Numbers 23:24 (DBY)

Passage

Lo, the people will rise up as a lioness, and lift himself up as a lion. He shall not lie down until he have eaten the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:22 God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo.

Numbers 23:23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. At this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

Numbers 23:24 Lo, the people will rise up as a lioness, and lift himself up as a lion. He shall not lie down until he have eaten the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.

Numbers 23:25 And Balak said to Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

Numbers 23:26 And Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Jehovah shall speak, that will I do?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "rise", "lioness", "lift", "himself", "shall", and "down". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "rise", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "For there is no enchantment against Jacob..." into verse 25's "And Balak said to Balaam Neither curse...", so "people" and "rise" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "rise" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.