God’s Word Translation
Numbers 22:5
5He sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, who was at Pethor, on the Euphrates River, in the land where his people lived. Balak’s message was, “A nation has just come here from Egypt. They’ve spread out all over the countryside and are setting up their camp here in front of me.
Numbers 22:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
- New International Version (NIV)sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me!
Context of Numbers 22:5
3The Moabites were very afraid because there were so many Israelites. Besides, the Moabites couldn’t stand these people. 4So the Moabites said to the leaders of Midian, “All those people will eventually eat up everything around us the same way an ox eats up the grass in a field.” At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab. He sent messengers to summon Balaam, son of Beor, who was at Pethor, on the Euphrates River, in the land where his people lived. Balak’s message was, “A nation has just come here from Egypt. They’ve spread out all over the countryside and are setting up their camp here in front of me. 6Please come and curse these people for me, because they are too strong for me. Maybe then I’ll be able to defeat them and force them out of the country. I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed.” 7The leaders of Moab and Midian left, taking money with them to pay for Balaam’s services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.
Read all of Numbers 22Numbers 22:5 word by word
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכִ֜ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר פְּ֠תוֹרָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמּ֖וֹ לִקְרֹא־ל֑וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר הִ֠נֵּה עַ֣ם יָצָ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ הִנֵּ֤ה כִסָּה֙ אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב מִמֻּלִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- messengersמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
- therefore unto Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Beorבְּעוֹרbe‛ôr · BeorH1160
- to Pethorפְּתוֹרpethôr · PethorH6604
- by the riverנָהָרnâhâr · RiverH5104
- of the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of his peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- to callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- him, sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- come outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- from Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- behold, they coverכָּסָהkâsâh · to coverH3680
- the faceעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: before(the eyes)H5869
- and they abideיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- over againstמוּלmûl môl mô'l mûl · oppositeH4136
Cross-references for Numbers 22:5
- Deuteronomy 23:4They cannot join because they didn’t greet you with food and water on your trip from Egypt. They even hired Balaam, son of Beor, from Pethor in Aram Naharaim, to curse you.
- Joshua 13:22Along with these leaders, the people of Israel also killed Balaam, son of Beor, who used black magic.
- Joshua 24:9Then Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, fought Israel. He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you.
- Nehemiah 13:1On that day the Book of Moses was read while the people were listening. They heard the passage that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into God’s assembly.
- Micah 6:5My people, remember what King Balak of Moab planned ⌞to do to you⌟ and how Balaam, son of Beor, responded to him. Remember ⌞your journey⌟ from Shittim to Gilgal so that you may know the victories of the Lord.”
- 2 Peter 2:15These false teachers have left the straight path and wandered off to follow the path of Balaam, son of Beor. Balaam loved what his wrongdoing earned him.
- Jude 1:11How horrible it will be for them! They have followed the path of Cain. They have rushed into Balaam’s error to make a profit. They have rebelled like Korah and destroyed themselves.
- Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you: You have among you those who follow what Balaam taught Balak. Balak trapped the people of Israel by ⌞encouraging⌟ them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to sin sexually.
- Numbers 23:7Then Balaam delivered this message: “Balak brought me from Aram. The king of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains. ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,’ he said. ‘Come, condemn Israel.’
- Genesis 13:16I will also give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then he could also count your descendants.
- Exodus 1:7But the descendants of Israel had many children. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.
- Psalms 105:24The Lord made his people grow rapidly in number and stronger than their enemies.
Commentaries on Numbers 22:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5To Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people - Dr. Kennicott justly remarks, that "the description now given of Balaam's residence, instead of being particular, agrees with any place in any country where there is a river; for he lived by Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people. But was Pethor then near the Nile in Egypt? Or in Canaan, near Jordan? Or in Mesopotamia, near the Euphrates, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Balaam the son of Beor was from the first a worshipper in some sort of the true God; and had learned some elements of pure and true religion in his home in the far East, the cradle of the ancestors of Israel. But though prophesying, doubtless even before the ambassadors of Balak came to him, in the name of the true God, yet prophecy was still to him as before a mere business, not a religion. The summons of Balak proved to be a crisis in his career: and he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6Balaam was a pagan religious specialist called a diviner. A diviner was someone who claimed to receive messages from the spiritual world and predict the future. Balaam came from northwest Mesopotamia (see “Balaam” Profile). Like many ancient peoples, the nations of Moab and Midian believed that spoken words had power. They believed that a blessing or a curse spoken by a skilled diviner could shape future events. Diviners claimed they had special power to…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam--that is, "lord" or "devourer" of people, a famous soothsayer (Jos 13:22). son of Beor--or, in the Chaldee form, Bosor--that is, "destruction." Pethor--a city of Mesopotamia, situated on the Euphrates.Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 22:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 22
- 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
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