Bilangan 14:17

14:17 So now, let the power of my Lord ¹  be great, just as you have said,

Bilangan 21:30

21:30 We have overpowered them; ² 

Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.

We have shattered them as far as Nophah,

which ³  reaches to Medeba.”

Bilangan 23:10

23:10 Who ⁴  can count ⁵  the dust ⁶  of Jacob,

Or number ⁷  the fourth part of Israel?

Let me ⁸  die the death of the upright, ⁹ 

and let the end of my life ¹⁰  be like theirs.” ¹¹ 

Bilangan 24:21

24:21 Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle:

“Your dwelling place seems strong,

and your nest ¹²  is set on a rocky cliff.

Bilangan 26:37

26:37 These were the families of the Ephraimites, according to those numbered of them, 32,500. ¹³  These were the descendants of Joseph by their families.

Bilangan 27:4

27:4 Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession ¹⁴  among the relatives ¹⁵  of our father.”

[14:17]  ¹ tc The form in the text is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay), the word that is usually used in place of the tetragrammaton. It is the plural form with the pronominal suffix, and so must refer to God.

[21:30]  ² tc The first verb is difficult. MT has “we shot at them.” The Greek has “their posterity perished” (see GKC 218 §76.f).

[21:30]  ³ tc The relative pronoun “which” (אֲשֶׁר, ’asher) posed a problem for the ancient scribes here, as indicated by the so-called extraordinary point (punta extraordinaria) over the letter ר (resh) of אֲשֶׁר. Smr and the LXX have “fire” (אֵשׁ, ’esh) here (cf. NAB, NJB, RSV, NRSV). Some modern scholars emend the word to שֹׁאָה (sho’ah, “devastation”).

[23:10]  ⁴ tn The question is again rhetorical; it means no one can count them – they are innumerable.

[23:10]  ⁵ tn The perfect tense can also be classified as a potential nuance. It does not occur very often, but does occur several times.

[23:10]  ⁶ sn The reference in the oracle is back to Gen 13:16, which would not be clear to Balaam. But God had described their growth like the dust of the earth. Here it is part of the description of the vast numbers.

[23:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “and as a number, the fourth part of Israel.” The noun in the MT is not in the construct state, and so it should be taken as an adverbial accusative, forming a parallel with the verb “count.” The second object of the verse then follows, “the fourth part of Israel.” Smr and the LXX have “and who has numbered” (וּמִסְפָּר, umispar), making this colon more parallel to the preceding one. The editor of BHS prefers this reading.

[23:10]  ⁸ tn The use of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) for the subject of the verb stresses the personal nature – me.

[23:10]  ⁹ sn Here the seer’s words link with the promise of Gen 12:3, that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed. Since the blessing belongs to them, the upright (and not Balak), Balaam would like his lot to be with them.

[23:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “my latter end.”

[23:10]  ¹¹ tn Heb “his.”

[24:21]  ¹² sn A pun is made on the name Kenite by using the word “your nest” (קִנֶּךָ, qinnekha); the location may be the rocky cliffs overlooking Petra.

[26:37]  ¹³ sn This is a significant reduction from the first count of 40,500.

[27:4]  ¹⁴ tn That is, the possession of land, or property, among the other families of their tribe.

[27:4]  ¹⁵ tn The word is “brothers,” but this can be interpreted more loosely to relatives. So also in v. 7.