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Monday, October 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Numbers 23:7

Balaam proclaimed his poem:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aram;   Prayer;   Syria;   Scofield Reference Index - Balaam;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Moabites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Camp, Encampments;   East;   Padan-Aram;   Poetry of the Hebrews;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Aram;   Balaam;   Bela;   Jesus Christ;   Magi;   Mesopotamia;   Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Kibroth-Hattaavah;   Moab, Moabites;   Parable;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Jacob ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Aram ;   Parable;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Aram;   Mesopotamia;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ara'bia;   Parable;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - East;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Balaam;   Defy;   Proverb;   Take;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Allegory in the Old Testament;   Parallelism in Hebrew Poetry;   Poetry;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!'
Update Bible Version
And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram has Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, defy Israel.
English Revised Version
And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel.
New Century Version
when Balaam gave them this message: "Balak brought me here from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains. Balak said, ‘Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for me. Come, call down evil on the people of Israel.'
New English Translation
Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying, "Balak, the king of Moab, brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.'
Webster's Bible Translation
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, [saying], Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.
World English Bible
He took up his parable, and said, From Aram has Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, Come, defy Israel.
Amplified Bible
Balaam took up his [first] discourse (oracle) and said: "Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram (Syria), from the mountains of the east, [saying,] 'Come, curse [the descendants of] Jacob for me; And come, [violently] denounce Israel.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne his parable `was takun, he seide, Balaach, the kyng of Moabitis, brouyte me fro Aran, fro the `hillis of the eest; and he seide, Come thou and curse Jacob; haaste thou, and greetli curse thou Israel.
Young's Literal Translation
And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `From Aram he doth lead me -- Balak king of Moab; From mountains of the east: Come -- curse for me Jacob, And come -- be indignant [with] Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: "Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. 'Come,' he said, 'put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!'
Contemporary English Version
Balaam said: "King Balak of Moab brought me from the hills of Syria to curse Israel and announce its doom.
American Standard Version
And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel.
Bible in Basic English
And in the words which the Lord had given him he said, From Aram Balak has sent for me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: come, put curses on Jacob for me and be angry with Israel.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he toke vp his parable, and sayd: Balac the king of Moab hath brought me fro Mesopotamia, out of the mountaynes of the east, [saying] Come, curse Iacob for my sake, come and defie Israel.
Complete Jewish Bible
he made his pronouncement: "Balak, the king of Mo'av, brings me from Aram, from the eastern hills, saying, ‘Come, curse Ya‘akov for me; come and denounce Isra'el.'
Darby Translation
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, curse me Jacob, and come, denounce Israel!
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Balaam spoke, and this was his message: "Balak, the king of Moab, brought me here from the eastern mountains of Aram. Balak said to me, ‘Come, curse Jacob for me. Come, speak against the Israelites.'
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he took up his parable, and said: From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: 'Come, curse me Jacob, and come, execrate Israel.'
King James Version (1611)
And he tooke vp his parable, and said, Balak the King of Moab hath brought mee from Aram, out of the mountaines of the East, saying, Come, curse me Iacob, and come, defie Israel.
New Life Bible
Balaam began speaking and said, "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east. ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,' he said. ‘Come, say that Israel should be punished!'
New Revised Standard
Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me; Come, denounce Israel!'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he took up his parable and said, - From Aram, doth Balak conduct me, The king of Moab, from the mountains of the East, Come thou! curse me Jacob, Yea, come thou! rage on Israel.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he vttered his parable, and sayde, Balak the king of Moab hath brought mee from Aram out of the mountaines of the East, saying, Come, curse Iaakob for my sake: come, and detest Israel.
George Lamsa Translation
And he took up his parable and said, Balak the king of the Moabites has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, destroy Israel for me.
Good News Translation
Balaam uttered this prophecy: "Balak king of Moab has brought me From Syria, from the eastern mountains. ‘Come speak for me,' he said. ‘Put a curse on the people of Israel.'
Douay-Rheims Bible
And taking up his parable, he said: Balac king of the Moabites hath brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east: Come, said he, and curse Jacob: make haste and detest Israel.
Revised Standard Version
And Balaam took up his discourse, and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: 'Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!'
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he took up his parable, and said, Balac king of Moab sent for me out of Mesopotamia, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and Come, call for a curse for me upon Israel.
Hebrew Names Version
He took up his parable, and said, From Aram has Balak brought me, The king of Mo'av from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Ya`akov, Come, defy Yisra'el.
King James Version
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
Lexham English Bible
And he lifted up his oracle and said, "From Aram Balak lead me, from the mountains of the east the king of Moab, ‘Go for me, curse Jacob, and go, denounce Israel.'
Literal Translation
And he took up his parable and said, He has led me from Aram, Balak king of Moab; from the mountains of the east, saying , Come, curse Jacob for me; and, come, rage at Israel.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then toke he vp his parable, & sayde: Balac the kynge of the Moabites hath caused to fet me out of Syria from the moutaynes towarde the East, (& sayde:) Come, curse me Iacob: come, defye me Israel.
New American Standard Bible
And he took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, Moab's king from the mountains of the East, saying, 'Come, declare Jacob cursed for me, And come, curse Israel!'
New King James Version
And he took up his oracle and said: "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east. "Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!'
New Living Translation
This was the message Balaam delivered: "Balak summoned me to come from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills. ‘Come,' he said, ‘curse Jacob for me! Come and announce Israel's doom.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, Moab's king from the mountains of the East, 'Come curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!'
Legacy Standard Bible
Then he took up his discourse and said,"From Aram Balak has brought me,Moab's king from the mountains of the East,‘Come curse Jacob for me,And come, denounce Israel!'

Contextual Overview

1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the Lord will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill. 4God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.” 6So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab. 7Balaam proclaimed his poem:8How can I curse someone God has not cursed?How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced? 9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,and I watch them from the hills.There is a people living alone;it does not consider itself among the nations. 10Who has counted the dust of Jacobor numbered even one-fourth of Israel?Let me die the death of the upright;let the end of my life be like theirs.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he took: Numbers 23:18, Numbers 24:3, Numbers 24:15, Numbers 24:23, Job 27:1, Job 29:1, Psalms 78:2, Ezekiel 17:2, Ezekiel 20:49, Micah 2:4, Habakkuk 2:6, Matthew 13:33, Matthew 13:35, Mark 12:12

parable: The word mashal, which as a verb is to rule, have authority, and also to compare, as a noun signifies whatever is expressed in parabolic or figurative language. All these oracular speeches of Balaam are in hemistich metre in the original. They are highly dignified and sublime; and may be considered as immediate poetic productions of the Spirit of God - Numbers 24:2.

Aram: Numbers 22:5, Genesis 10:22, Genesis 28:2, Genesis 28:7, Deuteronomy 23:4

Come: Numbers 22:6, Numbers 22:11, Numbers 22:17, Proverbs 26:2

defy Israel: 1 Samuel 17:10, 1 Samuel 17:25, 1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:36, 1 Samuel 17:45, 2 Samuel 21:21, 2 Samuel 23:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 10:30 - mount of the east Genesis 22:21 - Aram Genesis 29:1 - came Numbers 23:11 - General 1 Chronicles 1:17 - Aram Job 1:3 - of the east Psalms 49:4 - parable Isaiah 2:6 - from the east Ezekiel 16:57 - Syria Ezekiel 25:4 - of the east

Cross-References

Genesis 18:2
He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground,
Genesis 19:1
The two angels entered Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in Sodom’s gateway. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground
Genesis 23:17
So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre—the field with its cave and all the trees anywhere within the boundaries of the field—became
Genesis 23:18
Abraham’s possession in the sight of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city.
Proverbs 18:24
One with many friends may be harmed,but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
Hebrews 12:14
Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness—without it no one will see the Lord.
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took up his parable, and said,.... Pronounced the word, the prophetic word, which God had put into his mouth; so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem call it, the parable of his prophecy; so called, because, in prophecies, often figurative and enigmatical expressions are used, and also sententious and weighty ones, either of which are sometimes called parables; see Psalms 78:2,

Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram; or Syria, that is, from Mesopotamia, as the Septuagint translate it; and so the Targum of Jonathan, from Aram or Syria, which is by Euphrates:

out of the mountains of the east: it being the mountainous part of Mesopotamia or Chaldea, where Balaam dwelt, which lay to the east of the land of Moab:

saying, come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel; he owns that this was Balak's view in sending for him; nor does he deny that be himself came with such an intention, could he be able to execute it; even curse the people of Israel, with the utmost abhorrence and detestation of them, and in the most furious and wrathful manner, as the last word used signifies.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Aram - Or, “highland.” This term denotes the whole elevated region, from the northeastern frontier of Palestine to the Euphrates and the Tigris. The country between these streams was especially designated “Aram-naharaim,” or “Aram of the two rivers:” the Greeks called it Mesopotamia; and here, according to Deuteronomy 23:4, was Balaam’s home. Compare Numbers 22:5 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 23:7. And he took up his parable — משלו meshalo, see on Numbers 21:27. All these oracular speeches of Balaam are in hemistich metre in the original. They are highly dignified, and may be considered as immediate poetic productions of the Spirit of God; for it is expressly said, Numbers 23:5, that God put the word in Balaam's mouth, and that the Spirit of God came upon him, Numbers 24:2.


 
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