Numbers 24 — Hebrew and Greek compared
↠Numbers 23 compared · Reading text of Numbers 24 · Numbers: all chapters · Numbers 25 compared →
Same 3 Similar 1 Different 10 Divergent 1 Disparate 10
Disparate in this chapter: 24:4, 24:6, 24:7, 24:8, 24:16, 24:17, 24:18, 24:20, 24:22, 24:24
Each verse is rendered independently from the Hebrew (Rabbinic reading tradition) and from the Greek (Saints reading tradition). The badge classifies the relationship between the two readings; the note beneath records the source document’s comparison and attributed interpretation. Each column retains its own verse references where numbering differs.
The Third Oracle
24:1 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:1 Balaam saw that it pleased YHWH to bless Israel, so he did not go as before to seek omens. He turned his face toward the wilderness.
Greek · Saints priority
24:1 Balaam saw that it was good before the Lord to bless Israel, so he did not go as usual to seek omens. He turned his face toward the wilderness.
24:2 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:2 Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling by its tribes, and God's Spirit came upon him.
Greek · Saints priority
24:2 Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped by tribes, and God's Spirit came within him.
Upon him / within him changes the Spirit's stated relation to Balaam; both attribute the oracle to divine inspiration.
24:3 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:3 He took up his oracle and said: The utterance of Balaam son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is opened,
Greek · Saints priority
24:3 He took up his parable and said: Balaam son of Beor declares; the man who sees truly declares,
Hebrew shetum ha'ayin is uncertain, variously understood as opened or closed eye; Greek plainly describes true sight. The Hebrew rendering is tentative.
24:4 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:4 the utterance of one who hears God's words, who sees a vision of Shaddai, falling down with eyes uncovered:
Greek · Saints priority
24:4 one who hears God's oracles declares, who saw a vision of God in sleep, with his eyes uncovered:
Falling down / in sleep changes the visionary state; Shaddai / God changes the divine designation.
24:5 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:5 How good are your tents, Jacob, your dwellings, Israel!
Greek · Saints priority
24:5 How beautiful are your houses, Jacob, your tents, Israel!
Tents and dwellings / houses and tents changes the paired habitation terms.
24:6 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:6 Like valleys stretching out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by YHWH, like cedars beside waters.
Greek · Saints priority
24:6 Like shaded wooded valleys, like gardens beside rivers, like tents pitched by the Lord, like cedars beside waters.
Aloes planted by YHWH / tents pitched by the Lord changes the central image. Stretching valleys / shaded valleys and river / rivers also differ.
24:7 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:7 Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall have abundant water. His king shall rise higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
Greek · Saints priority
24:7 A man shall come forth from his offspring and rule over many nations. His kingdom shall rise higher than Gog, and his kingdom shall increase.
Hebrew's water and seed image becomes an individual ruler over nations in Greek; Agag / Gog and king / kingdom are substantive readings, not ordinary spelling variants.
Rabbinic reception: Rashi identifies the defeat of Agag with Saul’s victory and the subsequent exaltation of kingship with David and Solomon. That reading follows the Hebrew Agag wording; it does not erase Greek Gog.
Source: Rashi, Numbers 24:7
24:8 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:8 God brings him out of Egypt; his strength is like a wild ox's. He shall devour the nations that oppose him, gnaw their bones, and pierce them with his arrows.
Greek · Saints priority
24:8 God guided him out of Egypt; his glory is like a one-horned beast's. He shall devour the nations of his enemies, suck out their fat, and shoot down an enemy with his missiles.
Bones / fat changes the predatory image; strength / glory and wild ox / one-horned beast also differ. Hebrew's final arrow clause is compressed and its exact syntax uncertain.
24:9 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:9 He crouched and lay down like a lion, like a lioness—who will rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.
Greek · Saints priority
24:9 He lay down and rested like a lion, like a lion cub—who will rouse him? Those who bless you are blessed, and those who curse you are cursed.
Lioness / lion cub; the blessing and curse reciprocation agrees.
Conflict Between Balak and Balaam
24:10 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:10 Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam: I summoned you to curse my enemies, and look, you have thoroughly blessed them these three times!
Greek · Saints priority
24:10 Balak became angry with Balaam and clapped his hands. He said to Balaam: I summoned you to curse my enemy, and look, you have thoroughly blessed them this third time!
Enemies / enemy; three times / this third time.
24:11 Similar
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:11 Now flee to your own place! I said I would greatly honor you, but look, YHWH has kept you from honor.
Greek · Saints priority
24:11 Now flee to your own place! I said I would honor you, but now the Lord has deprived you of glory.
Honor / glory gives Balak's frustrated reward promise a different expression.
24:12 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:12 Balaam said to Balak: Did I not tell the messengers you sent to me:
Greek · Saints priority
24:12 Balaam said to Balak: Did I not tell the messengers you sent to me:
24:13 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:13 Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond YHWH's command to do good or evil of my own will. What YHWH speaks, I must speak.
Greek · Saints priority
24:13 Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the Lord's word to do evil or good on my own. Whatever God says, I must say.
Good–evil / evil–good; Greek's final designation is God where Hebrew repeats YHWH.
24:14 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:14 Now look, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.
Greek · Saints priority
24:14 Now look, I am returning to my place. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people at the end of the days.
My people / my place. Both introduce a future-oriented oracle; the expression does not itself supply an exact date.
The Fourth Oracle
24:15 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:15 He took up his oracle and said: The utterance of Balaam son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is opened,
Greek · Saints priority
24:15 He took up his parable and said: Balaam son of Beor declares; the man who sees truly declares,
The uncertain Hebrew eye-expression recurs; Greek again states true sight.
24:16 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:16 the utterance of one who hears God's words and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees a vision of Shaddai, falling down with eyes uncovered:
Greek · Saints priority
24:16 one who hears God's oracles, who knows knowledge from the Most High and has seen a vision of God in sleep, with his eyes uncovered:
Knowledge of / from the Most High; Shaddai / God; falling down / in sleep repeats the distinct visionary description.
24:17 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star shall march out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel. He shall crush Moab's temples and break down all the sons of Seth.
Greek · Saints priority
24:17 I will show him, but not now; I pronounce him blessed, but he does not draw near. A star shall rise from Jacob, and a man shall arise from Israel. He shall crush Moab's leaders and plunder all the sons of Seth.
Seeing / showing and beholding / pronouncing blessed differ. Hebrew's scepter becomes a man; Moab's temples or sides become leaders; breaking down becomes plunder. The figure is not named Jesus inside either translation.
Saints reception: Justin expressly cites the star from Jacob and applies it to Christ and the star recognized by the Magi. His Christian interpretation is kept alongside the independently translated Hebrew and Greek images.
Source: Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 106
24:18 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:18 Edom shall become a possession, and Seir, his enemies, shall become a possession, while Israel acts valiantly.
Greek · Saints priority
24:18 Edom shall become an inheritance, and Esau, his enemy, shall become an inheritance; Israel has acted with strength.
Seir / Esau changes the named object of conquest; enemies / enemy and prospective / completed action also differ.
24:19 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:19 One from Jacob shall rule and destroy the survivor from the city.
Greek · Saints priority
24:19 One shall arise from Jacob and destroy whoever escapes from a city.
Rule / arise changes the ruler's described action; the destruction of escapees is retained.
The Final Oracle
24:20 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:20 He saw Amalek, took up his oracle, and said: Amalek was first among the nations, but its end is destruction.
Greek · Saints priority
24:20 He saw Amalek, took up his parable, and said: Amalek is the beginning of nations, and their offspring shall perish.
The end of Amalek / destruction of its offspring shifts the focus to descendants in Greek.
24:21 Different
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:21 He saw the Kenites, took up his oracle, and said: Your dwelling is enduring, and your nest is set in the rock;
Greek · Saints priority
24:21 He saw the Kenite, took up his parable, and said: Your dwelling is strong; even if you set your nest in a rock,
A stated secure position / a conditional concession. The Greek sentence continues into verse 22.
24:22 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:22 yet Kain shall be burned away. How long until Asshur takes you captive?
Greek · Saints priority
24:22 even if a nest of craftiness should belong to Beor, Assyrians shall take you captive.
Kain and burning / Beor and a crafty nest is a major change of subject and image. Both end with Assyrian captivity; the Hebrew clause division is difficult.
24:23 Divergent
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:23 He took up his oracle and said: Alas, who can live when God appoints this?
Greek · Saints priority
24:23 He saw Og, took up his parable, and said: Alas, alas! Who will live when God brings these things about?
Greek adds the sight of Og and doubles the lament. Hebrew names no new observed person here.
24:24 Disparate
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:24 Ships shall come from the coast of Kittim and afflict Asshur and Eber; but they too shall end in destruction.
Greek · Saints priority
24:24 One shall come forth from the hand of the Kitians, and they shall afflict Asshur and the Hebrews; they themselves shall perish together.
Greek lacks ships, begins with an unnamed singular subject, and specifies Hebrews where Hebrew has Eber. Both predict the attackers' destruction, with different number and wording.
24:25 Same
Hebrew · Rabbinic priority
24:25 Balaam rose, went away, and returned to his place; Balak also went his way.
Greek · Saints priority
24:25 Balaam rose and departed, returning to his place, and Balak went home.
↠Numbers 23 compared · Reading text of Numbers 24 · Numbers: all chapters · Numbers 25 compared →
Saints Translation · Companion comparison edition · working draft awaiting specialist review.