Numbers 3:13

3:13 because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed ¹  all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the Lord.” ² 

Numbers 3:41

3:41 And take ³  the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

Numbers 3:45

3:45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. And the Levites will be mine. I am the Lord.

Numbers 13:2

13:2 “Send out men to investigate ⁴  the land of Canaan, which I am giving ⁵  to the Israelites. You are to send one man from each ancestral tribe, ⁶  each one a leader among them.”

Numbers 18:20

Duties of the Levites

18:20 The Lord spoke to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion of property ⁷  among them – I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.

Numbers 22:30

22:30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted ⁸  to treat you this way?” ⁹  And he said, “No.”

Numbers 22:37-38

22:37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send again and again ¹⁰  to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” ¹¹  22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able ¹²  to speak ¹³  just anything? I must speak ¹⁴  only the word that God puts in my mouth.”

Numbers 24:14

24:14 And now, I am about to go ¹⁵  back to my own people. Come now, and I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the future.” ¹⁶ 

---

¹ tn The form הַכֹּתִי (hakkoti) is the Hiphil infinitive construct of the verb נָכָה (nakhah, “to strike, smite, attack”). Here, after the idiomatic “in the day of,” the form functions in an adverbial clause of time – “when I destroyed.”

² sn In the Exodus event of the Passover night the principle of substitution was presented. The firstborn child was redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and so belonged to God, but then God chose the Levites to serve in the place of the firstborn. The ritual of consecrating the firstborn son to the Lord was nevertheless carried out, even with Jesus, the firstborn son of Mary (Luke 2:22-23).

³ tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it carries forward the instructions from the preceding verse. The verb “take” now has the sense of appointing or designating the Levites.

⁴ tn The imperfect tense with the conjunction is here subordinated to the preceding imperative to form the purpose clause. It can thus be translated “send…to investigate.”

⁵ tn The participle here should be given a future interpretation, meaning “which I am about to give” or “which I am going to give.”

⁶ tn Heb “one man one man of the tribe of his fathers.”

⁷ tn The phrase “of property” is supplied as a clarification.

⁸ tn Here the Hiphil perfect is preceded by the Hiphil infinitive absolute for emphasis in the sentence.

⁹ tn Heb “to do thus to you.”

¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ 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.

¹² tn The verb is אוּכַל (’ukhal) in a question – “am I able?” But emphasizing this is the infinitive absolute before it. So Balaam is saying something like, “Can I really say anything?”

¹³ tn The Piel infinitive construct (without the preposition) serves as the object of the verb “to be able.” The whole question is rhetorical – he is saying that he will not be able to say anything God does not allow him to say.

¹⁴ tn The imperfect tense is here taken as an obligatory imperfect.

¹⁵ tn The construction is the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) suffixed followed by the active participle. This is the futur instans use of the participle, to express something that is about to happen: “I am about to go.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “in the latter days.” For more on this expression, see E. Lipinski, “באחרית הימים dans les textes préexiliques,” VT 20 (1970): 445-50.