Numbers 23:10

23:10 Who ¹  can count ²  the dust ³  of Jacob,

Or number ⁴  the fourth part of Israel?

Let me ⁵  die the death of the upright, ⁶ 

and let the end of my life ⁷  be like theirs.” ⁸ 

Numbers 24:2

24:2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; ⁹  and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Numbers 31:16

31:16 Look, these people through the counsel of Balaam caused the Israelites to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor – which resulted in the plague among the community of the Lord!

Numbers 31:36

31:36 The half-portion of those who went to war numbered 337,500 sheep;

Numbers 31:43

31:43 there were 337,500 sheep from the portion belonging to the community,

Numbers 36:12

36:12 They were married into the families of the Manassehites, the descendants of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

[23:10]  ¹ tn The question is again rhetorical; it means no one can count them – they are innumerable.

[23:10]  ² tn The perfect tense can also be classified as a potential nuance. It does not occur very often, but does occur several times.

[23:10]  ³ sn The reference in the oracle is back to Gen 13:16, which would not be clear to Balaam. But God had described their growth like the dust of the earth. Here it is part of the description of the vast numbers.

[23:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “and as a number, the fourth part of Israel.” The noun in the MT is not in the construct state, and so it should be taken as an adverbial accusative, forming a parallel with the verb “count.” The second object of the verse then follows, “the fourth part of Israel.” Smr and the LXX have “and who has numbered” (וּמִסְפָּר, umispar), making this colon more parallel to the preceding one. The editor of BHS prefers this reading.

[23:10]  ⁵ tn The use of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) for the subject of the verb stresses the personal nature – me.

[23:10]  ⁶ sn Here the seer’s words link with the promise of Gen 12:3, that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed. Since the blessing belongs to them, the upright (and not Balak), Balaam would like his lot to be with them.

[23:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “my latter end.”

[23:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “his.”

[24:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “living according to their tribes.”