King James Version

Numbers 23:5

And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּ֧שֶׂםvayasemand putשׂוּםconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and put”, the next action in the storyH7760to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)[idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase]…יְהוָ֛הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).דָּבָ֖רdavarcauseדָּבָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “cause”, the ordinary formH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…בְּפִ֣יbefiin edgeפֶּהpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6310the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according toaccord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] s…בִלְעָ֑םvilamBalaamבִּלְעָםnoun, proper name — “Balaam”H1109Bilam, a Mesopotamian prophet; also a place in PalestineBalaam, Bileam.וַיֹּ֛אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…שׁ֥וּבshuvagainשׁוּבverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “again”, a commandH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).בָּלָ֖קbalaqBalakבָּלָקnoun, proper name — “Balak”H1111Balak, a Moabitish kingBalak.וְכֹ֥הvekhoand alsoכֹּהconjunction, adverb — “and also”H3541properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) nowalso, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.תְדַבֵּֽרtedaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, an unfinished actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

Young’s Literal Translation

and Jehovah putteth a word in the mouth of Balaam, and saith, 'Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

World English Bible

Yahweh put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

Darby Translation

And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.

Douay-Rheims

And the Lord put the word in his mouth, and said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said: 'Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, and said, Thou shalt return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐνέβαλεν ὁ Θεὸς ῥῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα Βαλαὰμ, καὶ εἶπεν, ἐπιστραφεὶς πρὸς Βαλὰκ, οὕτω λαλήσεις.