Discovery BoxNumbers 22:11 
Context22:11 “Look, a nation has come out 1 of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them 2 and drive them out.” 3
Numbers 22:32
Context22:32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing 4 is perverse before me. 5
Numbers 22:38
Context22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able 6 to speak 7 just anything? I must speak 8 only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
Numbers 23:23
Context23:23 For there is no spell against 9 Jacob,
nor is there any divination against Israel.
At this time 10 it must be said 11 of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘Look at 12 what God has done!’
Numbers 24:10
Context24:10 Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. 13 Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless 14 them these three times!
Numbers 31:16
Context31:16 Look, these people through the counsel of Balaam caused the Israelites to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor – which resulted in the plague among the community of the Lord!
1 tn In this passage the text differs slightly; here it is “the nation that comes out,” using the article on the noun, and the active participle in the attributive adjective usage.
2 tn Here the infinitive construct is used to express the object or complement of the verb “to be able” (it answers the question of what he will be able to do).
3 tn The verb is the Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. It either carries the force of an imperfect tense, or it may be subordinated to the preceding verbs.
4 tn Heb “your way.”
5 tn The verb יָרַט (yarat) occurs only here and in Job 16:11. Balaam is embarking on a foolish mission with base motives. The old rendering “perverse” is still acceptable.
6 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?”
7 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.
8 tn The imperfect tense is here taken as an obligatory imperfect.
9 tn Or “in Jacob.” But given the context the meaning “against” is preferable. The words describe two techniques of consulting God; the first has to do with observing omens in general (“enchantments”), and the second with casting lots or arrows of the like (“divinations” [Ezek 21:26]). See N. H. Snaith, Leviticus and Numbers (NCB), 295-96.
10 tn The form is the preposition “like, as” and the word for “time” – according to the time, about this time, now.
11 tn The Niphal imperfect here carries the nuance of obligation – one has to say in amazement that God has done something marvelous or “it must be said.”
12 tn The words “look at” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
13 sn This is apparently a sign of contempt or derision (see Job 27:23; and Lam 2:15).
14 tn The construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the perfect tense for “bless.”
