King James Version

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.

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Hebrew

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אֵ֚לelidolאֵלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “idol”, the ordinary formH410strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity)God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.'מוֹצִיא֣וֹmotsivobring forthיָצָאverb, hiphil, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bring forth”, a verb used as a describing wordH3318to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.[idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail…מִמִּצְרַ֔יִםmimitsrayimfrom Egyptמִצְרַיִםpreposition, noun, proper name — “from Egypt”H4714Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower EgyptEgypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥תketoafotas plentyתּוֹעָפָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct — “as plenty”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8443(only in plural collective) weariness, i.e. (by implication) toil (treasure so obtained) or speedplenty, strength.רְאֵ֖םreemunicornרְאֵםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “unicorn”, the ordinary formH7214a wild bull (from its conspicuousness)unicorn.ל֑וֹlvotoל֑וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toיֹאכַ֞לyokhaleatאָכַלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “eat”, an unfinished actionH398to eat (literally or figuratively)[idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite.גּוֹיִ֣םgoyimGentileגּוֹיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.צָרָ֗יוtsarayvnarrowצַרnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “narrow”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6862narrow; (as a noun) a tight place (usually figuratively, i.e. trouble); also a pebble ; (transitive) an opponent (as crowding)adversary, afflicted(-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble.וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶ֛םveatsmoteyhemand bodyעֶצֶםconjunction, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and body”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6106a bone (as strong); by extension, the body; figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsamebody, bone, [idiom] life, (self-) same, strength, [idiom] very.יְגָרֵ֖םyegaremgnaw the bonesגָּרַםverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “gnaw the bones”, an unfinished actionH1633(causative) to bone, i.e. denude (by extensive, craunch) the bonesgnaw the bones, break.וְחִצָּ֥יוvechitsayvand arrowחֵץconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and arrow”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2671properly, a piercer, i.e. an arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunderbolt; the shaft of aspear[phrase] archer, arrow, dart, shaft, staff, wound.יִמְחָֽץyimchatspierceמָחַץverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “pierce”, an unfinished actionH4272to dash asunder; by implication, to crush, smash or violently plunge; figuratively, to subdue or destroydip, pierce (through), smite (through), strike through, wound.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

God who brought him forth out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them through with his arrows.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

God bringeth him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox: He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, And shall break their bones in pieces, And smite them through with his arrows.

Young’s Literal Translation

God is bringing him out of Egypt; As the swiftness of a Reem is to him, He eateth up nations his adversaries, And their bones he breaketh, And [with] his arrows he smiteth,

World English Bible

God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.

Darby Translation

God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo. He shall consume the nations his enemies, and break their bones, and with his arrows shall smite [them] in pieces.

Douay-Rheims

God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros. They shall devour the nations that are his enemies, and break their bones, and pierce them with arrows.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

God led him out of Egypt; he has as it were the glory of a unicorn: he shall consume the nations of his enemies, and he shall drain their marrow, and with his darts he shall shoot through the enemy.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Θεὸς ὡδήγησεν αὐτὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου· ὡς δόξα μονοκέρωτος αὐτῷ· ἔδεται ἔθνη ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ πάχη αὐτῶν ἐκμυελιεῖ, καὶ ταῖς βολίσιν αὐτοῦ κατατοξεύσει ἐχθρόν.