ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Numbers 24.19

Book: Numbers · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"17. I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult. 18. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies; While Israel doeth valiantly."

"19. And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city."

"20. And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction. 21. And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock." (Numbers 24:17-21, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"17. I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Sheth. 18. Edom shall be a possession. Seir, his enemies, also shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly."

"19. Out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.”"

"20. He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his latter end shall come to destruction.” 21. He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock." (Numbers 24:17-21, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"17. I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. smite: or, smite through the princes of 18. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly."

"19. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city."

"20. And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever. the nations: the nations that warred against Israel that: or, even to destruction 21. And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock." (Numbers 24:17-21, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"17. I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth. 18. And Edom hath been a possession, And Seir hath been a possession, [for] its enemies, And Israel is doing valiantly;"

"19. And [one] doth rule out of Jacob, And hath destroyed a remnant from Ar.'"

"20. And he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'A beginning of the Goyim [is] Amalek; And his latter end, for ever he perisheth.' 21. And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Enduring [is] thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest," (Numbers 24:17-21, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Moses (traditional)
  • Audience: Israelite congregation post-Sinai
  • Location: Sinai → wilderness wanderings → plains of Moab
  • Time period: events c. 1445-1406 BC; composed c. 1446-1406 BC

Theological reading

Key words

No Strong's-tagged lexicon matches found in this passage. (Lexicon coverage is curated, ~159 of the most apologetically-loaded Greek/Hebrew terms.)

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.