Numbers 23:24

Numbers 23:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.
• New International Version (NIV)The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Look, a people rises like a lioness, And lifts itself up like a lion; It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.”

Context of Numbers 23:24

22He brought them out of Egypt. He fights on their behalf, as strong as a wild bull. 23Nobody can curse the Israelites. No magic has any power to hurt them. Now people will say about them, “See the great things that God has done for them!” The Israelites are like a strong lion. It eats the animals that it has killed. It does not rest until it has eaten as much as it wants. It also drinks their blood.’ 25Balak said to Balaam, ‘You do not have to curse the Israelites, but please do not bless them!’ 26Balaam replied, ‘I already told you, “I must do everything that the Lord tells me.” ’

Numbers 23:24 word by word

הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Behold, the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• shall rise upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• as a great lionלָבִיאlâbîy' lebîyâ' lebâ'îym lebâ'ôth · lionH3833
• and lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: raiseH5375
• himself as a young lionאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
• he shall not lie downשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
• until he eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the preyטֶ֫רֶףţereph · preyH2964
• and drinkשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
• the bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• of the slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491

Cross-references for Numbers 23:24

• Numbers 24:8God brought them out of Egypt. God fights for them like a wild bull. He will destroy the nations who are their enemies. He will break their enemies' bones into pieces. He will shoot his arrows at them.
• Genesis 49:9Judah is like a young lion who has eaten good food. He has eaten what he killed and now he rests. Nobody would want to try and wake him up!
• Deuteronomy 33:20I pray this for the tribe of Gad: Praise the Lord, who will give more land to Gad's people! Gad lives there like a hungry lion. He will tear off the arm or the head of his enemies.
• Psalms 17:12They are like hungry lions. They want to tear me into pieces. They are hiding like young lions. They are ready to jump out and catch me!
• Proverbs 30:30Lions are the strongest of all animals, and they are not afraid of anything.
• Isaiah 31:4This is what the Lord said to me: ‘The Lord Almighty will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. He will come like a strong young lion that roars when it has caught a lamb to eat. Even if a whole crowd of shepherds come to chase it away, their shouts will not make the lion afraid.
• Amos 3:8So now the lion has roared! Everyone should be afraid! The Lord God has spoken, so his prophets must tell his message.
• Revelation 5:5Then one of the leaders said to me, ‘Do not weep! Look! There is someone who can break the seven seals and then open the book. His name is the Lion from Judah's tribe. He is called the Root of King David. He has won over all his enemies.’
• Numbers 24:17I see a king who will come from among the Israelites. He will not come now, but at a future time. He will appear as king, like a bright star. He will knock down the leaders of Moab. He will destroy the descendants of Sheth.
• Genesis 49:27Benjamin is like a hungry wolf. He kills an animal and eats it in the morning. In the evening, he gives what remains to his people.’
• Daniel 2:44During the time when those kings rule, the God of heaven will begin a new kingdom. That kingdom will continue for ever. No other people will ever have power over it. It will break up all those other kingdoms and it will destroy them. And it will continue for ever.
• Micah 5:8Jacob's people who are still alive will be living among people in many other countries. They will become like a dangerous lion among the other animals in the forest. They will become like a young lion among people's sheep. The lion attacks other animals. It knocks them down and it tears them in pieces. Nobody can save them.
• Zechariah 10:4From Judah's descendants will come a strong leader. He is like a strong stone at the corner of a building. He is like a strong peg in a wall. He is like a bow that is ready to shoot arrows. Every strong ruler will come from Judah's descendants.
• Zechariah 12:6On that day, I will make the leaders of Judah like fire in a forest. I will make them like fire among wheat that the farmer has cut. They will kill all the people from round Jerusalem, but the people in Jerusalem will be safe.
• Revelation 19:11I saw that heaven was now open. I saw a white horse there! The name of the man who was riding the horse was this: ‘A faithful, honest person’. He is always right when he judges people and when he goes to punish them in war.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion - לביא labi, the great, mighty, or old lion, the king of the forest, who is feared and respected by all the other beasts of the field; so shall Israel be the subduer and possessor of the whole land of Canaan. And as a young lion, ארי ari from ארה arah, to tear off, the predatory lion, or the lion in the act of seizing and tearing his prey; - the nations against whom the Israelites are now going shall be no…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-30Verses 11-30 Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-24No curse could overpower Israel because God blessed them (Numbers 22:12; compare Genesis 12:2–3; 22:17–18). Israel was safe from the harm that Moab and Midian tried to cause through divination (compare Numbers 24:1). Israel would become famous because God protected them from harm (see Joshua 2:9–11; compare Numbers 14:13–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-301. Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars--Balak, being a heathen, would naturally suppose these altars were erected in honor of Baal, the patron deity of his country. It is evident, from Nu 23:4 that they were prepared for the worship of the true God; although in choosing the high places of Baal as their site and rearing a number of altars (2Ki 18:22; Is 17:8; Jr 11:13; Ho 8:11; 10:1), instead of one only, as God had appointed, Balaam blended…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 23:24

• Pisgah

In the dictionaries

• Count
• Lions
• Abel-Shittim
• Balaam
• Balak
• Bless
• Charm
• Divination
• Genealogy
• Lion

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