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 who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind! Does He speak and then not do it, or promise and not fulfill it? 20Look, I received a command to bless. He has blessed—I cannot change it! No misfortune is to be seen in Jacob, and no misery in Israel! Adonai their God is with them —the King’s shout is among them! 22God is bringing them from Egypt with the strong horns of the wild ox! 23There is no sorcery effective against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel! Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘See what God has done!’

Numbers 23:21 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• 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
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 has He removed our transgressions from us.
• Isaiah 1:18“Come now, let us reason together,” says Adonai. “Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they will become like wool.
• Isaiah 38:17Behold, it was for my own shalom that I had great bitterness. You have loved my soul out of the Pit of destruction! For You have flung all my sins behind Your back.
• Jeremiah 50:20In those days and in that time” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “Israel’s guilt will be sought, but there will be none, also for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found. For I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.
• Hosea 14:2Return O Israel, to Adonai your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.
• Micah 7:18Who is a God like You pardoning iniquity, overlooking transgression, for the remnant of His heritage? He will not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.
• Romans 4:7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
• Romans 6:14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
• Romans 8:1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua.
• 2 Corinthians 5:19That is, in Messiah God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them; and He has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.
• Exodus 13:21Adonai went before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead the way and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. So they could travel both day and night.
• Exodus 29:45So I will dwell among Bnei-Yisrael and be their God.
• Exodus 33:14“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest,” He answered.
• Exodus 34:9He said, “If now I have found grace in Your eyes, my Lord, let my Lord please go within our midst, even though this is a stiff-necked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own inheritance.”
• Judges 6:13But Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if Adonai is with us, then why has all this befallen us? So where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about saying ‘Didn’t Adonai bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Adonai has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
• 2 Chronicles 13:12So look, God is with us at our head, and His kohanim with the signal trumpets to sound an alarm against you. O men of Israel, do not fight against Adonai, the God of your fathers—for you will not succeed!”

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