NUM 23:10 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Who can count the dust that Yakov leaves behind?
⇔ ≈ Who can even count a quarter of the Israelis?
⇔ Let me die like those honourable people,
⇔ ≈ and let my end be like theirs.”

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Τίς ἐξηκριβάσατο τὸ σπέρμα Ἰακὼβ, καὶ τίς ἐξαριθμήσεται δήμους Ἰσραήλ; ἀποθάνοι ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ψυχαῖς δικαίων, καὶ γένοιτο τὸ σπέρμα μου ὡς τὸ σπέρμα τούτων.
(Tis exaʸkribasato to sperma Yakōb, kai tis exarithmaʸsetai daʸmous Israaʸl; apothanoi haʸ psuⱪaʸ mou en psuⱪais dikaiōn, kai genoito to sperma mou hōs to sperma toutōn.)

BrTr Who has exactly calculated the seed of Jacob, and who shall number the families of Israel? let my soul die with the souls of the righteous, and let my seed be as their seed.

ULT Who has counted the dust of Jacob,
⇔ or a number, the fourth of Israel?
⇔ May my soul die a death of upright ones,
⇔ and may my end be like his!

UST There are too many Israelites to count,
⇔ even if someone tried to count just one quarter of them!
⇔ I wish that, when I die, I will be like
⇔ one of these people who have done what is right.”

BSB Who can count the dust of Jacob
⇔ or number [even] a fourth of Israel?
⇔ Let me die the death of the righteous;
⇔ let my end be like theirs!”

MSB (Same as BSB above)

OEB No OEB NUM book available

WEBBE Who can count the dust of Jacob,
⇔ or count the fourth part of Israel?
⇔ Let me die the death of the righteous!
⇔ Let my last end be like his!”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Who can count the dust of Jacob,
⇔ Or number the fourth part of Israel?
⇔ Let me die the death of the upright,
⇔ and let the end of my life be like theirs.”

LSV Who has counted the dust of Jacob,
And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones,
And let my last end be like his!”

FBV Who can count Jacob's descendants? They are so many they're like dust! Who can count even a quarter of the Israelites?
¶ I would like to die as a good person dies! Let the end of my life be like their end!”

T4T ◄Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of ?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of !► [RHQ]
⇔ ◄Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!► [RHQ]
⇔ I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die;
⇔ I hope that I will die peacefully like they will die.”

LEB • Who can count the dust of Jacob,
• or as a number the fourth part of Israel?
• Let my life die the death of an upright person,
• and let my end be like his!”

BBE Who is able to take the measure of the dust of Jacob or the number of the thousands of Israel? May my death be the death of the upright and my last end like his!

Moff No Moff NUM book available

JPS Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered the stock of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let mine end be like his!

ASV Who can count the dust of Jacob,
⇔ Or number the fourth part of Israel?
⇔ Let me die the death of the righteous,
⇔ And let my last end be like his!

DRA Who can count the dust of Jacob, and know the number of the stock of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the just, and my last end be like to them.

YLT Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, And the number of the fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of upright ones, And let my last end be like his!'

Drby Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let my soul die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his!

RV Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my last end be like his!

SLT Who divided out the dust of Jacob and who numbered the fourth of Israel? My soul shall die the death of the just, and my latter state shall be as his.

Wbstr Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

KJB-1769 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his![fn]

23.10 me: Heb. my soul, or, my life

KJB-1611 Who can count the dust of Iacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let [fn]mee die the death of the righteous, & let my last end be like his.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

23:10 Hebr. my soule, or my life.

Bshps Who can tell the dust of Iacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? I pray God that my soule may dye the death of the righteous, and that my last ende may be like his.
(Who can tell the dust of Yacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? I pray God that my soul may dye the death of the righteous, and that my last end may be like his.)

Gnva Who can tell the dust of Iaakob, and the nomber of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last ende be like his.
(Who can tell the dust of Yacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.)

Cvdl Who can tell the dust of Iacob, & the nombre of the fourth parte of Israel? My soule die ye death of ye righteous, and my ende be as the ende of these.
(Who can tell the dust of Yacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? My soul die ye/you_all death of ye/you_all righteous, and my end be as the end of these.)

Wycl Who may noumbre the dust, that is, kynrede, of Jacob, and knowe the noumbre of the generacioun of Israel? My lijf die in the deeth of iust men, and my laste thingis be maad lijk hem!
(Who may number the dust, that is, kindred, of Yacob, and know the number of the generation of Israel? My life die in the death of just men, and my last things be made like hem!)

Luth Wer kann zählen den Staub Jakobs und die Zahl des vierten Teils Israels? Meine SeeLE müsse sterben des Todes der Gerechten, und mein Ende werde wie dieser Ende!
(Who can to_count the dust Yakobs and the number the fourth part/portions Israel's? My soul must die the death the/of_the righteous_(ones), and my end(n) become as/like this end(n)!)

ClVg Quis dinumerare possit pulverem Jacob, et nosse numerum stirpis Israël? Moriatur anima mea morte justorum, et fiant novissima mea horum similia.][fn]
(Who to_enumerate can dust Yacob, and to_know the_number stirpis Israel? Moriatur the_soul my death of_the_righteous, and be_done latest my of_these similar.])

23.10 Moriatur anima mea. ID. De se prophetare videtur: sed secundum litteram nec in Balaam, nec in illo Isræl factum est, nec fieri potuit, nec enim intra ipsos, sed ab ipsis mortuus est. ID. Moriatur anima mea morte justorum, etc., usque ad: sed fides quæ per dilectionem operatur Gal. 5.. GREG., lib. XXXIII Moral., cap. 27. Moriatur anima mea morte justorum, et fiant novissima mea horum, etc. Multi intra Ecclesiam, etc., usque ad unde, Vultus ejus non sunt amplius in diversa mutati I Reg. 1.. Et fiant novissima mea horum, etc. ORIG. Hoc in Magis, qui de Oriente primi venerunt adorare Christum Matth. 2., potest intelligi, qui de genere Balaam erant per generis successionem, et per disciplinæ traditionem. Constat enim eos agnovisse stellam quam prædixerat Balaam in Isræl orituram

23.10 Moriatur the_soul my. ID. From/About himself a_prophetre it_seems: but after/second literally but_not in/into/on Balaam, but_not in/into/on that/there Israel done it_is, but_not to_be_done could, but_not because inside themselves, but away themselves dead it_is. ID. Moriatur the_soul my death of_the_righteous, etc., until to: but faith which through love works Gal. 5.. GREG., lib. 31II Moral., chapter. 27. Moriatur the_soul my death of_the_righteous, and be_done latest my of_these, etc. Many inside assembly/church, etc., until to from_where/who, He_wantsus his not/no are more in/into/on different changesi I Reg. 1.. And be_done latest my of_these, etc. ORIG. This in/into/on Magis, who/which from/about Oriente first they_came to_adore Christ/Messiah Matth. 2., can to_be_understood, who/which from/about in_general Balaam they_were through kind successionem, and through discipline tradition. Constat because them I_recognisedsse starm how had_predicted Balaam in/into/on Israel risesam

UTN 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]

Parallel NUM 23:10