Numbers 24:21
New International Version
Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his message: “Your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock;

New Living Translation
Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message: “Your home is secure; your nest is set in the rocks.

English Standard Version
And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock.

Berean Standard Bible
Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff.

King James Bible
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

New King James Version
Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said: “Firm is your dwelling place, And your nest is set in the rock;

New American Standard Bible
And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Your dwelling place is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff.

NASB 1995
And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Your dwelling place is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff.

NASB 1977
And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Your dwelling place is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he looked at the Kenite and took up his discourse and said, “Your habitation is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff.

Amplified Bible
And Balaam looked at the Kenites and took up his [sixth] discourse (oracle) and said: “Strong is your dwelling place, And you set your nest in the cliff.

Christian Standard Bible
Next he saw the Kenites and proclaimed his poem: Your dwelling place is enduring; your nest is set in the cliffs.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Next he saw the Kenites and proclaimed his poem: Your dwelling place is enduring; your nest is set in the cliffs.

American Standard Version
And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he saw the Qainites and he lifted up his proverb and said: “Your habitat is strong and your nest is set on a cliff.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And having seen the Kenite, he took up his parable and said, thy dwelling-place is strong; yet though thou shouldest put thy nest in a rock,

Contemporary English Version
"And this is what I saw about the Kenites: They think they're safe, living among the rocks,

Douay-Rheims Bible
He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation in- deed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,

English Revised Version
And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling place, And thy nest is set in the rock.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then he saw the Kenites and delivered this message: "You have a permanent place to live. Your nest is built in a rock.

Good News Translation
In his vision he saw the Kenites, and uttered this prophecy: "The place where you live is secure, Safe as a nest set high on a cliff,

International Standard Version
Balaam also uttered this prophetic statement about the Kenites: "Your dwelling places are stable, because your nest is carved in solid rock.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, And though thy nest be set in the rock;

Literal Standard Version
And he sees the Kenite, and takes up his allegory, and says: “Your dwelling [is] enduring, | And your nest is being set in a rock,

Majority Standard Bible
Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff.

New American Bible
Upon seeing the Kenites, he recited his poem: Though your dwelling is safe, and your nest is set on a cliff;

NET Bible
Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle: "Your dwelling place seems strong, and your nest is set on a rocky cliff.

New Revised Standard Version
Then he looked on the Kenite, and uttered his oracle, saying: “Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock;

New Heart English Bible
He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, "Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

World English Bible
He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.

Young's Literal Translation
And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Enduring is thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Balaam's Final Three Oracles
20Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.” 21Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff. 22Yet Kain will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive.”…

Cross References
Genesis 15:19
the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites,

1 Samuel 15:6
And he warned the Kenites, "Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.


Treasury of Scripture

And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is your dwelling place, and you put your nest in a rock.

the Kenite.

Genesis 10:11
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

Ezra 4:2
Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

Psalm 83:8
Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

Jump to Previous
Cliff Discourse Dwelling Dwelling-Place Enduring Kenite Ken'ite Kenites Living-Place Nest Oracle Parable Puttest Rock Safe Secret Secure Setting Story Strong Uttered
Jump to Next
Cliff Discourse Dwelling Dwelling-Place Enduring Kenite Ken'ite Kenites Living-Place Nest Oracle Parable Puttest Rock Safe Secret Secure Setting Story Strong Uttered
Numbers 24
1. Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel
10. Balak, in anger, dismisses him
15. He prophesies of the Star of Jacob, and the destruction of some nations














(21-22) And he looked on the Kenites . . . --According to the ordinary interpretation of these verses the continuous destruction of the Kenites is foretold until the Israelites should be taken captive by the Assyrians. The Kenites are included amongst the tribes whose country Abraham's descendants were to possess (Genesis 15:19). A portion of this tribe, however (for there is no evidence that the Canaanitish and the Midianitish Kenites had a different origin), joined the Israelites, and settled on the southern border of Judah (Judges 1:16). If the Authorised Version of these verses be adopted, it is reasonable to conclude that the Kenites to whom Balaam's prophecy referred must have been included amongst the enemies of Israel, whose destruction, in common with their other foes, is here predicted. It is obvious that this interpretation is open to two serious objections:--(1) that the natural reference of the words "carry thee away captive" is to the Kenites, not to the Israelites; and (2) that as the later history, as well as the Book of Numbers, makes mention only of those Kenites who allied themselves with the Israelites, we should naturally expect that in accordance with the promise which was given to Hobab by Moses (Numbers 10:29), the Kenites should be distinguished from the enemies of Israel, and be exempted from the destruction with which they were threatened. Another rendering of Numbers 24:22, and one which appears to be more agreeable to the context in which it stands, is the following:--"For surely the Kenites shall not be destroyed until Asshur shall carry thee into captivity." This version has the support of the Targum of Palestine and other authorities. It is true that there is no express record of the fulfilment of this prophecy, but it is not probable that the Assyrians spared the Kenites who were settled amongst the Israelites; and we know from Jeremiah 35:11 that after the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, the Rechabites, who were of the Kenite race (1Chronicles 2:55), came to Jerusalem for fear of the armies of the Chaldeans and Syrians. If Asshur denotes in this place the Assyrians in the later acceptation of the term, it must be remembered that one branch of the Kenites settled in Naphtali, near Kadesh (Judges 4:11). Asshur, however, appears to be used in a wider sense, so as to include all the nations which proceeded from it (see Numbers 24:24). Even the Persian king is called, as Keil has observed, King of Asshur (Ezra 6:22). If this interpretation of the text be received, the antithesis between the doom of the Amalekites and the deliverance of the Kenites exactly corresponds to the attitude assumed by those tribes respectively in regard to Israel. . . . Verse 21. - He looked on the Kenites. This mashal is excessively obscure, for both the subject of it and the drift of it are disputed. On the one hand, the Kenites are mentioned among the Canaanitish tribes that were to be dispossessed, in Gem 15:19; on the other, they are identified with the Midianitish tribe to which Hobab and Raguel belonged, in Judges 1:16, and apparently in 1 Samuel 15:6 (see on Numbers 10:29). It has been supposed that the friendly Kenites had by this time loft the camp of Israel and established themselves by conquest in the south of Canaan, and even that they had occupied the territory and taken the name of the original Kenites of Genesis 15:19. This, however, is a mere conjecture, and a very improbable one. That a weak tribe like that of Hobab should have done what Israel had not dared to do, and settled themselves by force of arms in Southern Palestine, and, further, that they should be already known by the name of those whom they had destroyed, is extremely unlikely, and is inconsistent with the statement in Judges 1:16. And thou puttest thy nest in a rock. Rather, "and thy nest laid (שִׂים) upon a rock." We do not know where the Kenites dwelt, and therefore we cannot tell whether this expression is to be understood literally or figuratively. If the Canaanitish tribe is here spoken of, it is very likely they had their residence in some strong mountain fastness, but if the Midianitish tribe, then there is no reason to suppose that they had crossed the Jordan at all In that case the "nest" must be wholly figurative, and must refer to that strong confidence which they placed in the protection of the God of Israel.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Next he saw
וַיַּרְא֙ (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

the Kenites
הַקֵּינִ֔י (haq·qê·nî)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7017: Kenite -- members of the tribe of Kenites

and lifted up
וַיִּשָּׂ֥א (way·yiś·śā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

an oracle,
מְשָׁל֖וֹ (mə·šā·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4912: A pithy maxim, a simile

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

“Your dwelling place
מֽוֹשָׁבֶ֔ךָ (mō·wō·šā·ḇe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4186: A seat, assembly, dwelling place, dwelling, dwellers

is secure,
אֵיתָן֙ (’ê·ṯān)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 386: Perennial, ever-flowing, permanence

and your nest
קִנֶּֽךָ׃ (qin·ne·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7064: A nest, the nestlings, a chamber, dwelling

is set
וְשִׂ֥ים (wə·śîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

in a cliff.
בַּסֶּ֖לַע (bas·se·la‘)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5553: A craggy rock


Links
Numbers 24:21 NIV
Numbers 24:21 NLT
Numbers 24:21 ESV
Numbers 24:21 NASB
Numbers 24:21 KJV

Numbers 24:21 BibleApps.com
Numbers 24:21 Biblia Paralela
Numbers 24:21 Chinese Bible
Numbers 24:21 French Bible
Numbers 24:21 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Numbers 24:21 He looked at the Kenite and took (Nu Num.)
Numbers 24:20
Top of Page
Top of Page