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

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!’ The people rise like a lioness, like a lion who does not rest until he eats his prey and drinks his victim’s blood!” 25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all!” 26Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Haven’t I told you, ‘All that Adonai says, I must do?’

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 is bringing him out of Egypt. like the strong horns of a wild ox. He devours nations hostile to him. He will crush their bones. His arrows will pierce them.
• Genesis 49:9A lion’s cub is Judah— from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches, lies down like a lion, or like a lioness— who would rouse him?
• Deuteronomy 33:20For Gad he said, ‘Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad. Like a lion he crouches, and tears off an arm or even the crown of a head.
• Psalms 17:12like a lion eager to tear to pieces, like a young lion crouching in cover.
• Proverbs 30:30a lion, mighty among beasts, who never backs down from anything;
• Isaiah 31:4For thus says Adonai to me: “As a lion or a young lion growls over its prey, though a company of shepherds is called out against him —their voice does not disturb him, nor does their noise upset him— so Adonai-Tzva’ot will come down to fight on Mount Zion, on its hill.
• Amos 3:8A lion has roared, who will not fear? My Lord Adonai has spoken, who shall not prophesy?
• Revelation 5:5Then one of the elders tells me, “Stop weeping! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed—He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
• Numbers 24:17‘I see him, yet not at this moment. I behold him, yet not in this location. For a star will come from Jacob, a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of all the sons of Seth.
• Genesis 49:27Benjamin is a ravening wolf— in the morning he devours spoils, and in the evening divides plunder.
• Daniel 2:44“Now in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom be left to another people. It will crush and bring to an end all of these kingdoms. But it will endure forever.
• Micah 5:8May your hand be raised up against your adversaries, and may all your foes be cut off.
• Zechariah 10:4From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow and from him every leader together.
• Zechariah 12:6“In that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a burning torch among sheaves. They will devour on the right and on the left all the surrounding peoples, yet Jerusalem will remain in her place, in Jerusalem.
• Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One riding on it is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war in righteousness.

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