you shall do.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויבא
19
אלהיםאלבלעם
259
לילה
75
ויאמר
257
לו
36
אםלקרא
372
לך
50
באו
9
האנשים
406
קום
146
לך
50
אתם
441
ואך
27
אתהדבר
612
אשראדבר
708
אליך
61
אתו
407
תעשה
775
Numbers 22:21
Gematria: 2521
ויקםבלעםבבקרויחבשאתאתנווילךעםשרימואב
When he arose in the morning, Balaam saddled his ass and departed with the Moabite dignitaries.
But God was incensed at his going; so a messenger of יהוה took a position in his way as an adversary. He was riding on his she-ass, with his two servants alongside,
when the ass caught sight of the messenger of יהוה standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. The ass swerved from the road and went into the fields; and Balaam beat the ass to turn her back onto the road.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ותרא
607
האתון
462
אתמלאך
492
יהוה
26
נצב
142
בדרך
226
וחרבו
222
שלופה
421
בידו
22
ותט
415
האתון
462
מןהדרך
319
ותלך
456
בשדה
311
ויך
36
בלעם
142
אתהאתון
863
להטתה
449
הדרך
229
Numbers 22:24
Gematria: 1534
ויעמדמלאךיהוהבמשעולהכרמיםגדרמזהוגדרמזה
The messenger of יהוה then stationed himself in a lane between the vineyards, with a fence on either side.
The ass said to Balaam, “Look, I am the ass that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing thus to you?” And he answered, “No.”
Then יהוה uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the messenger of יהוה standing in the way, his drawn sword in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground. ”
Translation Notes
*right down to the ground — Lit. “and prostrated himself to his nostrils.
The messenger of יהוה said to him, “Why have you beaten your ass these three times? It is I who came out as an adversary, for the errand is obnoxious obnoxious Precise meaning of Heb. yarat uncertain. to me.
And when the ass saw me, she shied away because of me those three times. If she had not shied away from me, you are the one I should have killed, while sparing her.”
But the messenger of יהוה said to Balaam, “Go with the men. men (So NJPS.) See note to v. 9. But you must say nothing except what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s dignitaries.