9:20 When 1 the cloud remained over the tabernacle a number of days, 2 they remained camped according to the Lord’s commandment, 3 and according to the Lord’s commandment they would journey.
23:10 Who 7 can count 8 the dust 9 of Jacob,
Or number 10 the fourth part of Israel?
Let me 11 die the death of the upright, 12
and let the end of my life 13 be like theirs.” 14
1 tn The sentence uses וְיֵשׁ (vÿyesh) followed by a noun clause introduced with אֲשֶׁר (’asher) to express an existing situation; it is best translated as an adverbial clause of time: “and it was when the cloud was….”
2 tn The word “number” is in apposition to the word “days” to indicate that their stay was prolonged for quite a few days.
3 tn Heb “mouth of the
4 tn Or “your corpses” (also in vv. 32, 33).
5 tn Heb “you shall bear.”
6 tn The phrase refers to the consequences of open hostility to God, or perhaps abandonment of God. The noun תְּנוּאָה (tÿnu’ah) occurs in Job 33:10 (perhaps). The related verb occurs in Num 30:6 HT (30:5 ET) and 32:7 with the sense of “disallow, discourage.” The sense of the expression adopted in this translation comes from the meticulous study of R. Loewe, “Divine Frustration Exegetically Frustrated,” Words and Meanings, 137-58.
7 tn The question is again rhetorical; it means no one can count them – they are innumerable.
8 tn The perfect tense can also be classified as a potential nuance. It does not occur very often, but does occur several times.
9 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.
10 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.
11 tn The use of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) for the subject of the verb stresses the personal nature – me.
12 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.
13 tn Heb “my latter end.”
14 tn Heb “his.”
15 tn Heb “to many you will multiply his inheritance.”
16 tn Heb “to a few you will lessen his inheritance.”
17 tn Heb “according to those that were numbered of him,” meaning, in accordance with the number of people in his clan.