The Meaning of Numbers 22:5 Explained

Numbers 22:5

KJV: 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:

YLT: and he sendeth messengers unto Balaam son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, 'Lo, a people hath come out of Egypt; lo, it hath covered the eye of the land, and it is abiding over-against me;

Darby: And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is on the river in the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, a people is come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the land, and they abide over against me.

ASV: And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Numbers 22:5 Mean?

Study Notes

Balaam
Balaam is the typical hireling prophet, seeking only to make a market of his gift. This is "the way of Balaam" 2 Peter 2:15 and characterizes false teachers. The "error" of Balaam" Judges 1:11 was that he could see only the natural morality--a holy God, he reasoned, must curse such a people as Israel. Like all false teachers he was ignorant of the higher morality of vicarious atonement, by which God could be just and yet the justifier of believing sinners Romans 3:26 . The "doctrine of Balaam" Revelation 2:14 refers to his teaching Balak to corrupt the people whom he could not curse; Numbers 31:16 ; Numbers 25:1-3 ; James 4:4 . Spiritually, Balaamism in teaching never rises above natural reasonings; in practice, it is easy world- conformity. Scofield " Revelation 2:14 ".

Context Summary

Numbers 22:1-20 - Balaam Sent For, To Curse Israel
These chapters present a surprising contrast between the covetous prophet and his sublime prophecies. It is clearly possible to be the mouthpiece of truth and yet have neither part nor lot in it.
Balak, as had been predicted, was sore afraid. Compare Numbers 22:3 with Exodus 15:15. The elders of Midian were his friends and allies. It was very important for them to stand together. The journey across the desert to Mesopotamia, where Balaam lived, was long and tedious, but he was a famous magician, who could marshal unseen forces into the battle by his incantations. He knew the only true God, but loved the wages of unrighteousness and erred for reward. See 2 Peter 2:14-16; Judges 1:11.
He made up his mind to win Balak's promised gifts, and sought to persuade God to become his accomplice, first, by letting him go, and, secondly, by letting him say what Balak wished said. But God demands our loyalty and unison with Him, and will not swerve from the path of truth and righteousness by a hair's-breadth to help our desires and ambitions. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 22

1  Balak's first message for Balaam is refused
15  His second message obtains him
22  An angel would have slain him, if he had not been saved by his donkey
36  Balak entertains him

What do the individual words in Numbers 22:5 mean?

And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor which [is] near the River in the land of the sons of his people to call him saying Look a people has come from Egypt See they cover - the face of the earth and are settling next to me
וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכִ֜ים אֶל־ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־ בְּע֗וֹר פְּ֠תוֹרָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־ הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־ עַמּ֖וֹ לִקְרֹא־ ל֑וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר הִ֠נֵּה עַ֣ם יָצָ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ הִנֵּ֤ה כִסָּה֙ אֶת־ עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב מִמֻּלִֽי

וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח  And  he  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מַלְאָכִ֜ים  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
בִּלְעָ֣ם  Balaam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בִּלְעָם 
Sense: the son of Beor, a man endowed with the gift of prophecy.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּע֗וֹר  of  Beor 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּעֹור  
Sense: father of Balaam.
פְּ֠תוֹרָה  at  Pethor 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: פְּתֹור  
Sense: a town of Mesopotamia and the home of Balaam; located on a river; site unknown.
אֲשֶׁ֧ר  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עַל־  near 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַנָּהָ֛ר  the  River  in 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָהָר  
Sense: stream, river.
אֶ֥רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בְּנֵי־  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֖וֹ  of  his  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לִקְרֹא־  to  call 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לֵאמֹ֗ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִ֠נֵּה  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
עַ֣ם  a  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יָצָ֤א  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙  from  Egypt 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
הִנֵּ֤ה  See 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
כִסָּה֙  they  cover 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵ֣ין  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְה֥וּא  and  are 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יֹשֵׁ֖ב  settling 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
מִמֻּלִֽי  next  to  me 
Parse: Preposition-m, first person common singular
Root: לְמֹואל 
Sense: front.