King James Version

Numbers 24:21

And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

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Hebrew

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וַיַּרְא֙vayarand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and see”, the next action in the storyH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַקֵּינִ֔יhaqeynithe Keniteקֵינִיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, singular, absolute — “the Kenite”, the ordinary formH7017a Kenite or member of the tribe of KajinKenite.וַיִּשָּׂ֥אvayisaand lift upנָשָׂאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and lift up”, the next action in the storyH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…מְשָׁל֖וֹmeshalvobywordמָשָׁלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “byword”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4912properly, a pithy maxim, usually of metaphorical nature; hence, a simile (as an adage, poem, discourse)byword, like, parable, proverb.וַיֹּאמַ֑רvayomarand 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…אֵיתָן֙eytanhardאֵיתָןadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “hard”, the ordinary formH386permanence; hence (concrete) permanent; specifically a chieftainhard, mighty, rough, strength, strong.מֽוֹשָׁבֶ֔ךָmoshavekhaseatמוֹשָׁבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “seat”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4186a seat; figuratively, a site; abstractly, a session; by extension an abode (the place or the time); by implication, populationassembly, dwell in, dwelling(-place), wherein (that) dwelt (in), inhabited place, seat, sitting, situation, sojourning.וְשִׂ֥יםvesimand putשׂוּםconjunction, verb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “and put”, a verb used as a describing wordH7760to 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]…בַּסֶּ֖לַעbaselain rockסֶלַעpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in rock”, the ordinary formH5553a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress)(ragged) rock, stone(-ny), strong hold.קִנֶּֽךָqinekhanestקֵןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “nest”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7064a nest (as fixed), sometimes including the nestlings; figuratively, a chamber or dwellingnest, room.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock.

Young’s Literal Translation

And he seeth the Kenite, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'Enduring [is] thy dwelling, And setting in a rock thy nest,

World English Bible

He looked at the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, “Your dwelling place is strong. Your nest is set in the rock.

Darby Translation

And he saw the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Firm is thy dwelling-place, and thy nest fixed in the rock;

Douay-Rheims

He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said: Though firm be thy dwelling-place, and though thy nest be set in the rock;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And having seen the Kenite, he took up his parable and said, Thy dwelling-place is strong; yet though thou shouldest put thy nest in a rock,

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Κεναῖον, καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν, ἰσχυρὰ ἡ κατοικία σου· καὶ ἐὰν θῇς ἐν πέτρᾳ τὴν νοσσίαν σου,