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the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Numbers 23:9

For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, Not reckoning itself among the nations.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Association-Separation;   Balaam;   Israel;   Israel-The Jews;   Separation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Jews, the;   Rocks;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Camp, Encampments;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ass;   Canaan;   Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Directions (Geographical);   Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Kibroth-Hattaavah;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah, Book of;   Numbers, Book of;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Dwell alone;   People;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Balaam;   Bless;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abbahu;   Abina;   Balaam;   Judaism;   Parallelism in Hebrew Poetry;   Simeon B. Jose B. Leḳonya;   Simon Cephas;  

Devotionals:

- Faith's Checkbook - Devotion for September 26;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
For I see him from the top of the rocks,And I look at him from the hills;Behold, a people who dwells alone,And will not be reckoned among the nations.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"As I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For from the toppe of the rockes I see hym, and from the hylles I beholde hym: lo, the people shall dwell by them selues, and shal not be reckened among the nations.
Easy-to-Read Version
I see these people from the mountain. I see them from the high hills. They live alone. They are not part of another nation.
Revised Standard Version
For from the top of the mountains I see him, from the hills I behold him; lo, a people dwelling alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations!
World English Bible
For from the top of the rocks I see him, From the hills I see him: behold, it is a people that dwells alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
King James Version (1611)
For from the top of the rockes I see him, and from the hilles I behold him: loe, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not bee reckoned among the nations.
King James Version
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For fro ye toppe of ye stonye rockes I se him, & from the hilles I beholde him. Beholde, ye people shal dwell by theselues, & shal not be rekened amoge the Heithe.
American Standard Version
For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Bible in Basic English
From the top of the rocks I see him, looking down on him from the hills: it is a people made separate, not to be numbered among the nations.
Update Bible Version
For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I see him: look, it is a people that dwells alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Webster's Bible Translation
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
New English Translation
For from the top of the rocks I see them; from the hills I watch them. Indeed, a nation that lives alone, and it will not be reckoned among the nations.
Contemporary English Version
"From the mountain peaks, I look down and see Israel, the obedient people of God.
Complete Jewish Bible
"From the top of the rocks I see them, from the hills I behold them — yes, a people that will dwell alone and not think itself one of the nations.
Darby Translation
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: Lo, [it is] a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For from the top of the rocks I did see him, and from the hils I did beholde him: lo, the people shal dwell by themselues, and shal not be reckened among the nations.
George Lamsa Translation
For from the top of the mountains I see him, and from the hills I behold him; lo, the people are dwelling alone and are not reckoned among the nations.
Good News Translation
From the high rocks I can see them; I can watch them from the hills. They are a nation that lives alone; They know they are blessed more than other nations.
Amplified Bible
"For from the top of the rocks I see Israel, And from the hills I look at him. Behold, the people [of Israel] shall dwell alone And will not be reckoned among the nations.
Hebrew Names Version
For from the top of the rocks I see him, From the hills I see him: behold, it is a people that dwells alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
New Living Translation
I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations.
New Life Bible
I see Israel from the top of the rocks. I look at them from the hills. See, the people live apart. They will not be thought of as one of the nations.
New Revised Standard
For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him. Here is a people living alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations!
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For from the top of the mountains I shall see him, and from the hills I shall observe him: behold, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
English Revised Version
For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people that dwell alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Berean Standard Bible
For I see them from atop the rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. Behold, a people dwelling apart, who will not reckon themselves among the nations.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Surely from the head of the rocks, do I see him, Yea, from the hills, do I observe him, - Lo! a people, who alone doth dwell, And among the nations, he doth not reckon himself.
Douay-Rheims Bible
I shall see him from the tops of the rocks, and shall consider him from the hills. This people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
Lexham English Bible
Because from the top of the rocks I see him, from hilltops I watch him. Behold, a people who dwell alone, they do not consider themselves among the nations.
Literal Translation
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and I behold him from the heights. Behold, it is a people that shall dwell alone and not be reckoned among the nations.
English Standard Version
For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations!
New American Standard Bible
"For I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people that lives in isolation, And does not consider itself to be among the nations.
New Century Version
I see them from the top of the mountains; I see them from the hills. I see a people who live alone, who think they are different from other nations.
Christian Standard Bible®
I 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Fro the hiyeste flyntis Y schal se hym, and fro litle hillis Y schal biholde hym; the puple schal dwelle aloone, and it schal not be arettid among hethene men.
Young's Literal Translation
For from the top of rocks I see it, And from heights I behold it; Lo a people! alone it doth tabernacle, And among nations doth not reckon itself.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." 2 And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you." So he went to a desolate height. 4 And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram." 5 Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." 6 So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab. 7 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!' 8 "How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, Not reckoning itself among the nations. 10 "Who can count the dust [fn] of Jacob,Or number one-fourth of Israel?Let me die the death of the righteous,And let my end be like his!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the people: They shall ever be a distinct nation. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled, through a period of 3,300 years, to the present day.

dwell alone: Exodus 19:5, Exodus 19:6, Exodus 33:16, Deuteronomy 33:28, Esther 3:8, 2 Corinthians 6:17, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9

shall not: Deuteronomy 32:8, Ezra 9:2, Jeremiah 46:28, Amos 9:9, Romans 15:8-10, Ephesians 2:12-14

Reciprocal: Leviticus 20:24 - which Numbers 2:34 - so they Numbers 24:2 - abiding Deuteronomy 4:7 - what nation 1 Samuel 8:5 - now make 1 Samuel 8:20 - General 1 Kings 8:53 - separate Ezra 9:1 - have not separated Song of Solomon 6:9 - General Isaiah 5:2 - fenced it Isaiah 49:25 - I will contend Jeremiah 46:1 - against Jeremiah 49:31 - which dwell Micah 7:14 - which

Cross-References

Romans 12:17
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
Romans 13:8
Mark 12:31; James 2:8">[xr] Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him,.... That is, Israel in their camps; Balaam being at this time on the top of a rock, or on an high hill, from whence he had a view of Israel, encamped in the plains of Moab below him:

lo, the people shall dwell alone; this certainly respects their dwelling in the land of Canaan, where they dwelt a separate people from all others, distinguished by their language, religion, laws, customs, and manner of living, being different both in their clothing, and in their food, from other people; nor had they dealings, nor did they company with those of other nations; see Esther 3:8 "or shall dwell safely" z, or securely, not so much because of the situation of their country, but because of the protection of the Almighty; see Deuteronomy 33:28

and shall not be reckoned among the nations; as belonging to them, shall not be made of any account by them, but be despised and reproached for their religion chiefly; nor reckon themselves of them, nor mix with them; so the Targum of Jerusalem,

"they shall not be mixed;''

or, as Jonathan,

"they shall not be led in the laws of the people;''

and though they are now scattered among the people and nations of the world, yet they are not mixed with them, nor reckoned to be a part of them; nor do they reckon themselves to be of them, but are a separate distinct people from them. Thus Israel, or the people of God in a spiritual sense, dwell alone; not solitarily, or without company, in every sense, for they have the company of Father, Son, and Spirit, of angels and saints; but they dwell in God, in Christ, in the house of God, and with one another, separately and distinctly from the world: they are a separate people in the love of God; in the choice of them in Christ; in the covenant of grace made with them in him; in redemption by him; in his intercession for them; in effectual calling; as they will be in the resurrection morn, and in heaven to all eternity: and they shall dwell safely, God being around them; Christ the rock and fortress of them; the Spirit in them being greater than he that is in the world; angels their guardians, and they in a strong city, whose walls and bulwarks are salvation: nor are they reckoned among the nations; they are chosen, redeemed, and called out of them, and are not accounted of by them any other than the refuse and offscouring of all things; nor do they reckon themselves to be of the world, but as pilgrims and strangers in it. Baal Hatturim refers this prophecy to the days of the Messiah; see Jeremiah 23:5.

z לבדר "confidenter", Pagninus; "securus", Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For from the top of the rocks ... - The “for” indicates the constraint under which Balaam felt himself. He had been met by God in his own way; from the cliff he had watched for the expected augury; and by the light of this he here interprets, according to the rules of his art, the destiny of Israel.

Dwell alone - i. e., apart from others, undisturbed by their tumults, and therefore in safety and just security. Compare the same idea in marginal reference; Jeremiah 49:31; and Micah 7:14. This tranquility was realized by the Israelites so long as they clave to God as their shelter and protection. But the inward “dwelling alone” was the indispensable condition of the outward “dwelling alone,” and so soon as the influence of the pagan world affected Israel internally, the external power of paganism prevailed also. Balaam himself, when he eventually counseled tempting the people into sin, acted upon the knowledge that God’s blessing and Israel’s prosperity depended essentially on faithfulness to God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 23:9. From the top of the rocks I see him — That is, from the high places of Baal where he went, Numbers 22:41, that he might the more advantageously see the whole camp of Israel.

The people shall dwell alone — They shall ever be preserved as a distinct nation. This prophecy has been literally fulfilled through a period of 3300 years to the present day. This is truly astonishing.


 
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