Numbers 23:10

Numbers 23:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
• New International Version (NIV)Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his!”

Context of Numbers 23:10

8How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce? 9For 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. Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his! 11And Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 12And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah puts in my mouth?

Numbers 23:10 word by word

מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃Read the interlinear

• countמָנָהmânâh · to countH4487
• dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
• fourthרֹ֫בַעrôba‛ · fourthH7255
• partאַחֲרִית'achărîyth · endH319
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961

Cross-references for Numbers 23:10

• Genesis 13:16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if any one can number the dust of the earth, thy seed also will be numbered.
• Genesis 22:17I will richly bless thee, and greatly multiply thy seed, as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea-shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
• Genesis 28:14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
• Numbers 2:9All that were numbered of the camp of Judah were a hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred, according to their hosts. They shall set forth first.
• Psalms 37:37Mark the perfect, and behold the upright, for the end of [that] man is peace;
• Psalms 116:15Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints.
• Proverbs 14:32The wicked is driven away by his evil-doing; but the righteous trusteth, [even] in his death.
• Isaiah 57:1The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from before the evil.
• Luke 2:29Lord, now thou lettest thy bondman go, according to thy word, in peace;
• 1 Corinthians 3:21So that let no one boast in men; for all things are yours.
• 1 Corinthians 15:53For this corruptible must needs put on incorruptibility, and this mortal put on immortality.
• 2 Corinthians 5:1For we know that if our earthly tabernacle house be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
• Philippians 1:21For for me to live [is] Christ, and to die gain;
• 2 Timothy 4:6For I am already being poured out, and the time of my release is come.
• 2 Peter 1:13But I account it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting [you] in remembrance,
• Revelation 14:13And I heard a voice out of the heaven saying, Write, Blessed the dead who die in [the] Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; for their works follow with them.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Let me die the death of the righteous - Probably Balaam had some presentiment that he should be taken off by a premature death, and therefore he lodges this petition against it. The death of the righteous in those times implied being gathered to one's fathers in a good old age, having seen his children, and children's children; and to this, probably, the latter part of this petition applies: And let my last end be like his, (כמהו אחריתי ותהי uthehi…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10The fourth part of Israel - i. e., each one of the four camps, into which the host of Israel was divided (see Genesis 13:16; Genesis 28:14. The righteous - i. e., the ancestors of Israel, who “died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off” Hebrews 11:13. With their histories Balaam was familiar, particularly with that of Abraham, “the righteous man” whom God had “raised up from the east (and) called to His foot” Isaiah…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-10In his first message from God, Balaam reviewed why he had come to Moab (23:5, 16). He explained how Balak had called him. He also stressed that God had a special relationship with Israel. Balaam made clear that he could not harm Israel because God was protecting them. These messages are written as poetry. Hebrew poetry often uses parallelism. Parallelism places two similar lines together. The second line repeats or strengthens the first line in a clear…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. Who can count the dust of Jacob?--an Oriental hyperbole for a very populous nation, as Jacob's posterity was promised to be (Ge 13:16; 28:14). the number of the fourth part of Israel--that is, the camp consisted of four divisions; every one of these parts was formidable in numbers. Let me die the death of the righteous--Hebrew, "of Jeshurun"; or, the Israelites. The meaning is: they are a people happy, above all others, not only in life, but at death…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 23:10

• Death

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Jacob
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Fourth Part
• Count
• Abel-Shittim
• Balaam
• Balak
• Bless

Commentaries on Numbers 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings