Numbers 22:7

Summary

The elders of Moab and Midian set out carrying qesamim ("divinations", H7081) in their hands. They arrived before Balaam and communicated to him the words of Balak.

Key words

• zikNei ("elders of", H2205G) — masculine plural construct, appearing twice to link separately the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian, each governing its respective place name.
• qesaMim ("divinations", H7081) — masculine plural noun, the object said to be "in their hand" (be-yaDam), indicating something concrete carried by the delegation rather than an abstract practice.
• yaDa ("hand", H3027H) with suffix -m ("their") — construct form plus pronominal suffix, producing "their hand," the location where the qesamim are held.
• yedabbeRu ("they spoke", H1696G) — piel narrative verb, an intensive stem denoting the act of speaking/delivering a message, here directed 'elav ("to him", H0413+suffix) toward Balaam.
• divRei ("words of", H1697G) — masculine plural construct, linked to Balak (H1111), forming "the words of Balak," the content transmitted.

What the text says

The verse is built as a chain of three narrative-vav clauses, each advancing the action in sequence: they went (vaiYelekhu), they came (vaiyaVo'u), they spoke (vaydabberu). The subject of the first two verbs is compound: zikNei moAv ("elders of Moab") and zikNei midYan ("elders of Midian"), each noun in construct form tying the elders to their respective territory. A third element, qesaMim ("divinations," H7081), is added with the conjunction ve- and located "in their hand" (be-yaDam), a construct noun ("hand of") plus a third-person plural suffix ("their"), literally placing this item in the physical possession of the delegation as they travel.

The final clause shifts to speech: the elders "spoke" (piel form yedabbeRu, an intensive stem) "to him" ('elav, preposition plus third-person masculine suffix, referring to Balaam) "the words of Balak" (divRei Valak, a construct chain "words-of Balak"). The construct chain marks the words as originating from and belonging to Balak specifically, distinguishing the content of the message from the elders who merely deliver it.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew qesaMim ("divinations", H7081) — a plural noun for divinatory objects or practices — is rendered by the LXX as τὰ μαντεῖα ("the divinatory objects/fees"), similarly concrete. The Vulgate renders it as "divinationis pretium" ("the price/fee of divination"), which frames the item explicitly as payment rather than as divinatory objects themselves. The Spanish SBLIBRE follows this monetary reading with "dinero para pagarle por la adivinación" ("money to pay for the divination"), while RV1909 and BSB stay closer to the Hebrew with "dádivas de adivinación" / "fees for divination." Additionally, where the Hebrew has yedabbeRu ("they spoke", H1696G), the LXX uses εἶπαν ("they said"), a more generic verb of speech rather than the intensive piel form.