Numbers 22:5

He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
sent	וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח vai.yish.Lach	H7971	to send away · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
messengers	מַלְאָכִ֜ים mal.'a.Khim	H4397	a messenger · noun, common masculine plural absolute
Balaam	בִּלְעָ֣ם bil.'Am	H1109	Bilam · proper noun, a man's name
son	בֶּן ben-	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct
Beor	בְּע֗וֹר be.'or	H1160	Beor · proper noun, a man's name
Pethor	פְּ֠תוֹרָה Pe.to.rah	H6604	Pethor · proper noun, a place name + directional suffix
river	הַנָּהָ֛ר ha.na.Har	H5104	a stream (including the sea · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
land	אֶ֥רֶץ 'E.retz	H776	the earth (at large · noun, common feminine singular construct
children	בְּנֵי be.nei-	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine plural construct
people	עַמּ֖וֹ a.Mo	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
call	לִקְרֹא lik.ro'-	H7121	to call out to (i.e. properly · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
saying	לֵאמֹ֗ר le.Mor	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
people	עַ֣ם 'am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular absolute
out	יָצָ֤א ya.Tza'	H3318	to go (causatively · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Egypt	מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ mi.mitz.Ra.yim	H4714	Mitsrajim · preposition + proper noun, a place name
cover	כִסָּה֙ khi.Sah	H3680	properly · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
face	עֵ֣ין 'ein	H5869	an eye (literally or figuratively) · noun, common feminine singular construct
earth	הָאָ֔רֶץ ha.'A.retz	H776	the earth (at large · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
abide	יֹשֵׁ֖ב yo.Shev	H3427	properly · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
against	מִמֻּלִֽי mi.mu.Li	H4136	properly · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 23:4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam t…
Joshua 24:9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
Micah 6:5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye…
Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying…
Numbers 23:7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curs…
Joshua 13:22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.
Genesis 13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Exodus 1:7-10 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:1-14

The children of Israel have at length finished their wanderings in the wilderness, out of which they went up (Num 21:18), and are now encamped in the plains of Moab near Jordan, where they continued till they passed through Jordan under Joshua, after the death of Moses. Now we have here, I. The fright which the Moabites were in upon the approach of Israel, Num 22:2-4. They needed not to fear any harm from them if they knew (and it is probable that Moses let them know) the orders God had given to Israel not to contend with the Moabites, nor to use any hostility against them, Deu 2:9. But, if they had any notice of this, they were jealous that it was but a sham, to make them secure, that they…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:5

He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam--that is, "lord" or "devourer" of people, a famous soothsayer (Jos 13:22). son of Beor--or, in the Chaldee form, Bosor--that is, "destruction." Pethor--a city of Mesopotamia, situated on the Euphrates.

John Gill on Numbers 22:5

He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor,.... In consequence of the consultation held by the king of Moab with the elders of Midian; and very probably through a motion of theirs, and by advice they gave, Balak dispatched messengers of both people to the person here described by his name and parentage; but who he was is not easy to say: the Jews sometimes make him to be a magician in Pharaoh's court, at the time when Moses was born (z), which is not probable; and it is still more improbable that he should be Laban the Syrian, as the Targum of Jonathan here, and the Targum on 1 Chronicles 1:44 though others say (a) he was the son of Beor, the son of Laban, and so was the grands…

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John Calvin on Numbers 22:5-7

He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam. This passage shews us, like many others, that the errors wherein Satan entangles unbelievers are derived from good principles. The modesty of king Balak appears to be worthy of praise, in that, conscious of his own weakness, and placing no confidence in human aid, he sets about imploring the help of God. For this is our only safe refuge, although earthly aids may fail us, still to maintain our courage, and to rely upon God, who is all-sufficient in Himself, and independent of external means. Thus far, then, Balak acts rightly, for he seeks nothing more than to conciliate God's favor, nor places his confidence of victory in anything but God's good-wil…

The Church Fathers

This Balaam was exceedingly famous for his magical art and very powerful with his harmful verses. He did not possess the power or skill of words in blessing but only in cursing, for the demons are invited to curse but not to bless. As he was experienced in such matters, for this reason he was esteemed by all men in the Orient. Indeed, abundant proofs of it had happened before when he had frequently turned back an armed enemy with his curses. Otherwise the king surely would not have presumed that what could not be accomplished by iron and the sword could be done by words. Therefore Balak was sure of it and had frequently tried it, for he put aside all instruments and aids of war and sent ambassadors to him saying, "A people has come here from Egypt, who now cover the face of the earth and are settling down opposite us."
— Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 113.2

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Balaam — Lord of the people; foreigner or glutton, as interpreted by others, the son of Beor, was a man of some rank among the Midianites (Num. 31:8; comp. 16). He resided at Pethor (Deut. 23:4), in…
Beor — A torch. (1.) The father of Bela, one of the kings of Edom (Gen. 36:32). (2.) The father of Balaam (Num. 22:5; 24:3, 15; 31:8). In 2 Pet. 2:15 he is called Bosor.
Eye — (Heb. ‘ain, meaning “flowing”), applied (1) to a fountain, frequently; (2) to colour (Num. 11:7; R.V., “appearance,” marg. “eye”); (3) the face (Ex. 10:5, 15; Num. 22:5, 11), in Num. 14:14, “face to…
Midianite — An Arabian tribe descended from Midian. They inhabited principally the desert north of the peninsula of Arabia. The peninsula of Sinai was the pasture-ground for their flocks. They were virtually the…
Moab — The seed of the father, or, according to others, the desirable land, the eldest son of Lot (Gen. 19:37), of incestuous birth. (2.) Used to denote the people of Moab (Num. 22:3-14; Judg. 3:30; 2 Sam.…
Pethor — Interpretation of dreams, identified with Pitru, on the west bank of the Euphrates, a few miles south of the Hittite capital of Carchemish (Num. 22:5, “which is by the river of the land of the…
Balaam · Balak sends for, to curse Israel — Balak sends for, to curse Israel
Balak · Tries to bribe Balaam to curse Israel — Tries to bribe Balaam to curse Israel
Beor · 2. Father of Balaam — 2. Father of Balaam
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · Balak sends for Balaam — Balak sends for Balaam
Midianites · With the moabites: Sent for Balaam to curse Israel — With the moabites: Sent for Balaam to curse Israel

Numbers 22:5

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:1-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:5

John Gill on Numbers 22:5

John Calvin on Numbers 22:5-7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Numbers 22:5

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:1-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:5

John Gill on Numbers 22:5

John Calvin on Numbers 22:5-7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Numbers 22:2-21

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 22:5-6

Rashi on Numbers 22:5