Numbers 24:9

Numbers 24:9

He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

a. NASB 1995: “He [fn]couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.”  [New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.]

b. NKJV: ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’ 

“Blessed is he who blesses you, And cursed is he who curses you.”  [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

c. Amplified Bible: “He bowed down [to rest], he lies down as a lion; And as a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Blessed [of God] is he who blesses you, And cursed [of God] is he who curses you.”  [AMPLIFIED BIBLE 2015 AMP Amplified Bible Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.]

d. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: “He crouched  and lay down like a lion, and like a lion cub, who can stand him up. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

e. ESV: He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?

Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.”  [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. “He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.”

a. [He] couched [Strong: 3766 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.]

b. [he] lay down [Strong: 7901 shâkab, shaw-kab'; a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose):—× at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.]

c. [as a] lion [Strong: 738 ʼărîy, ar-ee'; or (prolonged) אַרְיֵה ʼaryêh; from H717 (in the sense of violence); a lion:—(young) lion, pierce (from the margin).]

d. [and as a] great lion [Strong: 3833 lâbîyʼ, law-bee'; or (Ezekiel 19:2) לְבִיָּא lᵉbîyâʼ; irregular masculine plural לְבָאִים lᵉbâʼîym; irregular feminine plural לְבָאוֹת lᵉbâʼôwth; from an unused root meaning to roar; compare H738 a lion (properly, a lioness as the fiercer (although not a roarer;)):—(great, old, stout) lion, lioness, young (lion).]

e. who [Strong: 4310 mîy, me; an interrogative pronoun of persons, as H4100 is of things, who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix:—any (man), × he, × him, O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), would to God.]

f. [shall] stir him up [Strong: 6965 qûwm, koom; a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative):—abide, accomplish, × be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, × be dim, endure, × enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, × but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-) rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-) stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -rising).]

g. Blessed [Strong: 1288 bârak, baw-rak'; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):—× abundantly, × altogether, × at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, × greatly, × indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, × still, thank.]

h. [is he that] blesses [you]  [Strong: 1288 bârak, baw-rak'; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):—× abundantly, × altogether, × at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, × greatly, × indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, × still, thank.]

i. [and] cursed [Strong: 779 ʼârar, aw-rar'; a primitive root; to execrate:—× bitterly curse.]

j. [is he that] curses [you] [Strong: 779 ʼârar, aw-rar'; a primitive root; to execrate:—× bitterly curse.]

1). These are the promises that the Spirit of God spoke through Balaam upon Israel. An important note is that in this passage the Spirit of God spoke through Balaam, the promise that the LORD  originally spoke to  Abraham, in  Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:...” Lately there have been some teachers that have taught in error that the Scripture means that God spoke that promise to Abraham and that it did not include Israel. Well that is not the case.

a). Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

b). Numbers 24:1-9 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

24:3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

24:4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

24:5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!

24:6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

24:7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

24:8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.

24:9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.