And he looked on the Kenite: For And he looked on, see verse 20. The Kenite probably refers to ancestors of Cain, since the Hebrew consonants of the two names are the same (q y n). Most French translations say “the Qenites.” The Kenites probably lived in the desert south of Israel, near Moab.

And took up his discourse, and said: See 23.7a.

Enduring is your dwelling place means “The place where you live is secure” (Good News Translation).

And your nest is set in the rock: The Hebrew word for nest (qen) is a wordplay on the name Kenite (qeyni). It is an image for the Kenites’ homeland. Their homeland was set in the rock (“set high on a cliff” in Good News Translation), since they probably lived in the mountains of Midian, that is, in a location that was well-protected against enemy attacks.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .