Numbers 22 · Verse 4

Numbers 22:4

And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
Numbers 22:4, King James Version

Numbers 22:4 in other translations

BSBSo the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,
WEBMoab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
ASVAnd Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
YLTand Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, ‘Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.' And Balak son of Zippor is king of Moab at that time,
DARBYAnd Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this company lick up all that is round about us, as an ox licks up the green herb of the field. Now Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
BBEThen Moab said to the responsible men of Midian, It is clear that this great people will be the destruction of everything round us, making a meal of us as the ox does of the grass of the field. At that time Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of Moab.
WebsterAnd Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are around us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

What does Numbers 22:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. elders of Midian--called kings (Nu 31:8) and princes (Jos 13:21). The Midianites, a distinct people on the southern frontier of Moab, united with them as confederates against Israel, their common enemy.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 22:1-14

The king of Moab formed a plan to get the people of Israel cursed; that is, to set God against them, who had hitherto fought for them. He had a false notion, that if he could get some prophet to pray for evil upon them, and to pronounce a blessing upon himself and his forces, that then he should be able to deal with them. None had so great a reputation as Balaam; and Balak will employ him, though he send a great way…

Read the full comment on Numbers 22:1-14 →

Numbers 22:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvai.Yo.merand it saidH559
מוֹאָ֜בmo.'AvMoabH4124
אֶל\־'el-toH413
זִקְנֵ֣יzik.Nei[the] elders ofH2205
מִדְיָ֗ןmid.YanMidianH4080
עַתָּ֞ה'a.TahnowH6258
יְלַחֲכ֤וּye.la.cha.Khuthey will lick upH3897
הַקָּהָל֙ha.ka.Halthe companyH6951
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּse.Vi.vo.Tei.nuaround usH5439
כִּלְחֹ֣ךְkil.Chokhas licks upH3897
הַשּׁ֔וֹרha.Shorthe oxH7794
אֵ֖ת'et<obj.>H853
יֶ֣רֶקYe.rek[the] greenery ofH3418
הַשָּׂדֶ֑הha.sa.Dehthe fieldH7704
וּבָלָ֧קu.va.Lakand BalakH1111
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
צִפּ֛וֹרtzi.PorZipporH6834
מֶ֥לֶךְMe.lekh[was] kingH4428
לְמוֹאָ֖בle.mo.'Avof MoabH4124
בָּעֵ֥תba.'Etat the timeH6256
הַהִֽוא\׃ha.Hiv'<the> thatH1931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 22:4

  • Numbers 25:15-18

    And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Vex the Midianites, and smite them: For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.

  • Numbers 31:8

    And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

  • Jeremiah 48:38

    There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the Lord.

  • Numbers 22:2

    And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

  • Joshua 13:21-22

    And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country. Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.

  • Numbers 24:17

    I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

  • Numbers 22:7

    And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

  • Judges 11:25

    And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
elders.
7; 25:15-18; 31:8; Jos 13:21,22
Now shall.
24:17; Jer 48:38
And Balak.
2; Jud 11:25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 22:3

    And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

  • Numbers 22:4

    And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

  • Numbers 22:5

    He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

Read all of Numbers 22

Numbers 22:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y dijo Moab á los ancianos de Madián: Ahora lamerá esta gente todos nuestros contornos, como lame el buey la grama del campo. Y Balac, hijo de Zippor, era entonces rey de Moab.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Moab dit aux anciens de Madian: Maintenant, cette multitude broutera tout ce qui est autour de nous, comme le bœuf broute l’herbe des champs. Or Balak, fils de Tsippor, était roi de Moab en ce temps-là.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Moab sprach zu den Ältesten von Midian: Nun wird dieser Haufe alle unsere Umgebungen abfressen, wie das Rind das Grüne des Feldes abfrißt. Und Balak, der Sohn Zippors, war zu jener Zeit König von Moab.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
dixit ad majores natu Madian: Ita delebit hic populus omnes, qui in nostris finibus commorantur, quomodo solet bos herbas usque ad radices carpere. Ipse erat eo tempore rex in Moab.