Bilangan 8:16

8:16 For they are entirely given ¹  to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of ²  all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.

Bilangan 21:16

21:16 And from there they traveled ³  to Beer; ⁴  that is the well where the Lord spoke to Moses, “Gather the people and I will give them water.”

Bilangan 22:30

22:30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted ⁵  to treat you this way?” ⁶  And he said, “No.”

Bilangan 22:38

22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able ⁷  to speak ⁸  just anything? I must speak ⁹  only the word that God puts in my mouth.”

Bilangan 24:14

24:14 And now, I am about to go ¹⁰  back to my own people. Come now, and I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in the future.” ¹¹ 

[8:16]  ¹ tn As before, the emphasis is obtained by repeating the passive participle: “given, given to me.”

[8:16]  ² tn Or “as substitutes” for all the firstborn of the Israelites.

[21:16]  ³ tn The words “they traveled” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied here because of English style. The same phrase is supplied at the end of v. 18.

[21:16]  ⁴ sn Isa 15:8 mentions a Moabite Beerelim, which Simons suggests is Wadi Ettemed.

[22:30]  ⁵ tn Here the Hiphil perfect is preceded by the Hiphil infinitive absolute for emphasis in the sentence.

[22:30]  ⁶ tn Heb “to do thus to you.”

[22:38]  ⁷ 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?”

[22:38]  ⁸ 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.

[22:38]  ⁹ tn The imperfect tense is here taken as an obligatory imperfect.

[24:14]  ¹⁰ tn The construction is the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) suffixed followed by the active participle. This is the futur instans use of the participle, to express something that is about to happen: “I am about to go.”

[24:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “in the latter days.” For more on this expression, see E. Lipinski, “באחרית הימים dans les textes préexiliques,” VT 20 (1970): 445-50.