Numbers 23:9

23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see them; ¹ 

from the hills I watch them. ² 

Indeed, a nation that lives alone,

and it will not be reckoned ³  among the nations.

Numbers 23:21

23:21 He ⁴  has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, ⁵ 

nor has he seen trouble ⁶  in Israel.

The Lord their God is with them;

his acclamation ⁷  as king is among them.

[23:9]  ¹ tn Heb “him,” but here it refers to the Israelites (Israel).

[23:9]  ² sn Balaam reports his observation of the nation of Israel spread out below him in the valley. Based on that vision, and the Lord’s word, he announces the uniqueness of Israel – they are not just like one of the other nations. He was correct, of course; they were the only people linked with the living God by covenant.

[23:9]  ³ tn The verb could also be taken as a reflexive – Israel does not consider itself as among the nations, meaning, they consider themselves to be unique.

[23:21]  ⁴ tn These could be understood as impersonal and so rendered “no one has discovered.”

[23:21]  ⁵ sn The line could mean that God has regarded Israel as the ideal congregation without any blemish or flaw. But it could also mean that God has not looked on their iniquity, meaning, held it against them.

[23:21]  ⁶ tn The word means “wrong, misery, trouble.” It can mean the idea of “disaster” as well, for that too is trouble. Here it is parallel to “iniquity” and so has the connotation of something that would give God reason to curse them.

[23:21]  ⁷ tn The people are blessed because God is their king. In fact, the shout of acclamation is among them – they are proclaiming the Lord God as their king. The word is used normally for the sound of the trumpet, but also of battle shouts, and then here acclamation. This would represent their conviction that Yahweh is king. On the usage of this Hebrew word see further BDB 929-30 s.v. תְּרוּעָה; HALOT 1790-91 s.v.