Numbers 14:13

14:13 Moses said to the Lord, “When the Egyptians hear ¹  it – for you brought up this people by your power from among them –

Numbers 22:38

22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able ²  to speak ³  just anything? I must speak ⁴  only the word that God puts in my mouth.”

¹ tn The construction is unusual in that we have here a perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive with no verb before it to establish the time sequence. The context requires that this be taken as a vav (ו) consecutive. It actually forms the protasis for the next verse, and would best be rendered “when…then they will say.”

² tn The verb is אוּכַל (’ukhal) in a question – “am I able?” But emphasizing this is the infinitive absolute before it. So Balaam is saying something like, “Can I really say anything?”

³ tn The Piel infinitive construct (without the preposition) serves as the object of the verb “to be able.” The whole question is rhetorical – he is saying that he will not be able to say anything God does not allow him to say.

⁴ tn The imperfect tense is here taken as an obligatory imperfect.