Numbers 22:4

And he said to the greater men in birth of Midian, So this people shall do away all men that dwell in our coasts, as an ox is wont to do away an herb till to the roots. Forsooth he, that is, Balak, was king in that time in Moab. (And the Moabites said to the men of great age, that is, the elders, of Midian, These people shall do away all the men who live in our land, as easily as an ox is wont to do away grass unto its roots. And he, that is, Balak, was king at that time in Moab.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

3and that men of Moab dreaded Israel, and they might not bear the assailing of Israel. (and that the Moabites feared the Israelites, for they could not survive an assault from Israel.)

5Therefore he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a false diviner, that dwelled (in Pethor) on, or nigh, the flood of the land of the sons of Amaw, that they should call him, and should say, Lo! a people went out of Egypt, which people covered the face of the earth, and sitteth against me. (And so he sent messengers to Balaam, the son of Beor, a false diviner, who lived at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of Amaw, and instructed the messengers to say to him, Behold! a people went out of Egypt, which people covered the face of the earth, and now they be ready to come against me.)

Read all of Numbers 22

Cross References

Numbers 22:7The elder men of Moab and the elder men of Midian went forth, having in their hands the price of false divining; and when they had come to Balaam, and had told to him all the words of Balak, (The elders of Moab and of Midian went forth, having in their hands the payment for the curse; and when they had come to Balaam, and had told him all of Balak’s words,)

Numbers 25:15Soothly the woman of Midian that was slain together with the whoreling, was called Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, the noblest prince of (the) Midianites.

Joshua 13:21(and) all the field cities, and all the realms of Sihon, king of Amorites, that reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote, with his princes (of) Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the dukes of Sihon, dwellers of the land. (and all the field cities, and all the kingdoms of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck down together with the Midianite leaders, that is, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, who were Sihon’s surrogates, and who lived in the land.)

1 Kings 11:18And when they had risen from Midian, they came into Paran; and they took with them men of Paran, and entered into Egypt, to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and Pharaoh gave an house to him, and ordained to him meats, and assigned to him land. (And after they had left Midian, they came to Paran; and they took with them men from Paran, and then went to Egypt, unto Pharaoh, the king of Egypt; and Pharaoh gave him a house, and ordained him sustenance, and assigned him some land.)

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:2-15

Balak Sends for Balaam. ( b. c. 1452.) 1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Numbers 22:4