OET interlinear NUM 23:10

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּ⁠מִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

who? portion dust_of Yaakob and,a_number DOM fourth_part_of Yisrael

Balaam is using the question form to emphasize that no one is able to count the people of Israel, because they are so numerous. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [No one can count the dust of Jacob, or number even a fourth of Israel!]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב

dust_of Yaakob

Balaam is speaking of the descendants of Jacob as if they were the dust of Jacob, which is too plentiful to count. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the descendants of Jacob, as numerous as dust]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וּ⁠מִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

and,a_number DOM fourth_part_of Yisrael

Balaam is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [or who has counted a number, the fourth of Israel]

Note 4 topic: translate-alternativereadings

וּ⁠מִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

and,a_number DOM fourth_part_of Yisrael

The word translated as a number is a translation of the standard written Hebrew text. You may want to follow an alternative reading from the ancient Greek translation, which uses the verbal form “has numbered.” Alternate translation: [or who has numbered the fourth of Israel]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

אֶת רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

DOM fourth_part_of Yisrael

Balaam is using this possessive form to mean a fourth part of the people of Israel. If a speaker of your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [a fourth of the people of Israel]

Note 6 topic: translate-alternativereadings

אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל

DOM fourth_part_of Yisrael

The phrase the fourth of Israel is a translation of the standard written Hebrew text. You may want to follow an alternative reading that some scholars have suggested. Alternate translation: [the dust clouds of Israel]

Note 7 topic: writing-poetry

תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁ⁠י֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים

(Some words not found in UHB: who? portion dust_of Yaakob and,a_number DOM fourth_part_of Yisrael die self_of,my to_die upright and,let_it_be end_of,my like,his )

Balaam is using a construction in which a verb and its object come from the same root. You may be able to use the same construction in your language to express the meaning here. Alternatively, your language may have another way of saying this. Alternate translation: [May I die the same death that upright people die]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

יְשָׁרִ֔ים

upright

Balaam is using the adjective upright as a noun to mean a certain kind of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this adjective with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: [people who are upright]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וּ⁠תְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖⁠י כָּמֹֽ⁠הוּ

and,let_it_be end_of,my like,his

The point of this comparison is that just as the upright come to a peaceful and blessed end, so Balaam wishes his own end to be. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [and may my end be as peaceful and blessed as theirs]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

אַחֲרִיתִ֖⁠י

end_of,my

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of end, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the way I finish my life]