complete verse (Numbers 24:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 24:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “Balaam narrated proverbs/sayings that God told him,
    ‘These are the words of Balaam son of Beor,
    words of a man who looks ahead,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then he spoke this word of God,
    "This is the prophecy of Balaam, son of Beor,
    the prophecy of a person whose eyes can see clearly.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Balaam spoke this message: ‘I am Balaam the child of Beor, and I have a clear understanding.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Balaam said this to Balak:
    ‘I, Balaam, son of Beor, am again giving a prophecy,
    speaking as a man who sees what will happen in the future clearly speaks.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 24:15

After a long prophetic introduction that duplicates earlier material (verses 15b-16), the rest of Balaam’s fourth oracle appears to adopt a chiastic structure as follows:

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 .