The Meaning of Numbers 23:24 Explained

Numbers 23:24

KJV: 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.

YLT: Lo, the people as a lioness riseth, And as a lion he lifteth himself up, He lieth not down till he eateth prey, And blood of pierced ones doth drink.'

Darby: Lo, the people will rise up as a lioness, and lift himself up as a lion. He shall not lie down until he have eaten the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.

ASV: Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 23:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 23:13-30 - No Enchantment Against Israel
Balak was surprised and disappointed. He therefore bethought himself of limiting the seer's vision, so that he might see an attenuated Israel from a height that commanded only a partial view of the camp. How often we try to see only what we want to see! How often we shut our eyes to a rival's real merits! Instead of entering into God's great thoughts we shut ourselves up in a tiny limited world. We will not acknowledge what our pride does not want to acknowledge. We are like children building sand-castles against the tide. You had better bring your mind to harmonize with God's facts than minimize or evade their truth. You are hurting yourself, but can never alter them. Take God's way and be at peace!
Let us ponder Numbers 23:21 -it is as we are in God's purpose; and Numbers 23:23 -when faced by our enemies; and Numbers 23:24 -when most convinced of our helplessness. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 23

1  Balak's sacrifices

What do the individual words in Numbers 23:24 mean?

Look a people like a lioness rises and like a lion lifts itself up not it shall lie down until it devours the prey and the blood of the slain drinks
הֶן־ עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־ יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־ חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה

הֶן־  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
עָם֙  a  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
כְּלָבִ֣יא  like  a  lioness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶבֶא 
Sense: lion.
יָק֔וּם  rises 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וְכַאֲרִ֖י  and  like  a  lion 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲרִי 
Sense: lion.
יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א  lifts  itself  up 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
יִשְׁכַּב֙  it  shall  lie  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
יֹ֣אכַל  it  devours 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
טֶ֔רֶף  the  prey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טֶרֶף  
Sense: prey, food, leaf.
וְדַם־  and  the  blood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
חֲלָלִ֖ים  of  the  slain 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חָלָל 
Sense: slain, fatally wounded, pierced.
יִשְׁתֶּֽה  drinks 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.