Numbers 18:15
Context18:15 The firstborn of every womb which they present to the Lord, whether human or animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn sons you must redeem, 1 and the firstborn males of unclean animals you must redeem.
Numbers 22:30
Context22:30 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 2 to treat you this way?” 3 And he said, “No.”
1 tn The construction uses the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense of the verb “to redeem” in order to stress the point – they were to be redeemed. N. H. Snaith suggests that the verb means to get by payment what was not originally yours, whereas the other root גָאַל (ga’al) means to get back what was originally yours (Leviticus and Numbers [NCB], 268).
2 tn Here the Hiphil perfect is preceded by the Hiphil infinitive absolute for emphasis in the sentence.
3 tn Heb “to do thus to you.”