Numbers 23:10 (GNV)

Passage

Who can tell the dust of Iaakob, and the nomber of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last ende be like his.

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:8 How shall I curse, where God hath not cursed? or howe shall I detest, where the Lord hath not detested?

Numbers 23:9 For from the top of the rocks I did see him, and from the hils I did beholde him: lo, the people shall dwell by themselues, and shall not be reckened among the nations.

Numbers 23:10 Who can tell the dust of Iaakob, and the nomber of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last ende be like his.

Numbers 23:11 Then Balak saide vnto Balaam, What hast thou done vnto mee? I tooke thee to curse mine enemies, and beholde, thou hast blessed them altogether.

Numbers 23:12 And he answered, and said, Must I not take heede to speake that, which the Lord hath put in my mouth?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tell", "dust", "iaakob", "nomber", "fourth", "part", "israel", and "death". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tell" and "dust", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "For from the top of the rocks..." into verse 11's "Then Balak saide vnto Balaam What hast...", so "tell" and "dust" 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 "tell" and "dust" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.