Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings while I am gone. Perhaps יהוה will grant me a manifestation, and whatever is revealed to me I will tell you.” And he went off alone. . shephi uncertain.
Translation Notes
*alone — Others “to a bare height”; exact meaning of Heb
Who can count the dust dust Cf. Gen. 13.16. of Jacob,Number ” the dust-cloud of Israel?May I die the death of the upright, upright Heb. yesharim, a play on yeshurun (“Jeshurun” in Deut. 32.15), a name for Israel. May my fate be like theirs!
Translation Notes
*Number — Lit. “and the number of.
Word-by-Word Analysis
מי
50
מנה
95
עפר
350
יעקב
182
ומספר
386
אתרבע
673
ישראל
541
תמת
840
נפשי
440
מות
446
ישרים
560
ותהי
421
אחריתי
629
כמהו
71
Numbers 23:11
Gematria: 3060
ויאמרבלקאלבלעםמהעשיתלילקבאיבילקחתיךוהנהברכתברך
Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? Here I brought you to damn my enemies, and instead you have blessed them!”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
בלק
132
אלבלעם
173
מה
45
עשית
780
לי
40
לקב
132
איבי
23
לקחתיך
568
והנה
66
ברכת
622
ברך
222
Numbers 23:12
Gematria: 2993
ויעןויאמרהלאאתאשרישיםיהוהבפיאתואשמרלדבר
He replied, “I can only repeat faithfully what יהוה puts in my mouth.”
Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you can see them—you will see only a portion of them; you will not see all of them—and damn them for me from there.”
With that, he took him to Sedehzophim, Sedehzophim Or “Lookout Point.” on the summit of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויקחהו
135
שדה
309
צפים
220
אלראש
532
הפסגה
153
ויבן
68
שבעה
377
מזבחת
457
ויעל
116
פר
280
ואיל
47
במזבח
59
Numbers 23:15
Gematria: 1990
ויאמראלבלקהתיצבכהעלעלתךואנכיאקרהכה
And [Balaam] said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings, while I seek a manifestation yonder.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויאמר
257
אלבלק
163
התיצב
507
כה
25
עלעלתך
620
ואנכי
87
אקרה
306
כה
25
Numbers 23:16
Gematria: 2540
ויקריהוהאלבלעםוישםדברבפיוויאמרשובאלבלקוכהתדבר
יהוה became manifest to Balaam and put a word in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak thus.”
No harm is in sight for Jacob,No woe in view for Israel.Their God יהוה is with them,And their King’s King’s A poetic figure; in the ancient Near East, this role ideally represented protection and caring help. acclaim in their midst.
Word-by-Word Analysis
לאהביט
57
און
57
ביעקב
184
ולאראה
243
עמל
140
בישראל
543
יהוה
26
אלהיו
52
עמו
116
ותרועת
1082
מלך
90
בו
8
Numbers 23:22
Gematria: 1891
אלמוציאםממצריםכתועפתראםלו
God who freed them from EgyptIs for them like the horns of the wild ox.
Lo, there is no augury in Jacob,No divining in Israel: No divining in Israel Cf. Deut. 18.10–15. Jacob is told at once,Yea Israel, what God has planned. Jacob is told … what God has planned Or, “Else would it be told to Jacob, / Yea to Israel, what God has planned.”
Lo, a people that rises like a lioness, lioness So traditionally; NJPS “lion.” Precise meaning of Heb. lavi’ uncertain; see next note. Leaps up like a lion, lion So traditionally; NJPS “king of beasts.” Heb. ’ari. Cf. previous note; this verse’s two terms distinguish either sexes or breeds. Rests not till it has feasted on preyAnd drunk the blood of the slain.
Word-by-Word Analysis
הןעם
165
כלביא
63
יקום
156
וכארי
237
יתנשא
761
לא
31
ישכב
332
עדיאכל
135
טרף
289
ודםחללים
168
ישתה
715
Numbers 23:25
Gematria: 2270
ויאמרבלקאלבלעםגםקבלאתקבנוגםברךלאתברכנו
Thereupon Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!”