Numbers 23:23

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Surely there is no enchantment with Ya`akov; Neither is there any divination with Yisra'el: Now shall it be said of Ya`akov and of Yisra'el, What has God done!

King James Version
Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Lexham English Bible
Because there is no sorcery against Jacob, and there is no divination against Israel. Now it will be said to Jacob and Israel, what God has done!

English Standard Version
For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!'

New Century Version
No tricks will work on the people of Jacob, and no magic will work against Israel. People now say about them, ‘Look what God has done for Israel!'

New English Translation
For there is no spell against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. At this time it must be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Look at what God has done!'

Amplified Bible
"For there is no enchantment or omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel. At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what has God done!

New American Standard Bible
"For there is no magic curse against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done!

Geneva Bible (1587)
For there is no sorcerie in Iaakob, nor soothsaying in Israel: according to this time it shalbe sayde of Iaakob and of Israel, What hath God wrought?

Legacy Standard Bible
For there is no omen against Jacob,Nor is there any divination against Israel;At the proper time it shall be said to JacobAnd to Israel, what God has done!

Contemporary English Version
No magic charms can work against them— just look what God has done for his people.

Complete Jewish Bible
thus one can't put a spell on Ya‘akov, no magic will work against Isra'el. It can now be said of Ya‘akov and Isra'el, ‘What is this that God has done?!'

Darby Translation
For there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. At this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Easy-to-Read Version
There is no power that can defeat the people of Jacob. There is no magic that can stop the Israelites. People will say this about Jacob and the Israelites: ‘Look at the great things God did!'

George Lamsa Translation
For there is no augury in Jacob, neither is there any divination in Israel; according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

Good News Translation
There is no magic charm, no witchcraft, That can be used against the nation of Israel. Now people will say about Israel, ‘Look what God has done!'

Christian Standard Bible®
There is no magic curse against Jacoband no divination against Israel.It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,“What great things God has done!”

Literal Translation
For there is not a spell against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. Now it is said of Jacob and Israel, See what God has done!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For there is no Sorcerye in Iacob, & no Soyth sayer in Israel. Whan the tyme cometh, it shalbe saide vnto Iacob, & to Israel, what God doth.

American Standard Version
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Bible in Basic English
No evil power has effect against Jacob, no secret arts against Israel; at the right time it will be said of Jacob and of Israel, See what God has done!

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For there is no sorcerie in Iacob, nor soothsaying in Israel, according to this time it shalbe sayde of Iacob and Israel: What hath God wrought?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel; now is it said of Jacob and of Israel: 'What hath God wrought!'

King James Version (1611)
Surely there is no inchantment against Iacob, neither is there any diuination against Israel: according to this time it shalbe said of Iacob, and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For there is no divination in Jacob, nor enchantment in Israel; in season it shall be told to Jacob and Israel what God shall perform.

English Revised Version
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob, Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Berean Standard Bible
For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What great things God has done!'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
fals tellyng bi chiteryng of bryddis, `ethir idolatrie, is not in Jacob, nethir fals dyuynyng is in Israel. In his tymes it schal be seide to Jacob and Israel, What the Lord hath wrought!

Young's Literal Translation
For no enchantment [is] against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought!

Update Bible Version
Surely there is no magic against Jacob; Neither is there any fortune-telling against Israel: Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God wrought!

Webster's Bible Translation
Surely [there is] no enchantment against Jacob, neither [is there] any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

World English Bible
Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What has God done!

New King James Version
"For there is no sorcery against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob And of Israel, "Oh, what God has done!'

New Living Translation
No curse can touch Jacob; no magic has any power against Israel. For now it will be said of Jacob, ‘What wonders God has done for Israel!'

New Life Bible
For there is no special thing that has been shown against Jacob. Nothing has told of a bad future for Israel. Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘Look what God has done!'

New Revised Standard
Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘See what God has done!'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Surely, there is no enchantment against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, - Now, shall it be said - Of Jacob and of Israel, What hath GOD wrought!

Douay-Rheims Bible
There is no soothsaying in Jacob, nor divination in Israel. In their times it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God hath wrought.

Revised Standard Version
For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What has God wrought!'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done!

Contextual Overview

¹³ Balak said to him, "Go with me to another place from which you can only see the outskirts of their camp—you won't be able to see the whole camp. From there, curse them for my sake." ¹⁴ So he took him to Watchmen's Meadow at the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, "Take up your station here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I meet with him over there." ¹⁶ God met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, "Return to Balak and give him the message." ¹⁷Balaam returned and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and the nobles of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What did God say?" Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: On your feet, Balak. Listen, listen carefully son of Zippor: God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? I was brought here to bless; and now he's blessed—how can I change that? He has no bone to pick with Jacob, he sees nothing wrong with Israel. God is with them, and they're with him, shouting praises to their King. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox. No magic spells can bind Jacob, no incantations can hold back Israel. People will look at Jacob and Israel and say, "What a great thing has God done!" Look, a people rising to its feet, stretching like a lion, a king-of-the-beasts, aroused, Unsleeping, unresting until its hunt is over and it's eaten and drunk its fill. ²⁵ Balak said to Balaam, "Well, if you can't curse them, at least don't bless them." ²⁶ Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you earlier: ‘All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak'?" ²⁷Balak said to Balaam, "Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can find the right place in God's eyes where you'll be able to curse them for me." So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, with a vista over the Jeshimon (Wasteland). ²⁹ Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice." ³⁰ Balak did it and presented an offering of a bull and a ram on each of the altars.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

no enchantment: Numbers 22:6, Numbers 24:1, Genesis 3:15, Matthew 12:25, Matthew 12:27, Matthew 16:18, Luke 10:18, Luke 10:19, Romans 16:20, Revelation 12:9

against: or, in

according: Psalms 44:1-3, Psalms 136:13-20, Isaiah 63:9-12, Daniel 9:15, Micah 6:4, Micah 6:5, Micah 7:15

What hath: Psalms 31:19, Psalms 64:9, Psalms 126:2, Psalms 126:3, Isaiah 41:4, John 11:47, Acts 4:16, Acts 5:12, Acts 5:14, Acts 10:38, Acts 15:12, Galatians 1:23, Galatians 1:24, 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Thessalonians 1:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:7 - Who Exodus 6:1 - Now shalt Leviticus 1:3 - a burnt Numbers 1:28 - General Numbers 22:12 - thou shalt not curse Numbers 23:8 - General Numbers 24:23 - when God Deuteronomy 32:31 - General Nehemiah 6:16 - for they perceived Psalms 28:5 - operation Psalms 46:8 - Come Psalms 66:5 - Come Psalms 105:1 - make known Psalms 109:28 - Let them Isaiah 41:20 - General Mark 12:11 - General Acts 9:21 - amazed 2 Thessalonians 1:10 - to be glorified

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel,.... Balaam here owns, that all his enchantments and divinations signified nothing, and would never prevail to bring a curse upon Israel; it was a vain thing for him to use them, and as vain for Balak to expect anything from them; neither he nor any other enchanter and soothsayer, using all the arts they are masters of, could ever do any hurt to such a people, who were the peculiar care of God, and were his church, against which the gates of hell could not prevail: or "in Jacob" and "in Israel" m; and this is the sense of all the Targums, that there are no enchantments nor enchanters, no divinations nor diviners in Israel; these were not agreeable to them, nor suffered among them, and therefore they were acceptable and well pleasing in the sight of God and indeed this sense agrees both with the literal version of the words, and is the sense Jarchi gives of them; that these people were fit for the blessing, because there were no enchanters and diviners among them; though he mentions another, and that is, that Israel had no need of enchanters and diviners, and of their enchantments and divinations, because they had the prophets to inform them, and the Urim and Thummim to declare things unto them:

according to this time it shall be said of Jacob, and of Israel, what hath God wrought! as with respect to this time as well as to time past, and with respect to time to come, even with respect to all times; it shall be said with wonder and amazement, what great things has God done for this people! as bringing them out of the land of Egypt, leading them through the Red sea, feeding and supplying them in the wilderness, protecting them from their enemies there, expelling the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and setting them there in their stead; and wonderful things has God done for his spiritual Israel, in the redemption of them by Christ, in the beginning and carrying on the work of grace upon their hearts, by his Spirit; and at last he will bring them all to the heavenly Canaan of rest and happiness, and where this will be matter of admiration with them to all eternity, what has God done for us!

m ביעקב בישראל "in Jahacob, in Israel", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Enchantment ... divination - More strictly “augury” and “soothsayer’s token,” or the omen that was superstitiously observed. “Soothsayer” is the term applied to Balaam in Joshua 13:22.

The verse intimates that the seer was at last, through the overruling of his own auguries, compelled to own what, had he not been blinded by avarice and ambition, he would have discerned before - that there Was an indisputable interference of God on Israel’s behalf, against which all arts and efforts of man must prove vain. The sense suggested by margin (i. e., that the soothsayer’s art was not practiced in Israel) would be strictly true (compare the Numbers 23:4 note).

According ... - Rather, in due time it shall be told to Jacob, etc. God will, through His own divinely appointed means (e. g. the Urim and Thummim), reveal to Israel, as occasion may require, His will and purposes.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 23:23. There is no enchantment, c. — Because God has determined to save them, therefore no enchantment can prevail against them.

According to this time, c. — I think this clause should be read thus: "As at this time it shall be told to Jacob and to Israel what God worketh" i. e., this people shall always have prophetic information of what God is about to work. And indeed, they are the only people under heaven who ever had this privilege. When God himself designed to punish them because of their sins, he always forewarned them by the prophets and also took care to apprise them of all the plots of their enemies against them.