New International Version
Numbers 24:9
9Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? “May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”
Numbers 24:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you."
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’ “Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you.”
Context of Numbers 24:9
7Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. “Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. 8“God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them? “May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!” 10Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. 11Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”
Read all of Numbers 24Numbers 24:9 word by word
כָּרַ֨ע שָׁכַ֧ב כַּאֲרִ֛י וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֣י יְקִימֶ֑נּוּ מְבָרֲכֶ֣יךָ בָר֔וּךְ וְאֹרְרֶ֖יךָ אָרֽוּר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He couchedכָּרַעkâra‛ · to bowH3766
- he lay downשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
- as a lionאֲרִי'ărîy 'aryêh · lionH738
- and as a great lionלָבִיאlâbîy' lebîyâ' lebâ'îym lebâ'ôth · lionH3833
- who shall stir him upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- Blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- thee, and cursedאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
Cross-references for Numbers 24:9
- Job 27:23It claps its hands in derision and hisses him out of his place.”
- Ezekiel 21:14“So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, even three times. It is a sword for slaughter— a sword for great slaughter, closing in on them from every side.
- Ezekiel 22:13“ ‘I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst.
- Numbers 22:6Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
- Numbers 23:11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”
- Deuteronomy 23:4For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you.
- Joshua 24:9When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you.
- Nehemiah 13:2because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)
Commentaries on Numbers 24:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9He couched, he lay down as a lion, etc. - See the original terms explained Numbers 23:24; (note). These oracles, delivered by Balaam, are evident prophecies of the victories which the Israelites should gain over their enemies, and of their firm possession of the promised land. They may also refer to the great victories to be obtained by the Lord Jesus Christ, that Lion of the tribe of Judah, over sin, death, and Satan, the grand enemies of the human race…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9God's blessing would allow the Israelites defeat their enemies (see 24:15–24). Agag was an Amalekite king whom King Saul defeated (1 Samuel 15:7–9, 32–33). The Amalekites, a desert people, were traditional enemies of the Hebrews (compare Numbers 14:45; Exodus 17:8–16). Agag was probably a traditional title for their king. Since God brought Israel out of Egypt, he fought for them like a warrior and a wild animal (wild ox and lion; Numbers 24:8–9). Blessed…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-251. to seek for--that is, to use enchantments. His experience on the two former occasions [Nu 23:3, 15] had taught him that these superstitious accompaniments of his worship were useless, and therefore he now simply looked towards the camp of Israel, either with a secret design to curse them, or to await the divine afflatus.Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 24:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 24
- 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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