Numbers 23:24

24 The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims.”

Numbers 23:24 in Other Translations

24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

24 Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain."

24 These people rise up like a lioness, like a majestic lion rousing itself. They refuse to rest until they have feasted on prey, drinking the blood of the slaughtered!”

24 Look, a people rising to its feet, stretching like a lion, a king-of-the-beasts, aroused, Unsleeping, unresting until its hunt is over and it's eaten and drunk its fill.

24 A people rise up like a lioness; They rouse themselves like a lion. They will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.

Numbers 23:24 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:24

Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion
Or rather, "as the lioness" ^F14, which, as Aelianus says ^F15, is the strongest and most warlike beast, the most fierce and furious, as is believed both by Greeks and Barbarians; and he mentions the heroism of Perdiccas the Macedonian, and Semiramis the Assyrian, in engaging with and killing, not the lion or leopard, but lioness:

and shall lift up himself as a young lion;
both phrases denoting the courage and strength of the people of Israel, in attacking their enemies and engaging them:

he shall not lie down;
being once roused up and engaged in war:

until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain;
as the lion does when it has seized on a creature, tears it to pieces, eats its flesh and drinks its blood: this may refer to the slaughter of the Midianites that would be quickly made, and among the slain of whom Balaam himself was, ( Numbers 31:7 Numbers 31:8 ) , and to the slaughter and conquest of the Canaanites under Joshua, and taking their spoils.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (ayblk) "ut leaena", V. L. Tigurine version.
F15 Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 39. Vid. Herodot. Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 108.

Numbers 23:24 In-Context

22 God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.

23 There is no divination against Jacob, no evil omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’

24 The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the LORD says?”

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 24:9; Ezekiel 19:2; Nahum 2:11
• 2. S Genesis 49:9
• 3. Isaiah 49:26