Numbers 24:23
And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things?
Open Numbers 24:23 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Assumptaque parabola iterum locutus est : Heu ! quis victurus est, quando ista faciet Deus ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Ὢγ καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν Ὢ ὤ, τίς ζήσεται ὅταν θῇ ταῦτα ὁ θεός;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר א֕וֹי מִ֥י יִחְיֶ֖ה מִשֻּׂמ֥וֹ אֵֽל
Haydock's commentary
Things, of which he is about to speak. The time is remote, but very dreadful, when the Assyrians shall be chastised, in their turn, as well as the Greeks and Romans, who shall have destroyed Assur, and even the most favourite nation of God. Balaam began by announcing the prosperity of the Hebrews, but he at last gives some comfort to Balac, by letting him know that they shall also be laid waste, as well as his kingdom, and the powerful nations around him. This is the condition of all human things! (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Irenaeus Fragments from the Lost Writings of, XV
When, in times of old, Balaam spake these things in parables, he was not acknowledged; and now, when Christ has appeared and fulfilled them, He was not believed. Wherefore [Balaam], foreseeing this, and wondering at it, exclaimed, “Alas! alas! who shall live when God brings these things to pass?”