Numbers 23:22
Numbers 23:22 in Multiple Translations
God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
God bringeth them forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox.
It is God who has taken them out of Egypt; his horns are like those of the mountain ox.
God led them out of Egypt with great power, as strong as an ox.
God brought them out of Egypt: their strength is as an vnicorne.
God is bringing them out from Egypt, As the swiftness of a Reem is to him;
God brings them out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn.
God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros.
God brought them out of Egypt where they were slaves; he is as strong as a wild ox.
Berean Amplified Bible — Numbers 23:22
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Numbers 23:22 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אֵ֖ל
מוֹצִיאָ֣/ם
מִ/מִּצְרָ֑יִם
כְּ/תוֹעֲפֹ֥ת
רְאֵ֖ם
לֽ/וֹ
אֵ֖ל
ʼêl
H410
god
N-ms
מוֹצִיאָ֣/ם
yâtsâʼ
H3318
to come out
V-Hiphil | Suff
מִ/מִּצְרָ֑יִם
Mitsrayim
H4714
Egypt
Prep | N-proper
כְּ/תוֹעֲפֹ֥ת
tôwʻâphâh
H8443
peak
Prep | N-fp
רְאֵ֖ם
rᵉʼêm
H7214
wild ox
N-ms
לֽ/וֹ
Prep | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Numbers 23:22
אֵ֖ל
ʼêl
H410
"god"
N-ms
In the Bible, 'el means strength or power, and is often used to refer to God or false gods. It describes something or someone as mighty or powerful, like the Almighty. This concept is central to understanding the Bible's view of God.
Definition: : god 1) god, god-like one, mighty one 1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes 1b) angels 1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) 1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power Also means: ": power" (el אֵל H0410L)
Usage: Occurs in 235 OT verses. KJV: God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.' See also: Genesis 14:18; Job 33:14; Psalms 5:5.
מוֹצִיאָ֣/ם
yâtsâʼ
H3318
"to come out"
V-Hiphil | Suff
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to go out or come out, and it's used in many different ways, like leaving a place or starting a new journey, as seen in Genesis and Exodus.
Definition: : come/go_out/escape 1) to go out, come out, exit, go forth 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come out or forth, depart 1a2) to go forth (to a place) 1a3) to go forward, proceed to (to or toward something) 1a4) to come or go forth (with purpose or for result) 1a5) to come out of 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to cause to go or come out, bring out, lead out 1b2) to bring out of 1b3) to lead out 1b4) to deliver 1c) (Hophal) to be brought out or forth
Usage: Occurs in 991 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter. See also: Genesis 1:12; Exodus 9:33; Leviticus 26:45.
מִ/מִּצְרָ֑יִם
Mitsrayim
H4714
"Egypt"
Prep | N-proper
This word means Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa, and is used in the Bible to describe the land and its people. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often referring to the Nile River and the Egyptians. Egypt is an important setting for many biblical events.
Definition: § Egypt = "land of the Copts" a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows Egyptians = "double straits" adj 2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt
Usage: Occurs in 569 OT verses. KJV: Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim. See also: Genesis 10:6; Exodus 6:13; Exodus 34:18.
כְּ/תוֹעֲפֹ֥ת
tôwʻâphâh
H8443
"peak"
Prep | N-fp
The Hebrew word for peak refers to a lofty summit or eminence, and can also imply weariness or toil, as in obtaining treasure or achieving great strength.
Definition: 1) eminence, lofty horns, summit 1a) eminence (of towering horns, peaks, silver)
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: plenty, strength. See also: Numbers 23:22; Job 22:25; Psalms 95:4.
רְאֵ֖ם
rᵉʼêm
H7214
"wild ox"
N-ms
The wild ox, or aurochs, was a large and powerful animal that is now extinct. The Bible describes it as a unicorn, although the exact meaning is not known, and it is mentioned in various passages as a symbol of strength.
Definition: probably the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct. The exact meaning is not known.
Usage: Occurs in 9 OT verses. KJV: unicorn. See also: Numbers 23:22; Job 39:10; Psalms 22:22.
לֽ/וֹ
""
Prep | Suff
Study Notes — Numbers 23:22
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Numbers 23:22 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Numbers 23:22
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 23:22
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
- Ellicott's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
- Cambridge Bible on Numbers 23:22
- Barnes' Notes on Numbers 23:22
- Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
- Sermons on Numbers 23:22
Context — Balaam’s Second Oracle
20I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.
23For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’ 24Behold, the people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion, not resting until they devour their prey and drink the blood of the slain.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Numbers 24:8 | God brought him out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox, to devour hostile nations and crush their bones, to pierce them with arrows. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 33:17 | His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh.” |
| 3 | Job 39:9–11 | Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you? Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him? |
| 4 | Exodus 20:2 | “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. |
| 5 | Psalms 22:21 | Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me! |
| 6 | Exodus 9:16 | But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth. |
| 7 | Psalms 92:10 | But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed. |
| 8 | Numbers 22:5 | he 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. |
| 9 | Exodus 14:18 | The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I am honored through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” |
| 10 | Psalms 68:35 | O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God! |
Numbers 23:22 Summary
This verse is saying that God is very strong and powerful, and He used that strength to bring the Israelites out of Egypt, where they were being treated unfairly. It's like God is a mighty and fierce wild ox, unstoppable and free, as described in Job 39:9-12. He wants us to know that He is with us and will help us, just like He helped the Israelites, as promised in Numbers 23:21. We can trust in God's power and strength to help us in our own lives, just like the Israelites did, and trust that He will deliver us from our struggles, as encouraged in Psalm 27:1-3.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox?
This phrase is describing the powerful and unstoppable way that God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, much like the strength and ferocity of a wild ox, as seen in Exodus 14:13-14 where God parts the Red Sea to save them.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the chapter?
This verse is part of a larger declaration of God's blessing and protection over Israel, as stated in Numbers 23:20, where it says that God has blessed them and will not change it.
What is the significance of the comparison to a wild ox?
The comparison to a wild ox emphasizes God's powerful and unstoppable nature, much like in Job 39:9-12 where it describes the strength and freedom of a wild ox, highlighting God's ability to accomplish His will.
How can we apply this verse to our own lives?
We can apply this verse by trusting in God's power and strength to deliver us from our own struggles and challenges, just as He did for the Israelites, as encouraged in Psalm 27:1-3 where it says that God is our light and salvation.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I have experienced God's strength and power in my own life, and how can I trust in Him more fully?
- How does the image of a wild ox make me think about God's character and nature, and what does it teach me about His relationship with me?
- In what ways am I trying to rely on my own strength and power, rather than trusting in God's, and how can I surrender those areas to Him?
- What are some areas of my life where I feel like I am stuck or trapped, and how can I pray for God to deliver me with His powerful strength, like He did for the Israelites in Egypt?
Gill's Exposition on Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of Egypt,.... With a mighty hand and stretched out arm, and he will conduct them through the wilderness, and bring them safe to Canaan's land; he that brought them from thence
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 23:22
And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: `Rise up, Balak, and hear! Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippori!
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of Egypt, to wit, by a strong hand, and in spite of all their enemies, and therefore it is in vain to seek or hope to overcome them. He; either, 1. God, last mentioned. But so the comparison is mean and unbecoming. Or rather, 2. Israel, whom God brought out of Egypt; such change of numbers being very common in the Hebrew language. The sense is, Israel is not now what he was in Egypt, a poor, weak, dispirited, unarmed people, but high, and strong, and invincible. The great strength and fierceness of a unicorn is celebrated in Scripture, 92:10. But whether it be a unicorn, or a rhinoceros, or a strong and fierce kind of wild goat, which is here called reem, it is not needful here to determine.
Ellicott's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
(22) God brought them out of Egypt.—Literally, is bringing them. The use of the participle denotes the continuance of the action. He who brought them forth out of Egypt was still conducting them on their march. There is an obvious allusion in these words to those of Balak in Numbers 22:5 : “Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt.” Seeing that the people did not come out of Egypt in obedience to their own caprice, but under Divine guidance, it was vain for Balak to resist them on their course, seeing that to contend with them was to contend against God. The strength of an unicorn.—Better, of a buffalo. (Comp. Deuteronomy 33:17—a passage closely resembling the present—from which it appears that the reem had more than one horn.)
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
Verse 22. The strength of a unicorn.] ראם reem and ראים reim. It is generally allowed that there is no such beast in nature as the unicorn; i. e., a creature of the horse kind, with one long rich curled horn in the forehead. The creature painted from fancy is represented as one of the supporters of the royal arms of Great Britain. It is difficult to say what kind of beast is intended by the original word. The Septuagint translate the word μονοκερως, the unicorn, or one-horned animal; the Vulgate, sometimes, unicornus; and in the text rhinocerotis, by which the rhinoceros, a creature which has its name from the horn on its nose, is supposed to be meant. That no single-horned animal can be intended by the reem of Moses, is sufficiently evident from this, that Moses, speaking of Joseph, says, "he has the HORNS of A unicorn," or reem, where the horns are spoken of in the plural, the animal in the singular. The creature referred to is either the rhinoceros, some varieties of which have two horns on the nose, or the wild bull, urus, or buffalo; though some think the beast intended is a species of goat; but the rhinoceros seems the most likely. There is literally a monoceros, or unicorn, with one large curled ivory horn growing horizontally out of his snout; but this is not a land animal, it is the modiodan or nurwal, a marine animal of the whale kind, a horn of which is now before me, measuring seven feet four inches; but I believe the rhinoceros is that intended by the sacred writers.
Cambridge Bible on Numbers 23:22
22. He hath as it were the horns of the wild-ox] ‘He’ means Israel, not God. The word for ‘horns’ is rare; but Deuteronomy 33:17 helps to decide the meaning. In Psalms 95:4 it denotes mountain peaks. The wild-ox (re’çm) ‘is the rîmu of the Assyrian inscriptions. It is represented on the Assyrian sculptures as a huge species (now extinct) of the bovine kind.’ See art. ‘Unicorn’ in Hastings’ DB. iv. 23a. For divination is not in Jacob, and soothsaying is not in Israel] This appears to explain Israel’s victorious strength by the fact that they were free from these heathen practices. But the words are strange in the midst of a passage describing the fierce and irresistible advance of an army with a divine King and Captain at their head. In Numbers 23:21 the words for ‘calamity’ and ‘trouble’ can also be rendered, as in R.V. , ‘iniquity’ and ‘perverseness.’ And it is very probable that a scribe, who understood the two words in the latter sense, inserted the present clause as a marginal comment on Numbers 23:21, thus endorsing the principle contained in 1 Samuel 15:23, that soothsaying and divination by means of teraphim are sins no less than rebellion against God’s commands. It is further noteworthy that in the same chapter (1 Samuel 15:29) are quoted Balaam’s words in Numbers 23:19 a. 23b.
Now shall it be said &c.] If the former half of the verse was not originally part of the poem, these words refer suitably to God’s action in bringing Israel out of Egypt (Numbers 23:22 a).
Barnes' Notes on Numbers 23:22
An unicorn - A wild bull, the now extinct Aurochs, formidable for its size, strength, speed, and ferocity.
Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 23:22
22. God brought them — Literally, is bringing; implying that the act was still going on.
Sermons on Numbers 23:22
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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The Unicorn by Harriet N. Cook | Harriet N. Cook discusses the mysterious animal mentioned in the Bible that starts with the letter U, known as the unicorn. The true identity of this creature remains uncertain, wi |
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Five Principles of Revival by Ian Paisley | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power and sovereignty of God in bringing about revival. He emphasizes that revival is initiated, controlled, and concluded by the Lord, |
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A Pure Heart - Part 1 by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, Dr. Luke Reisman preaches from the historic pulpit of John Wesley in London. He highlights the power of reading and understanding the Word of God. He emphasizes the |
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A Biblical Family - a Tool in God's Hands (Part 1) by Erlo Stegen | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of parents sharing their personal stories of faith with their children. He encourages parents to start with their own testimo |
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All Fulness in Christ by C.H. Spurgeon | In this sermon, the preacher calls upon angels and redeemed spirits to sing praises to the Lamb that was slain. The preacher emphasizes that all fullness and grace is found in Jesu |
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Jehovah Rapha by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher talks about the experience of soldiers being cast into the sea and their subsequent celebration. He emphasizes that there is something of God that will |
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Christian Revolution by Alan Redpath | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of the message of the living Christ in today's world. He highlights the current state of revolt and unrest in various countri |