Numbers 23:21

Numbers 23:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
• New International Version (NIV)“No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them.

Context of Numbers 23:21

19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Yhwh his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. 22God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. 23Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Numbers 23:21 word by word

לֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

• He hath not beheldנָבַטnâbaţ · to lookH5027
• iniquityאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: troubleH205
• in Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• neither hath he seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• perversenessעָמָל‛âmâl · troubleH5999
• in Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• his Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• with him, and the shoutתְּרוּעָהterû‛âh · shoutH8643
• of a kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for Numbers 23:21

• Psalms 103:12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
• Isaiah 1:18Come now, and let us reason together, saith Yhwh: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
• Isaiah 38:17Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
• Jeremiah 50:20In those days, and in that time, saith Yhwh, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.
• Hosea 14:2Take with you words, and turn to Yhwh: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
• Micah 7:18Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
• Romans 4:7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
• Romans 6:14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
• Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
• 2 Corinthians 5:19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
• Exodus 13:21And Yhwh went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
• Exodus 29:45And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
• Exodus 33:14And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
• Exodus 34:9And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
• Judges 6:13And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if Yhwh be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not Yhwh bring us up from Egypt? but now Yhwh hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
• 2 Chronicles 13:12And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against Yhwh God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel - This is a difficult passage; for if we take the words as spoken of the people Israel, as their iniquity and their perverseness were almost unparalleled, such words cannot be spoken of them with strict truth. If we consider them as spoken of the patriarch Jacob and Israel, or of Jacob after he became Israel, they are most strictly true, as after that time a more unblemished…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21“Iniquity” and “perverseness” are found together again in the Hebrew of Psalm 10:7; Psalm 90:10, and elsewhere; and import wickedness together with that tribulation which is its proper result. The shout - The word is used (Leviticus 23:24 note) to describe the sound of the silver trumpets. The “shout of a king” will therefore refer to the jubilant sounds by which the presence of the Lord as their King among them was celebrated by Israel.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. 20-21The Lord kept his promises to bless his people, bringing them no misfortune or trouble. Balaam could not change God's plans. God punished the Hebrews for disobedience. Yet, he supported Israel's cause ever since he freed them from Egypt.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob--Many sins were observed and punished in this people. But no such universal and hopeless apostasy had as yet appeared, to induce God to abandon or destroy them. the Lord his God is with him--has a favor for them. and the shout of a king is among them--such joyful acclamations as of a people rejoicing in the presence of a victorious prince.Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 23:21

• God
• Perfection
• Pisgah

In the dictionaries

• God
• Israel
• Jacob
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Count
• Abel-Shittim
• Balaam
• Balak

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