The Meaning of Numbers 24:8 Explained

Numbers 24:8

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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,

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Numbers 24:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 24:1-14 - Balaam's Vision Of Israel's Prosperity
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Chapter Summary: Numbers 24

1  Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel
10  Balak, in anger, dismisses him
15  He prophesies of the Star of Jacob, and the destruction of some nations

What do the individual words in Numbers 24:8 mean?

God brings him out of Egypt like strength a wild ox He has He shall consume the nations his enemies and their bones He shall break and with his arrows pierce [them]
אֵ֚ל מוֹצִיא֣וֹ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם ל֑וֹ יֹאכַ֞ל גּוֹיִ֣ם צָרָ֗יו וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶ֛ם יְגָרֵ֖ם וְחִצָּ֥יו יִמְחָֽץ

אֵ֚ל  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
מוֹצִיא֣וֹ  brings  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם  out  of  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”.
כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת  like  strength 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: תֹּועָפֹות  
Sense: eminence, lofty horns, summit.
רְאֵ֖ם  a  wild  ox 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רְאֵם  
Sense: probably the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct.
ל֑וֹ  He  has 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
יֹאכַ֞ל  He  shall  consume 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
גּוֹיִ֣ם  the  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
צָרָ֗יו  his  enemies 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צַר 
Sense: narrow, tight.
וְעַצְמֹתֵיהֶ֛ם  and  their  bones 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
יְגָרֵ֖ם  He  shall  break 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּרַם 
Sense: to cut off, reserve, lay aside, leave, save.
וְחִצָּ֥יו  and  with  his  arrows 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֵץ  
Sense: arrow.
יִמְחָֽץ  pierce  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָחַץ  
Sense: to smite through, shatter, wound severely.