Numbers 23 · Verse 22

Numbers 23:22

God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
Numbers 23:22, King James Version

Numbers 23:22 in other translations

BSBGod brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
WEBGod brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
ASVGod bringeth them forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox.
YLTGod is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him;
DARBYGod brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo.
BBEIt is God who has taken them out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain ox.
WebsterGod brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn.

What does Numbers 23:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn--Israel is not as they were at the Exodus, a horde of poor, feeble, spiritless people, but powerful and invincible as a reem--that is, a rhinoceros (Job 39:9; Psa 22:21; 92:10).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 The strength of a unicorn - ראם reem and ראים reim. It is generally allowed that there is no such beast in nature as the unicorn; i. e., a creature of the horse kind, with one long rich curled horn in the forehead. The creature painted from fancy is represented as one of the supporters of the royal arms of Great Britain. It is difficult to say what kind of beast is intended by the original word. The Septuagint translate the word μονοκερως, the unicorn, or one-horned animal; the Vulgate, sometimes, unicornus; and in the text rhinocerotis, by which the rhinoceros, a creature which has its name from the horn on its nose, is supposed to be meant. That no single-horned animal can be intended by the reem of Moses, is sufficiently evident from this, that Moses, speaking of Joseph, says, "he has the Horns of A unicorn," or reem, where the horns are spoken of in the plural, the animal in the singular. The creature referred to is either the rhinoceros, some varieties of which have two horns on the nose, or the wild bull, urus, or buffalo; though some think the beast intended is a species of goat; but the rhinoceros seems the most likely. There is literally a monoceros, or unicorn, with one large curled ivory horn growing horizontally out of his snout; but this is not a land animal, it is the modiodan or nurwal, a marine animal of the whale kind, a horn of which is now before me, measuring seven feet four inches; but I believe the rhinoceros is that intended by the sacred writers.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 23:11-30

Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to…

Read the full comment on Numbers 23:11-30 →

Numbers 23:22 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.

אֵ֖ל'elGodH410
מוֹצִיאָ֣םmo.tzi.'Am[is] bringing out themH3318
מִמִּצְרָ֑יִםmi.mitz.Ra.yimfrom EgyptH4714
כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥תke.to.'a.Fotlike [the] horns ofH8443
רְאֵ֖םre.'Ema wild oxH7214
לֽוֹ\׃lo[belong] to <the> him

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

Cross references for Numbers 23:22

  • Numbers 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.

  • Deuteronomy 33:17

    His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

  • Job 39:9-11

    Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

  • Exodus 20:2

    I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

  • Psalms 22:21

    Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

  • Psalms 68:35

    O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

  • 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:

  • Psalms 92:10

    But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

  • Exodus 9:16

    And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

  • Exodus 14:18

    And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God.
22:5; 24:8; Ex 9:16; 14:18; 20:2; Ps 68:35
the strength.
De 33:17; Job 39:10,11; Ps 22:21
unicorn.The {reaim,} most probably denotes the rhinoceros, so called from the horn on its nose. In size he is only exceeded by the elephant; and in strength and power inferior to none. He is at least twelve feet in length, from the snout to the tail; six or seven feet in height; and the circumference of the body is nearly equal to his length. He is particularly distinguished from all other animals by the remarkable and offensive weapon he carries on his nose; which is very hard horn, solid throughout, directed forward. He principally feeds upon large succulent plants, prickly shrubs, and branches; and delights in marshy places.

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

Context

  • Numbers 23:21

    He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

  • Numbers 23:22

    God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

  • Numbers 23:23

    Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Read all of Numbers 23

Numbers 23:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Dios los ha sacado de Egipto; tiene fuerzas como de unicornio.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		✶Dieu les a fait sortir d’Égypte; il a comme la force des buffles.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Gott hat ihn aus Ägypten herausgeführt; sein ist die Stärke des Büffels.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Deus eduxit illum de Ægypto, cujus fortitudo similis est rhinocerotis.