Numbers 22:4
New International Version
The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,

New Living Translation
The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!” So Balak, king of Moab,

English Standard Version
And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,

Berean Standard Bible
So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,

King James Bible
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

New King James Version
So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

New American Standard Bible
Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will eat up all that is around us, as the ox eats up the grass of the field!” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

NASB 1995
Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

NASB 1977
And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

Amplified Bible
Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, just as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was the king of Moab at that time.

Christian Standard Bible
So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us like an ox eats up the green plants in the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was Moab’s king at that time,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us like an ox eats up the green plants in the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was Moab’s king at that time,

American Standard Version
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Moab said to the Elders of Midian: “Therefore this multitude are chewing up all who are around us as a bull chews up the grass of the field”; and Balaq was the son of Tsephor, the King of the Moabites at that time.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moab said to the elders of Madiam, Now shall this assembly lick up all that are round about us, as a calf would lick up the green herbs of the field: - and Balac son of Sepphor was king of Moab at that time.

Contemporary English Version
They said to the Midianite leaders, "That huge mob of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field." So King Balak

Douay-Rheims Bible
He said to the elders of Madian: So will this people destroy all that dwell in our borders, as the ox is wont to eat the grass to the very roots. Now he was at that time king in Moab.

English Revised Version
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the Moabites said to the leaders of Midian, "All those people will eventually eat up everything around us the same way an ox eats up the grass in a field." At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab.

Good News Translation
The Moabites said to the leaders of the Midianites, "This horde will soon destroy everything around us, like a bull eating the grass in a pasture." So King Balak

International Standard Version
the Moabites told the elders of Midian, "This horde of people is about to lick up everything around us, like an ox licks up the green ground." At that time, Zippor's son Balak was the king of Moab.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moab said unto the elders of Midian: 'Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field.'--And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.--

Literal Standard Version
and Moab says to [the] elderly of Midian, “Now the assembly licks up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the green thing of the field.” And Balak son of Zippor [is] king of Moab at that time,

Majority Standard Bible
So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time,

New American Bible
So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will devour everything around us as an ox devours the grass of the field.” At that time Balak, son of Zippor, was king of Moab;

NET Bible
So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "Now this mass of people will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time.

New Revised Standard Version
And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Now Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

New Heart English Bible
Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are around us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

World English Bible
Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

Young's Literal Translation
and Moab saith unto the elders of Midian, 'Now doth the assembly lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the green thing of the field.' And Balak son of Zippor is king of Moab at that time,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Balak Summons Balaam
3and Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous. Indeed, Moab dreaded the Israelites. 4So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Since Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time, 5he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt,” said Balak. “They cover the face of the land and have settled next to me.…

Cross References
Exodus 15:15
Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away,

Numbers 25:6
Just then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Numbers 25:15
And the name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

Numbers 25:17
"Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

Numbers 31:1
And the LORD said to Moses,

Judges 6:1
Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; so He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,


Treasury of Scripture

And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

elders

Numbers 22:7
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

Numbers 25:15-18
And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian…

Numbers 31:8
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

now shall

Numbers 24:17
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

Jeremiah 48:38
There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.

and Balak

Numbers 22:2
And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

Judges 11:25
And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

Jump to Previous
Assembly Balak Clear Company Destruction Elders Herb Horde Lick Making Midian Mid'ian Moabites Multitude Ox Responsible Round Time Zippor
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Assembly Balak Clear Company Destruction Elders Herb Horde Lick Making Midian Mid'ian Moabites Multitude Ox Responsible Round Time Zippor
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














(4) And Moab said unto the elders of Midian.--It has been thought that Balak was a Midianite. who had been imposed upon the Moabites as their king by their Amoritish conquerors. (Comp. Numbers 21:26.) The concluding words of the verse may be understood as denoting a recent change in the dynasty.

As the ox licketh up the grass of the field.--The comparison is one which well accords with the occupation of the Moabites as a pastoral people.

Verse 4. - Moab said unto the elders of Midian. The Midianites were descended from Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:2, 4), and were thus more nearly of kin to Israel than to Moab. They lived a semi-nomadic life on the steppes to the east of Moab and Ammon (cf. Genesis 36:35), supporting themselves partly by grazing, and partly by the caravan trade (Genesis 37:28). Their institutions were no doubt patriarchal, like those of the modern Bedawin, and the "elders" were the sheiks of their tribes. As the ox licketh up the grass of the field. The strong, scythe-like sweep of the ox's tongue was a simile admirable in itself, and most suitable to pastoral Moab and Midian.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the Moabites
מוֹאָ֜ב (mō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4124: Moab -- a son of Lot,also his descendants and the territory where they settled

said
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the elders
זִקְנֵ֣י (ziq·nê)
Adjective - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2205: Old

of Midian,
מִדְיָ֗ן (miḏ·yān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4080: Midian -- a son of Abraham and Keturah, also his descendants and the region where they settled

“This horde
הַקָּהָל֙ (haq·qā·hāl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6951: Assembly, convocation, congregation

will devour
יְלַחֲכ֤וּ (yə·la·ḥă·ḵū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3897: To lick

everything
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

around us,
סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּ (sə·ḇî·ḇō·ṯê·nū)
Adverb | first person common plural
Strong's 5439: A circle, neighbour, environs, around

as an ox
הַשּׁ֔וֹר (haš·šō·wr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

licks up
כִּלְחֹ֣ךְ (kil·ḥōḵ)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3897: To lick

the grass
יֶ֣רֶק (ye·req)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3418: Pallor, the yellowish green of young and sickly vegetation, verdure, grass, vegetation

of the field.”
הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

Since Balak
וּבָלָ֧ק (ū·ḇā·lāq)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1111: Balak -- 'devastator', a Moabite king

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Zippor
צִפּ֛וֹר (ṣip·pō·wr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6834: Zippor -- 'bird', father of Balak

was king
מֶ֥לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

of Moab
לְמוֹאָ֖ב (lə·mō·w·’āḇ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4124: Moab -- a son of Lot,also his descendants and the territory where they settled

at that
הַהִֽוא׃ (ha·hi·w)
Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

time,
בָּעֵ֥ת (bā·‘êṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when


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OT Law: Numbers 22:4 Moab said to the elders of Midian (Nu Num.)
Numbers 22:3
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