OET interlinear NUM 24:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-quotations

וַ⁠יִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖⁠וֹ וַ⁠יֹּאמַ֑ר

and,he_lifted_up oracle_of,his and,he_said

The author is using the phrase And he lifted up his oracle and said to introduce a direct quotation. In your translation, use a natural way of introducing direct quotations in your language.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙

oracle_of Bilˊām

Balaam is using the possessive form to mean the message that he himself is declaring. If a speaker of your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [Balaam declares this]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

בְּנ֣⁠וֹ בְעֹ֔ר

his/its=son Bəˊōr

Balaam is using the possessive form to mean that he is the son whose father is Beor. If a speaker of your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the son whose father is Beor]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

וּ⁠נְאֻ֥ם הַ⁠גֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָ⁠עָֽיִן

and,the_utterance_of of,the_man opened_of of,the_eye

Balaam is using the possessive form to mean the message spoken by the man, that is, by Balaam himself. If a speaker of your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could express this idea in another way. Alternate translation: [and the message that the man whose eye is opened speaks]

Note 5 topic: translate-alternativereadings

שְׁתֻ֥ם הָ⁠עָֽיִן

opened_of of,the_eye

The word translated as opened represents the written Hebrew text. However, some scholars have proposed that by changing the vowels of this word it would say “closed.” In this case, the meaning would be that Balaam’s eyes had previously been closed. You may want to follow the major translation in your area. Alternate translation: [having been closed of the eye]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שְׁתֻ֥ם הָ⁠עָֽיִן

opened_of of,the_eye

Here Balaam is speaking of his ability to perceive what God reveals as if it were physical sight, describing himself as opened of the eye. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [who perceives clearly]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

שְׁתֻ֥ם הָ⁠עָֽיִן

opened_of of,the_eye

The expression opened of the eye is a passive verbal form. If it would be unnatural to use that form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [whose eye God has opened]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣⁠וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּ⁠נְאֻ֥ם הַ⁠גֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָ⁠עָֽיִן

oracle_of Bilˊām his/its=son Bəˊōr and,the_utterance_of of,the_man opened_of of,the_eye

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine them and express the emphasis in another way. Another approach would be to connect the phrases with a word that shows that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. See how you as a team have decided to translate the parallel phrases in poetry, and follow that approach here and throughout this chapter. Alternate translation: [This is the solemn declaration of Balaam son of Beor, the man whose eye is opened] or [The declaration of Balaam, the son of him, Beor, indeed, the declaration of the man, opened of eye]