8
Howמָהshall I curseאֶקֹּבwhom Elאֵלhas notלֹאcursed?קַבֹּהAnd howוּמָהshall I denounceאֶזְעֹםwhom YHWHיְהוָהhas notלֹאdenounced?זָעַם
Numbers 23:8
Study it in the app“How shall I curse whom El has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom YHWH has not denounced?”
With the Hebrew beneath
Numbers 23:8, word by word
- shall I curseאֶקֹּבekov
blaspheme
To speak ill of the Name of YHWH and curse it.
Where else “ekov” appears- whom Elאֵלel
El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
Where else “el” appears- cursedקַבֹּkabo
curse
Curse: speak against someone to bring evil on him.
Where else “kabo” appears- shall I denounceאֶזְעֹםezom
curse
To curse someone in anger.
Where else “ezom” appears- whom 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
The context
7And he took up his poem and said, “From Aram Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me, from the mountains of the east: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’
8 · This verse (above)
9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I gaze on him. Look, a people that dwells alone, and does not count itself among the nations!