Numbers 23:13

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

¶ And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Balak said to him, "All right, come with me to another place where you can see them. You will see only some of them, not all; but you can curse them for me from there."

Berean Standard Bible:

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

American Standard Version:

And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Balak^{H1111} said^{H559} unto him, Come^{H3212}, I pray thee, with me unto another^{H312} place^{H4725}, from whence thou mayest see^{H7200} them: thou shalt see^{H7200} but^{H657} the utmost^{H7097} part of them, and shalt not see^{H7200} them all: and curse^{H6895} me them from thence.

Cross-References (KJV):

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:

BibleHub.com BibleRef.com

Commentary for Numbers 23:13

Numbers 23:13 is part of the narrative concerning Balak, the king of Moab, and Balaam, a diviner or seer who is hired by Balak to curse the Israelites. This event takes place during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt and before their entry into the Promised Land. Balak fears the growing numbers and strength of the Israelites and believes that by having Balaam curse them, he can weaken or overcome them.

In the verse, Balak is speaking to Balaam, asking him to move to a different location in the hope that a change of perspective will enable Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balak suggests that from this new vantage point, Balaam will only see the "utmost part" of the Israelite camp, not the whole, implying that perhaps by not seeing the entire nation, Balaam might be able to pronounce a curse. This reflects Balak's desperation and his belief in the power of curses and blessings, as well as his misunderstanding of the nature of divine will and true prophecy.

The broader theme of this verse is the sovereignty of God over human affairs. Despite Balak's attempts to manipulate the situation, Balaam, who is portrayed as someone who hears and communicates the word of God, finds himself unable to curse the Israelites, as God has blessed them. This narrative underscores the idea that God's plans cannot be thwarted by human design or malice, and it highlights the tension between pagan practices and the emerging monotheism of the Israelites, which rejects the notion that curses or blessings can be arbitrarily bestowed or withdrawn by human agents.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. 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.
   
2. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
3. 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.
   
4. Strong's Number: H312
   There are 271 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אַחֵר
   Transliteration: ʼachêr
   Pronunciation: akh-air'
   Description: from אָחַר; properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.; (an-) other man, following, next, strange.
   
5. Strong's Number: H4725
   There are 379 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מָקוֹם
   Transliteration: mâqôwm
   Pronunciation: maw-kome'
   Description: or מָקֹם; also (feminine) מְקוֹמָה; or מְקֹמָה; from קוּם; properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind); country, [idiom] home, [idiom] open, place, room, space, [idiom] whither(-soever).
   
6. Strong's Number: H7200
   There are 1212 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָאָה
   Transliteration: râʼâh
   Pronunciation: raw-aw'
   Description: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative); advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions.
   
7. Strong's Number: H657
   There are 132 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶפֶס
   Transliteration: ʼepheç
   Pronunciation: eh'-fes
   Description: from אָפֵס; (sometimes like פָּעַל); cessation, i.e. an end (especially of the earth); often used adverb, no further; also the ankle (in the dual), as being the extremity of the leg or foot; ankle, but (only), end, howbeit, less than nothing, nevertheless (where), no, none (beside), not (any, -withstanding), thing of nought, save(-ing), there, uttermost part, want, without (cause).
   
8. Strong's Number: H7097
   There are 87 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָצֶה
   Transliteration: qâtseh
   Pronunciation: kaw-tseh'
   Description: or (negative only) קֵצֶה; from קָצָה; (used in a great variety of applications and idioms; compare קֵץ); an extremity; [idiom] after, border, brim, brink, edge, end, (in-) finite, frontier, outmost coast, quarter, shore, (out-) side, [idiom] some, ut(-ter-) most (part).
   
9. Strong's Number: H6895
   There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָבַב
   Transliteration: qâbab
   Pronunciation: kaw-bab'
   Description: a primitive root; to scoop out, i.e. (figuratively) to malign or execrate (i.e. stab with words); [idiom] at all, curse.