Discovery BoxNumbers 14:18 
Context14:18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, 1 forgiving iniquity and transgression, 2 but by no means clearing 3 the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations.’ 4
Numbers 15:4
Context15:4 then the one who presents his offering to the Lord must bring 5 a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of olive oil. 6
Numbers 23:10
Context23:10 Who 7 can count 8 the dust 9 of Jacob,
Or number 10 the fourth part of Israel?
1 tn The expression is רַב־חֶסֶד (rav khesed) means “much of loyal love,” or “faithful love.” Some have it “totally faithful,” but that omits the aspect of his love.
2 tn Or “rebellion.”
3 tn The infinitive absolute emphasizes the verbal activity of the imperfect tense, which here serves as a habitual imperfect. Negated it states what God does not do; and the infinitive makes that certain.
4 sn The Decalogue adds “to those who hate me.” The point of the line is that the effects of sin, if not the sinful traits themselves, are passed on to the next generation.
5 tn The three words at the beginning of this verse are all etymologically related: “the one who offers his offering shall offer.”
6 sn Obviously, as the wording of the text affirms, this kind of offering would be made after they were in the land and able to produce the grain and oil for the sacrifices. The instructions anticipated their ability to do this, and this would give hope to them. The amounts are difficult to determine, but it may be that they were to bring 4.5 liters of flour and 1.8 liters each of oil and wine.
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.”
