Numbers 23:13 Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp--not all of them. And from there, curse them for me."

◄ Numbers 23:13 ►

New International Version
Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.”

New Living Translation
Then King Balak told him, “Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!”

English Standard Version
And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

King James Bible
And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

New King James Version
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.”

New American Standard Bible
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and put a curse on them for me from there.”

NASB 1995
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.”

NASB 1977
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them, and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, but you will only see the end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there.”

Amplified Bible
Balak said to him, “Come with me, I implore you, to another place from where you can see them, although you will see only the nearest and not all of them; and curse them for me from there.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.”

American Standard Version
And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

Contemporary English Version
Balak said to Balaam, "Let's go somewhere else. Maybe if you see a smaller part of the Israelites, you will be able to curse them for me."

English Revised Version
And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you can see the Israelites. You will see only some of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there."

Good News Translation
Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come with me to another place from which you can see only some of the Israelites. Curse them for me from there."

International Standard Version
"Come with me to another place where you can see them," Balak replied. "You'll only see a portion of them, because you won't be able to see them completely. Come and curse them from there for me."

Majority Standard Bible
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp—not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.”

NET Bible
Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place from which you can observe them. You will see only a part of them, but you will not see all of them. Curse them for me from there."

New Heart English Bible
Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place, where you may see them; you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all; and curse them for me from there."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Balak said to him, Come, I pray thee, with me to another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and from thence curse them for me.

World English Bible
Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And Balak says to him, “Come! Come to another place with me, from where you see it—you see only its extremity, and you do not see all of it, and pierce it for me there”;

Young's Literal Translation
And Balak saith unto him, 'Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, whence thou dost see it, only its extremity thou dost see, and all of it thou dost not see, and pierce it for me thence;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Balak will say to him, Come now with me to another place, where thou shalt see him from thence: thou shalt see only their extremity, and thou shalt not see them all: and curse him to me from thence.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Balac therefore said: Come with me to another place from whence thou mayest see part of Israel, and canst not see them all: curse them from thence.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, Balak said: “Come with me to another place, from where you may see a portion of Israel, though you cannot see them all. Curse them from there.”

New American Bible
Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you can see them; but you will see only some, not all of them, and from there lay a curse on them for me.”

New Revised Standard Version
So Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only part of them, and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Balak said to him, Come with me to another place, from which you may see them; but you shall see the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all; and curse them for me from thence.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Balaq said to him: “Come with me to another region that you may see it from there, however its uttermost reaches you shall see and you shall not see all of it, and curse it for me from there.”

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Balak said unto him: 'Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Balac said to him, Come yet with me to another place where thou shalt not see the people, but only thou shalt see a part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Balaam's Second Oracle
13Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp— not all of them. And from there, curse them for me.” 14So Balak took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 23:5
Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

Joshua 24:9-10
Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, / but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.

Micah 6:5
My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”

Nehemiah 13:2
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

2 Peter 2:15-16
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. / But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

Psalm 109:28
Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Genesis 12:3
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 22:17-18
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. / And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Genesis 49:9-10
Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? / The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.

Exodus 23:22
But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

1 Samuel 15:29
Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”

Proverbs 26:2
Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

Treasury of Scripture

And Balak said to him, Come, I pray you, with me to another place, from from where you may see them: you shall see but the utmost part of them, and shall not see them all: and curse me them from there.

unto

1 Kings 20:23,28
And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they…

Micah 6:5
O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.

utmost

Numbers 22:41
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.

and curse me

Joshua 24:9
Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:

Psalm 109:17
As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

James 3:9,10
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God…

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Numbers 23

1. Balak's sacrifices

Berean Study Bible

Then Balak said to him
The narrative continues with Balak, the king of Moab, who is deeply concerned about the presence of the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "said" (אָמַר, 'amar) often implies a command or request, indicating Balak's desperation and authority. Historically, Balak's actions reflect the fear and political tension of the time, as the Israelites were perceived as a significant threat to the surrounding nations.

Please come with me
The phrase "please come" (לְכָה־נָּא, lecha-na) is a polite yet urgent request. Balak's insistence reveals his belief in the power of Balaam's words and blessings or curses. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern belief in the power of spoken words and blessings, which were considered to have tangible effects on reality.

to another place
Balak's strategy involves changing locations, hoping that a different vantage point might yield a different outcome. This reflects a common ancient belief that certain places held spiritual significance or power. Theologically, it underscores the futility of attempting to manipulate God’s will through human means or locations.

where you can see them
The emphasis on sight (רָאָה, ra'ah) is significant. In the ancient world, seeing was often linked to understanding and power. Balak believes that by seeing the Israelites, Balaam might be more inclined or able to curse them. This highlights the human tendency to rely on physical sight rather than spiritual insight.

You will see only a portion of them
Balak's plan is to limit Balaam's view to only a part of the Israelite camp. The Hebrew word for "portion" (קָצֶה, qatseh) suggests a boundary or extremity. This reflects Balak's hope that a partial view might lead to a more favorable curse, illustrating a limited human perspective versus God’s omniscience.

and not all of them
The phrase underscores the limitations of human perception. Balak's strategy is based on the assumption that a partial view might change the outcome. This serves as a reminder of the limitations of human understanding and the importance of trusting in God’s comprehensive vision.

Curse them for me from there
The word "curse" (קָבַב, qabab) is a strong term, indicating a desire to invoke harm or misfortune. Balak’s repeated attempts to have Israel cursed highlight the spiritual battle taking place. It underscores the belief in the power of curses and blessings in the ancient world, and the narrative ultimately demonstrates that God’s blessing cannot be overturned by human schemes.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them . . . --If this rendering be correct, it strongly confirms that interpretation of Numbers 22:41 according to which Balaam saw the whole host of Israel from Bamoth-Baal. The words may, however, be rendered thus: Thou seest (i.e., here) but the utmost part of them, and thou dost not see them all. If the interpretation of Numbers 22:41 is adopted, which restricts the view from Bamoth-Baal to the extremity of the host of Israel, the meaning of this verse would seem to be that if Balaam could obtain a full view of the entire army he would not only perceive the ground which existed for Balak's alarm, but would be induced to put forth more strenuous efforts to deliver him from so formidable an invasion. On the other hand, if that interpretation of Numbers 22:41 be adopted, which implies that from Bamoth-Baal Balaam had a view of the whole of the host of Israel from one extremity of their camps to the other, the meaning of this verse would be that although the sight of so vast and orderly a mass produced so powerful an effect upon Balaam that he was unable to utter the curses which he had desired to pronounce upon Israel, such an effect would not be equally likely to be produced if only a portion of the camps was visible at the same time.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 13. - Come... unto another place. Balak attributed the miscarriage of his enterprise thus far to something inauspicious in the locality. Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them. אֶפֶס קָצֶהוּ תִרְאֶה. Both the meaning of the nouns and the tense of the verb are disputed. By some "e ephes katsehu" (the end of the last of them) is held equivalent to "the whole of them," which seems to contradict the next clause even if defensible in itself. The ordinary rendering is favoured by the Septuagint (ἀλλ η} μέρος τι αὐτοῦ ὄψει) and by the Targums. On the other hand, some would read the verb in the present tense, and understand Balak's words to refer to the place they were leaving. This is in accordance with the statement in Numbers 22:41, and it would certainly seem as if Balak and Balaam moved each time nearer to that encampment which was for different masons the center of attraction to them both.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Then Balak
בָּלָ֗ק (bā·lāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1111: Balak -- 'devastator', a Moabite king

said
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
אֵלָ֜יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Please come
לְכָה־ (lə·ḵāh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

with
אִתִּ֜י (’it·tî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

me to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

another
אַחֵר֙ (’a·ḥêr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

place
מָק֤וֹם (mā·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

where
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you can see them.
תִּרְאֶ֣נּוּ (tir·’en·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

You will only
אֶ֚פֶס (’e·p̄es)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 657: Cessation, an end, no further, the ankle, foot

see
תִרְאֶ֔ה (ṯir·’eh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

the outskirts of their camp—
קָצֵ֣הוּ (qā·ṣê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7097: End, extremity

not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

all of them.
וְכֻלּ֖וֹ (wə·ḵul·lōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

And from there,
מִשָּֽׁם׃ (miš·šām)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

curse them for me.”
וְקָבְנוֹ־ (wə·qā·ḇə·nōw-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6895: To scoop out, to malign, execrate

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OT Law: Numbers 23:13 Balak said to him Please come (Nu Num.)