17
And he cameוַיָּבֹאto him,אֵלָיוandוְlook,הִנּוֹhe was standingנִצָּבbesideעַלhis burnt offering,עֹלָתוֹand the princesוְשָׂרֵיof Moabמוֹאָבwith him.אִתּוֹAnd Balakוַ בָּלָקsaidיֹּאמֶרto him,לוֹ“Whatמַהhas YHWHיְהוָהspoken?”דִּבֶּר
Numbers 23:17
Study it in the app“And he came to him, and look, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has YHWH spoken?””
With the Hebrew beneath
Numbers 23:17, word by word
- And he cameיָּבֹאyavo
come
To come, arrive: "days are coming".
Where else “yavo” appears- he was standingנִצָּבnitsav
stand
To remain upright in a place without moving.
Where else “nitsav” appears- his burnt offeringעֹלָתolat
burnt offering
A sacrifice burned whole on the altar.
Where else “olat” appears- and the princesשָׂרֵיsare
nobleman
Someone of high rank by family or office: a noble, a great lord.
Where else “sare” appears- of Moabמוֹאָבmoav
Moab
See it on the mapWhere else “moav” appears- And Balakבָּלָקbalak
Balak
Balak, king of Moab in the time of Moses. The name means "devastator."
Where else “balak” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- has YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- spokenדִּבֶּרdiber
speak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “diber” appears
Places in this verse
Moab
Today: western Jordan, east of the Dead Sea
The land east of the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan.
The Moabites came from a son of Lot (Gen 19:37). Ruth came from Moab (Ruth 1:1-4), and Moses died in its territory (Deut 34:5).
The context
16And YHWH met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
17 · This verse (above)
18And he took up his poem and said, “Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, son of Zippor!