Genesis 31:55

31:55 (32:1) ¹  Early in the morning Laban kissed ²  his grandchildren ³  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ⁴ 

Numbers 24:25

24:25 Balaam got up and departed and returned to his home, ⁵  and Balak also went his way.

Numbers 24:1

Balaam Prophesies Yet Again

24:1 ⁶ When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, ⁷  he did not go as at the other times ⁸  to seek for omens, ⁹  but he set his face ¹⁰  toward the wilderness.

Numbers 24:22

24:22 Nevertheless the Kenite will be consumed. ¹¹ 

How long will Asshur take you away captive?”

[31:55]  ¹ sn Beginning with 31:55, the verse numbers in the English Bible through 32:32 differ by one from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 31:55 ET = 32:1 HT, 32:1 ET = 32:2 HT, etc., through 32:32 ET = 32:33 HT. From 33:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.

[31:55]  ² tn Heb “and Laban got up early in the morning and he kissed.”

[31:55]  ³ tn Heb “his sons.”

[31:55]  ⁴ tn Heb “to his place.”

[24:25]  ⁵ tn Heb “place.”

[24:1]  ⁶ sn For a thorough study of the arrangement of this passage, see E. B. Smick, “A Study of the Structure of the Third Balaam Oracle,” The Law and the Prophets, 242-52. He sees the oracle as having an introductory strophe (vv. 3, 4), followed by two stanzas (vv. 5, 6) that introduce the body (vv. 7b-9b) before the final benediction (v. 9b).

[24:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “it was good in the eyes of the Lord.”

[24:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “as time after time.”

[24:1]  ⁹ tn The word נְחָשִׁים (nÿkhashim) means “omens,” or possibly “auguries.” Balaam is not even making a pretense now of looking for such things, because they are not going to work. God has overruled them.

[24:1]  ¹⁰ tn The idiom signifies that he had a determination and resolution to look out over where the Israelites were, so that he could appreciate more their presence and use that as the basis for his expressing of the oracle.

[24:22]  ¹¹ tc Heb “Nevertheless Cain will be wasted; how long will Asshur take you captive?” Cain was believed to be the ancestor of the Kenites. The NAB has “yet destined for burning, even as I watch, are your inhabitants.” Asshur may refer to a north Arabian group of people of Abrahamic stock (Gen 25:3), and not the Assyrian empire.