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Read the Bible
Complete Jewish Bible
Numbers 23:8
"How am I to curse those whom God has not cursed? How am I to denounce those whom Adonai has not denounced?
Jump to:Bible Study Tools • Parallel Bible Verse • Bible Contextual Overview • Bible Cross-References • Gill's Bible Notes • Clarke's Bible Notes
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
Hebrew Names Version
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy, whom the LORD has not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy, whom the LORD has not defied?
King James Version
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
Lexham English Bible
How can I curse whom God has not cursed, and how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?
How can I curse whom God has not cursed, and how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?
English Standard Version
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
New Century Version
But God has not cursed them, so I cannot curse them. The Lord has not called down evil on them, so I cannot call down evil on them.
But God has not cursed them, so I cannot curse them. The Lord has not called down evil on them, so I cannot call down evil on them.
New English Translation
How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?
How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?
Amplified Bible
"How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the LORD has not denounced?
"How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the LORD has not denounced?
New American Standard Bible
"How am I to put a curse on him upon whom God has not put a curse? And how am I to curse him whom the LORD has not cursed?
"How am I to put a curse on him upon whom God has not put a curse? And how am I to curse him whom the LORD has not cursed?
Geneva Bible (1587)
How shal I curse, where God hath not cursed? or howe shall I detest, where the Lorde hath not detested?
How shal I curse, where God hath not cursed? or howe shall I detest, where the Lorde hath not detested?
Legacy Standard Bible
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?And how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?
How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?And how can I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced?
Contemporary English Version
But I can't go against God! He did not curse or condemn Israel.
But I can't go against God! He did not curse or condemn Israel.
Darby Translation
How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce?
How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom Jehovah doth not denounce?
Easy-to-Read Version
But God is not against them, so I cannot speak against them either! The Lord has not asked for bad things to happen to these people. So I cannot do that either.
But God is not against them, so I cannot speak against them either! The Lord has not asked for bad things to happen to these people. So I cannot do that either.
George Lamsa Translation
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I destroy whom the LORD has not destroyed?
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I destroy whom the LORD has not destroyed?
Good News Translation
How can I curse what God has not cursed, Or speak of doom when the Lord has not?
How can I curse what God has not cursed, Or speak of doom when the Lord has not?
Christian Standard Bible®
How can I curse someone God has not cursed?How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?
How can I curse someone God has not cursed?How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced?
Literal Translation
How shall I curse him whom God has not cursed? And how shall I rage at him at whom Jehovah has not raged?
How shall I curse him whom God has not cursed? And how shall I rage at him at whom Jehovah has not raged?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
How shall I curse, whom God curseth not? How shal I defye, whom ye LORDE defyeth not?
How shall I curse, whom God curseth not? How shal I defye, whom ye LORDE defyeth not?
American Standard Version
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?
Bible in Basic English
How may I put curses on him who is not cursed by God? how may I be angry with him with whom the Lord is not angry?
How may I put curses on him who is not cursed by God? how may I be angry with him with whom the Lord is not angry?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Howe shall I curse hym, whom God hath not cursed? or howe shall I defie hym, whom God hath not defied?
Howe shall I curse hym, whom God hath not cursed? or howe shall I defie hym, whom God hath not defied?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom the LORD hath not execrated?
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom the LORD hath not execrated?
King James Version (1611)
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defie, whom the Lord hath not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defie, whom the Lord hath not defied?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
How can I curse whom the Lord curses not? or how can I devote whom God devotes not?
How can I curse whom the Lord curses not? or how can I devote whom God devotes not?
English Revised Version
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?
Berean Standard Bible
How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?
How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
How schal Y curse whom God cursid not? bi what resoun schal Y `haue abhomynable whom God `hath not abhomynable?
How schal Y curse whom God cursid not? bi what resoun schal Y `haue abhomynable whom God `hath not abhomynable?
Young's Literal Translation
What -- do I pierce? -- God hath not pierced! And what -- am I indignant? -- Jehovah hath not been indignant!
What -- do I pierce? -- God hath not pierced! And what -- am I indignant? -- Jehovah hath not been indignant!
Update Bible Version
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Yahweh has not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Yahweh has not defied?
Webster's Bible Translation
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied?
World English Bible
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy, whom Yahweh has not defied?
How shall I curse, whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy, whom Yahweh has not defied?
New King James Version
"How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
"How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
New Living Translation
But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord has not condemned?
But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord has not condemned?
New Life Bible
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I say that those should be punished whom God has not said should be punished?
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I say that those should be punished whom God has not said should be punished?
New Revised Standard
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
How can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged.
How can I revile one whom GOD hath not reviled? Yea, how can I rage on one on whom Yahweh hath not raged.
Douay-Rheims Bible
How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?
How shall I curse him, whom God hath not cursed? By what means should I detest him, whom the Lord detesteth not?
Revised Standard Version
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
"How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
Contextual Overview
1 Bil‘am said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here." 2 Balak did as Bil‘am said; then Balak and Bil‘am offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Bil‘am said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering while I go off; maybe Adonai will come and meet me; and whatever he shows me I will tell you." He went off to a bare hill. 4 God met Bil‘am, who said to him, "I prepared the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar." 5 Then Adonai put a word in Bil‘am's mouth and said, "Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you." 6 He went back to him, and there, standing by his burnt offering, he with all the princes of Mo'av, 7 he made his pronouncement: "Balak, the king of Mo'av, brings me from Aram, from the eastern hills, saying, ‘Come, curse Ya‘akov for me; come and denounce Isra'el.' 8 "How am I to curse those whom God has not cursed? How am I to denounce those whom Adonai has not denounced? 9 "From the top of the rocks I see them, from the hills I behold them — yes, a people that will dwell alone and not think itself one of the nations. 10 "Who has counted the dust of Ya‘akov or numbered the ashes of Isra'el? May I die as the righteous die! May my end be like theirs!"
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Numbers 23:20, Numbers 23:23, Isaiah 44:25, Isaiah 47:12, Isaiah 47:13
Reciprocal: Genesis 27:29 - cursed Genesis 31:55 - blessed Numbers 22:6 - curse me Numbers 23:11 - General Deuteronomy 32:31 - General 1 Samuel 17:10 - I defy 2 Samuel 23:9 - defied Nehemiah 13:2 - our God Proverbs 26:2 - so Isaiah 49:25 - I will contend
Cross-References
Genesis 23:1
Sarah lived to be 127 years old; these were the years of Sarah's life.
Sarah lived to be 127 years old; these were the years of Sarah's life.
Genesis 23:2
Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba, also known as Hevron, in the land of Kena‘an; and Avraham came to mourn Sarah and weep for her.
Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba, also known as Hevron, in the land of Kena‘an; and Avraham came to mourn Sarah and weep for her.
Genesis 23:3
Then he got up from his dead one and said to the sons of Het,
Then he got up from his dead one and said to the sons of Het,
Genesis 23:4
"I am a foreigner living as an alien with you; let me have a burial site with you, so that I can bury my dead wife."
"I am a foreigner living as an alien with you; let me have a burial site with you, so that I can bury my dead wife."
Genesis 25:9
Yitz'chak and Yishma‘el his sons buried him in the cave of Makhpelah, in the field of ‘Efron the son of Tzochar the Hitti, by Mamre,
Yitz'chak and Yishma‘el his sons buried him in the cave of Makhpelah, in the field of ‘Efron the son of Tzochar the Hitti, by Mamre,
1 Kings 2:17
He said, "Please speak to Shlomo the king — for he won't say ‘No' to you — and ask him to give me Avishag the Shunamit as my wife."
He said, "Please speak to Shlomo the king — for he won't say ‘No' to you — and ask him to give me Avishag the Shunamit as my wife."
Hebrews 7:26
This is the kind of cohen gadol that meets our need — holy, without evil, without stain, set apart from sinners and raised higher than the heavens;
This is the kind of cohen gadol that meets our need — holy, without evil, without stain, set apart from sinners and raised higher than the heavens;
Gill's Notes on the Bible
How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed?.... The sense is, that it was impossible for him to curse those that God did not curse himself, or would not have cursed by others; not but that he had a good will to it, to get Balak's money and honour, but he knew not how to accomplish it; yea, he saw it was in vain to attempt it, it was a thing that could not possibly be done: God does not, nor will he curse his spiritual Israel; they are blessed by him in Christ, and they shall be blessed; nor is it in the power of their enemies to curse them, or do them any harm: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, instead of God and the Lord in this and the following clause, use the phase,
"the Word of the Lord;''
the essential Word, the Son of God, who is so far from cursing his people, that he has delivered them from the curses of the law, being made a curse for them, that the blessings of the everlasting covenant of grace might come upon them; and they are blessed of God in him, and for his sake, with all spiritual blessings:
or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied? which is the same thing in other words, only this last word is expressive of more contempt and indignation.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Numbers 23:8. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? — It was granted on all hands that no incantations nor imprecations could avail, unless God concurred and ratified them. From God's communication to Balaam he saw that God was determined to bless and defend Israel, and therefore all endeavours to injure them must be in vain.
