Balaam’s First Oracle
Numbers 23:8
In 11 translations
- BSB
- How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?
- KJV
- How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
- WEB
- How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom Yahweh has not defied?
- ASV
- How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?
- LSV
- How do I pierce [when] God has not pierced? And how am I indignant [when] YHWH has not been indignant?
- YLT
- What — do I pierce? — God hath not pierced! And what — am I indignant? — Jehovah hath not been indignant!
- DBY
- How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce?El
- DRC
- How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?
- GNV
- How shall I curse, where God hath not cursed? or howe shall I detest, where the Lord hath not detested?
- JPS
- How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom the LORD hath not execrated?
- LXXE
- How can I curse whom the Lord curses not? or how can I devote whom God devotes not?
Word by word Hebrew · tap a word
Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Hebrew has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.
Original-language editions
- WLC
- מָ֣ה אֶקֹּ֔ב לֹ֥א קַבֹּ֖ה אֵ֑ל וּמָ֣ה אֶזְעֹ֔ם לֹ֥א זָעַ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃
- LXX-Br
- Τί ἀράσωμαι ὃν μὴ ἀρᾶται Κύριος; ἢ τί καταράσωμαι ὃν μὴ καταρᾶται ὁ Θεός;
Who and where
People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.
In the reference works topics that cite this verse
MoabitesBalakDefyAbel-ShittimCharmMagic; MagicianPoetry, HebrewWorldlinessNumbers, Book ofDivination
From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).
Cross-references most cited first
- Numbers 23:23For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’
- Isaiah 44:25who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who confounds the wise and turns their knowledge into nonsense,
- Numbers 23:20I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
- Numbers 22:12But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”
- Isaiah 47:12–13So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! You are wearied by your many…
From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).