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Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

Numbers 24:5

How fair are your tents, O Jacob, And your tabernacles, O Israel!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Balaam;   Tent;   Thompson Chain Reference - Balaam;   The Topic Concordance - Blessings;   Curses;   Exaltation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophecy;   Tents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Prophets;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   House;   Tent;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Shoshannim;   Tent;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Oracles;   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Targums;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Numbers, Book of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Balaam;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Aloes;   Balaam;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Athanasius;   Bet Ha-Midrash;   Scroll of the Law;   Seer;   Small and Large Letters;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
How goodly are your tents, Ya`akov, Your tents, Yisra'el!
King James Version
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Lexham English Bible
How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
English Standard Version
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
New Century Version
Your tents are beautiful, people of Jacob! So are your homes, Israel!
New English Translation
‘How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!
New American Standard Bible
How pleasant are your tents, Jacob, Your dwelling places, Israel!
Geneva Bible (1587)
How goodly are thy tentes, O Iaakob, & thine habitations, O Israel!
Legacy Standard Bible
How fair are your tents, O Jacob,Your dwellings, O Israel!
Contemporary English Version
"People of Israel, your camp is lovely.
Complete Jewish Bible
"How lovely are your tents, Ya‘akov; your encampments, Isra'el!
Darby Translation
How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel!
Easy-to-Read Version
"People of Jacob, your tents are beautiful! Israelites, your homes are beautiful!
George Lamsa Translation
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel!
Good News Translation
The tents of Israel are beautiful,
Christian Standard Bible®
How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,your dwellings, Israel.
Literal Translation
How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
How goodly are thy tetes O Iacob, and thy habitacions O Israel?
American Standard Version
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Bible in Basic English
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your houses, O Israel!
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Howe goodly are thy tentes O Iacob, and thyne habitations O Israel?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!
King James Version (1611)
How goodly are thy tents, O Iacob, and thy Tabernacles, O Israel!
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
How goodly are thy habitations, Jacob, and thy tents, Israel!
English Revised Version
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
Berean Standard Bible
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jacob, and thi tentis, Israel!
Young's Literal Translation
How good have been thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel;
Update Bible Version
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your tabernacles, O Israel!
Webster's Bible Translation
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, [and] thy tabernacles, O Israel!
World English Bible
How goodly are your tents, Jacob, Your tents, Israel!
New King James Version
"How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!
New Living Translation
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel!
New Life Bible
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, and your homes, O Israel!
New Revised Standard
how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How pleasing are thy tents, O Jacob, - Thy habitations, O Israel:
Douay-Rheims Bible
How beautiful are thy tabernacles O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel!
Revised Standard Version
how fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!
THE MESSAGE
By now Balaam realized that God wanted to bless Israel. So he didn't work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the wilderness. As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him, and he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision; Decree of a man who hears God speak, who sees what The Strong God shows him, Who falls on his face in worship, who sees what's really going on. What beautiful tents, Jacob, oh, your homes, Israel! Like valleys stretching out in the distance, like gardens planted by rivers, Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener God , like red cedars by pools and springs, Their buckets will brim with water, their seed will spread life everywhere. Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk, their kingdom surpassingly majestic. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox, Gulping enemies like morsels of meat, crushing their bones, snapping their arrows. Israel crouches like a lion and naps, king-of-the-beasts—who dares disturb him? Whoever blesses you is blessed, whoever curses you is cursed. Balak lost his temper with Balaam. He shook his fist. He said to Balaam: "I got you in here to curse my enemies and what have you done? Blessed them! Blessed them three times! Get out of here! Go home! I told you I would pay you well, but you're getting nothing. You can blame God ." Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn't do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against God 's command'? I'm leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come." Then he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, decree of the man with 20/20 vision, Decree of the man who hears godly speech, who knows what's going on with the High God, Who sees what The Strong God reveals, who bows in worship and sees what's real. I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob a scepter from Israel, Crushing the heads of Moab, the skulls of all the noisy windbags; I see Edom sold off at auction, enemy Seir marked down at the flea market, while Israel walks off with the trophies. A ruler is coming from Jacob who'll destroy what's left in the city. Then Balaam spotted Amalek and delivered an oracle-message. He said, Amalek, you're in first place among nations right now, but you're going to come in last, ruined. He saw the Kenites and delivered his oracle-message to them: Your home is in a nice secure place, like a nest high on the face of a cliff. Still, you Kenites will look stupid when Asshur takes you prisoner. Balaam spoke his final oracle-message: Doom! Who stands a chance when God starts in? Sea-Peoples, raiders from across the sea, will harass Asshur and Eber, But they'll also come to nothing, just like all the rest. Balaam got up and went home. Balak also went on his way.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!

Contextual Overview

1When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as he had done each time before [superstitiously] to seek omens and signs [in the natural world], but he set his face toward the wilderness (desert). 2And Balaam raised his eyes and he saw Israel living in their tents tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3He took up his [third] discourse (oracle) and said: "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened [at last, to see clearly the purpose and will of God], 4The oracle of one who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, but having his eyes open and uncovered, 5How fair are your tents, O Jacob, And your tabernacles, O Israel!6"Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters. 7"Water [that is, great blessings] will flow from his buckets, And his offspring will live by many waters, And his king will be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. 8"God brought Israel out of Egypt; Israel has strength like the wild ox; He will devour [Gentile] nations, his adversaries (enemies), And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows. 9"He bowed down [to rest], he lies down as a lion; And as a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Blessed [of God] is he who blesses you, And cursed [of God] is he who curses you."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Exodus 38:21 - tabernacle of testimony Leviticus 23:42 - General Numbers 2:34 - so they Numbers 10:28 - according Numbers 24:2 - abiding Deuteronomy 33:29 - Happy Joshua 24:10 - General Nehemiah 13:2 - our God Song of Solomon 4:7 - General Song of Solomon 6:4 - terrible Malachi 2:12 - out

Cross-References

Genesis 24:58
So they called Rebekah and said, "Will you go with this man?" And she answered, "I will go."
Exodus 9:2
"But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,
Exodus 20:7
"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the LORD will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].
Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent and self-disciplined man acts with knowledge, But a [closed-minded] fool [who refuses to learn] displays his foolishness [for all to see].
Jeremiah 4:2
And if you swear [your oaths], 'As the LORD lives,' In truth, in justice, and in righteousness, Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,.... Not that the matter of which they were made was so rich, or their structure so admirable, but the order in which they were placed was so beautiful and agreeable:

and thy tabernacles, O Israel; which is the same thing in other words, and which may be applied figuratively to the church of God, which often goes by the names of Jacob and Israel; and agrees with particular congregations and assemblies of saints, where they dwell as in tents in a movable state, like pilgrims and sojourners; and which are the dwelling places of Father, Son, and Spirit, and of the people of God with one another; and are goodly, pleasant, and delightful, because of the presence of God with them, and on account of the provisions there made for them, and the company they there enjoy; see Psalms 84:1.


 
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