Numbers 21:5

21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we ¹  detest this worthless ²  food.”

Numbers 22:37

22:37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send again and again ³  to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” ⁴ 

Numbers 27:4

27:4 Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession ⁵  among the relatives ⁶  of our father.”

[21:5]  ¹ tn Heb “our souls.”

[21:5]  ² tn The Israelites’ opinion about the manna was clear enough – “worthless.” The word used is קְלֹקֵל (qÿloqel, “good for nothing, worthless, miserable”).

[22:37]  ³ tn The emphatic construction is made of the infinitive absolute and the perfect tense from the verb שָׁלַח (shalakh, “to send”). The idea must be more intense than something like, “Did I not certainly send.” Balak is showing frustration with Balaam for refusing him.

[22:37]  ⁴ sn Balak again refers to his ability to “honor” the seer. This certainly meant payment for his service, usually gold ornaments, rings and jewelry, as well as some animals.

[27:4]  ⁵ tn That is, the possession of land, or property, among the other families of their tribe.

[27:4]  ⁶ tn The word is “brothers,” but this can be interpreted more loosely to relatives. So also in v. 7.