Numbers 24 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to blesse Israel, then he went not, as certaine times before, to set diuinations, but set his face toward the wildernesse.
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lift vp his eyes, and looked vpon Israel, which dwelt according to their tribes, and the Spirit of God came vpon him.
2 Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.
3 And he vttered his parable, and sayd, Balaam the sonne of Beor hath sayde, and the man, whose eyes were shut vp, hath sayd,
3 He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;
4 He hath sayde, which heard the wordes of God, and sawe the vision of the Almightie, and falling in a traunce had his eyes opened:
4 he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tentes, O Iaakob, and thine habitations, O Israel!
5 How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your dwellings, Israel!
6 As the valleis, are they stretched forth, as gardes by the riuers side, as the aloe trees, which the Lord hath planted, as the cedars beside the waters.
6 As valleys they are spread out, as gardens by the riverside, as aloes which Yahweh has planted, as cedar trees beside the waters.
7 The water droppeth out of his bucket, and his seede shalbe in many waters, and his king shall be hier then Agag, and his kingdome shall bee exalted.
7 Water shall flow from his buckets. His seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag. His kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him out of Egypt: his strength shalbe as an vnicorne: he shall eate the nations his enemies, and bruise their bones, and shoote them through with his arrowes.
8 God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
9 He coucheth and lieth downe as a yong lion, and as a lion: who shall stirre him vp? blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.”
10 Then Balak was very angry with Balaam, and smote his handes together: so Balak sayde vnto Balaam, I sent for thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them nowe three times.
10 Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore nowe flee vnto thy place: I thought surely to promote thee vnto honour, but loe, the Lord hath kept thee backe from honour.
11 Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.”
12 Then Balaam answered Balak, Tolde I not also thy messengers, which thou sentest vnto me, saying,
12 Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,
13 If Balak would giue me his house ful of siluer and gold, I can not passe the commandement of the Lord, to doe either good or bad of mine owne minde? what the Lord shall commaund, the same will I speake.
13 ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’?
14 And nowe behold, I goe vnto my people: come, I will aduertise thee what this people shall doe to thy folke in the later dayes.
14 Now, behold, I go to my people. Come, I will inform you what this people shall do to your people in the latter days.”
15 And he vttered his parable, and sayd, Balaam the sonne of Beor hath sayde, and the man whose eyes were shut vp, hath sayd,
15 He took up his parable, and said, “Balaam the son of Beor says, the man whose eyes are open says;
16 He hath said that heard the words of God, and hath the knowledge of the most High, and sawe the vision of the Almightie, and falling in a traunce had his eyes opened:
16 he says, who hears the words of God, knows the knowledge of the Most High, and who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but not nowe: I shall behold him, but not neere: there shall come a starre of Iaakob, and a scepter shall rise of Israel, and shall smite the coastes of Moab, and destroy all the sonnes of Sheth.
17 I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and crush all the sons of Sheth.
18 And Edom shalbe possessed, and Seir shall be a possession to their enemies: but Israel shall do valiantly.
18 Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly.
19 He also that shall haue dominion shall bee of Iaakob, and shall destroy the remnant of the citie.
19 Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.”
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he vttered his parable, and sayd, Amalek was the first of the nations: but his latter ende shall come to destruction.
20 He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall come to destruction.”
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and vttered his parable, and sayde, Strong is thy dwelling place, and put thy nest in the rocke.
21 He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.
22 Neuerthelesse, the Kenite shalbe spoyled vntill Asshur cary thee away captiue.
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, until Asshur carries you away captive.”
23 Againe he vttered his parable, and sayd, Alas, who shall liue when God doeth this?
23 He took up his parable, and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24 The ships also shall come from the coastes of Chittim, and subdue Asshur, and shall subdue Eber, and he also shall come to destruction.
24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim. They shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber. He also shall come to destruction.”
25 Then Balaam rose vp, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.
25 Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Balaam
The son of Beor from Pethor, hired by Balak to curse Israel, who could only bless Israel after the angel of the LORD stopped his donkey, and who was later killed by the sword…
Cited in the guide: Numbers 22:5; Numbers 22:12; Numbers 24:3
Beor
The father of the diviner Balaam, whose home was Pethor by the Euphrates.
Cited in the guide: Numbers 22:5; Numbers 24:3; Deuteronomy 23:4
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 23:23; Revelation 2:14; Numbers 23:15; Numbers 23:28; Numbers 31:16
- 2 1 Samuel 19:20; 2 Chronicles 15:1; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:23; Numbers 2:2–34
- 3 Numbers 23:7; Numbers 24:16; Numbers 23:18; Numbers 24:4; Numbers 22:31
- 4 Revelation 1:17; Revelation 1:10; 2 Corinthians 12:1–4; Numbers 12:6; Ezekiel 1:28
- 6 Psalm 1:3; Isaiah 58:11; Psalm 104:16; Song of Songs 6:11; Psalm 45:8
- 7 2 Samuel 5:12; 1 Chronicles 14:2; Jeremiah 51:13; Revelation 17:1; Revelation 19:16
- 8 Psalm 45:5; Psalm 2:9; Numbers 23:22; Numbers 14:9; Numbers 23:24
- 9 Genesis 12:3; Genesis 27:29; Genesis 49:9; Numbers 23:24; Matthew 25:45
- 10 Ezekiel 21:14; Numbers 23:11; Ezekiel 21:17; Ezekiel 22:13; Nehemiah 13:2
- 11 Numbers 22:17; Numbers 22:37; Acts 8:20; Philippians 3:8; 1 Peter 5:2–3
- 12 Numbers 22:18; Numbers 22:38
- 13 Numbers 16:28; Numbers 22:20; Numbers 22:18
- 14 Micah 6:5; Genesis 49:1; Revelation 2:14; Daniel 2:28; 2 Timothy 3:1
- 15 Numbers 24:3–4; Numbers 23:7; Numbers 23:18; Job 27:1; Matthew 13:35
- 16 Numbers 24:4; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 1 Corinthians 8:1; 2 Samuel 23:1–2
- 17 Revelation 22:16; Luke 1:32–33; Genesis 49:10; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 11:15
- 18 Amos 9:12; 2 Samuel 8:14; Genesis 27:29; Isaiah 63:1; Psalm 60:8–12
- 19 Genesis 49:10; Matthew 28:18; Psalm 2:1–12; Micah 5:2; Revelation 19:16
- 20 Exodus 17:14; Exodus 17:8; Esther 7:9–10; Esther 9:14; 1 Samuel 30:1
- 21 Genesis 15:19; Job 29:18; Judges 1:16
- 22 Psalm 83:8; Genesis 10:11; Genesis 10:22; Ezra 4:2; Hosea 14:3
- 23 Numbers 23:23; Malachi 3:2; 2 Kings 5:1
- 24 Genesis 10:4; Daniel 11:30; Numbers 24:20; Genesis 10:21–25; Daniel 10:20
- 25 Numbers 31:8; Numbers 24:11; Joshua 13:22
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… Gospel; and His Son, who was of the fruit of David's body, that is, of the virgin of [the house of] David, and Emmanuel; whose star also Balaam thus prophesied: "There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a leader shall rise in Israel." But Matthew says that the Magi, coming from the east, exclaimed "For we have seen …
And the similar passage in Numbers, He couched, He lay down as a lion, and as a lion's whelp.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)