King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
Complete Jewish Bible:
The leaders of Mo'av and Midyan left, taking with them the payment for divining, came to Bil'am and spoke to him the words of Balak.
Berean Standard Bible:
The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak.
American Standard Version:
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And the elders{H2205} of Moab{H4124} and the elders{H2205} of Midian{H4080} departed{H3212} with the rewards of divination{H7081} in their hand{H3027}; and they came{H935} unto Balaam{H1109}, and spake{H1696} unto him the words{H1697} of Balak{H1111}.
Cross-References (KJV):
1 Samuel 9:7
- Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, [if] we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and [there is] not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
1 Samuel 9:8
- And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: [that] will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
Micah 3:11
- The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, [Is] not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
Titus 1:11
- Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Numbers 24:1
- ¶ And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Jude 1:11
- Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Romans 16:18
- For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
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Commentary for Numbers 22:7
Numbers 22:7 is part of the narrative concerning Balaam, which unfolds in the Book of Numbers within the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. This verse is set during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, as they approach the land of Canaan, the promised land.
In this context, Balak, the king of Moab, sees the Israelites as a threat to his kingdom due to their large numbers and the miraculous victories they have achieved. In an attempt to curse the Israelites and weaken them, Balak sends elders of Moab and Midian to recruit Balaam, a renowned diviner or seer, who is believed to have the power to bless or curse people effectively.
The verse specifically highlights the act of the elders departing with the rewards of divination, which implies that they are bringing payment or gifts to entice Balaam to cooperate. The "rewards of divination" could be understood as either the tools of Balaam's trade or the fees expected for his services as a diviner. The elders' mission is to convey Balak's request to Balaam and to persuade him to come and curse the Israelites.
The themes present in this verse include the nature of divine power, the tension between the Israelites and neighboring nations, and the intersection of political strategy with spiritual or supernatural practices. It also touches on the broader theme of God's sovereignty and protection over Israel, as the subsequent narrative reveals that despite human attempts to thwart God's plans, His will prevails. Balaam's interactions with Balak and the Israelites become a testament to the inability of human curses to overpower God's blessings, ultimately reinforcing the theme of God's faithfulness to His chosen people.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H2205
There are 171 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָקֵן
Transliteration: zâqên
Pronunciation: zaw-kane'
Description: from זָקֵן; old; aged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator. - Strong's Number: H4124
There are 158 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מוֹאָב
Transliteration: Môwʼâb
Pronunciation: mo-awb
Description: from a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m-and אָב; from (her (the mother's)) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants; Moab. - Strong's Number: H4080
There are 55 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִדְיָן
Transliteration: Midyân
Pronunciation: mid-yawn'
Description: the same as מִדְיָן; Midjan, a son of Abraham; also his country and (collectively) his descendants; Midian, Midianite. - Strong's Number: H3212
There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָלַךְ
Transliteration: yâlak
Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak. - Strong's Number: H7081
There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֶסֶם
Transliteration: qeçem
Pronunciation: keh'-sem
Description: from קָסַם; a lot; also divination (including its fee), oracle; (reward of) divination, divine sentence, witchcraft. - Strong's Number: H3027
There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָד
Transliteration: yâd
Pronunciation: yawd
Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves. - Strong's Number: H935
There are 2307 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בּוֹא
Transliteration: bôwʼ
Pronunciation: bo
Description: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications); abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat, [phrase] employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, [phrase] follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, [phrase] have, [idiom] indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, [idiom] (well) stricken (in age), [idiom] surely, take (in), way. - Strong's Number: H1109
There are 57 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בִּלְעָם
Transliteration: Bilʻâm
Pronunciation: bil-awm'
Description: probably from בַּל and עַם; not (of the) people, i.e. foreigner; Bilam, a Mesopotamian prophet; also a place in Palestine; Balaam, Bileam. - Strong's Number: H1696
There are 1050 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָבַר
Transliteration: dâbar
Pronunciation: daw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work. - Strong's Number: H1697
There are 1290 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָּבָר
Transliteration: dâbâr
Pronunciation: daw-baw'
Description: from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work. - Strong's Number: H1111
There are 40 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּלָק
Transliteration: Bâlâq
Pronunciation: baw-lawk'
Description: from בָּלַק; waster; Balak, a Moabitish king; Balak.