καὶ εἶπεν Βαλακ πρὸς Βαλααμ τί πεποίηκάς μοι εἰς κατάρασιν ἐχθρῶν μου κέκληκά σε καὶ ἰδοὺ εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν (Numbers 23:11 LXX)
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם מֶ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתָ לִ֑י לָקֹ֤ב אֹיְבַי֙ לְקַחְתִּ֔יךָ וְהִנֵּ֖ה בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ בָרֵֽךְ׃
A Dialog of Disappointment: Structure and Surprise
The confrontation between Balak and Balaam is filled with dramatic irony. Balak hired Balaam to curse his enemies, yet blessing pours forth instead. The Hebrew constructs this speech with participles, infinitives, and rhetorical interjection. The Greek Septuagint, while mostly literal, introduces amplifying structures and aspectual precision that shift the emotional tone and rhetorical pacing of Balak’s complaint.
Key Translation Features: From Infinitives to Verbal Nouns
The most notable shift occurs in the translation of the infinitive phrase לָקֹב and the construction בֵרַ֥כְתָּ בָרֵֽךְ. The Hebrew uses a purpose infinitive followed by an emphatic infinitive absolute construction. The Greek substitutes these with an articular noun phrase (εἰς κατάρασιν) and a perfect indicative plus noun (εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν). These shifts intensify both the certainty and irony of the statement.
Hebrew-Greek Morphological Comparison
| Hebrew Word | Greek Translation | Grammatical Notes | Translation Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמֶר | καὶ εἶπεν | Wayyiqtol narrative verb → Greek aorist indicative | Standard narrative match |
| מֶה עָשִׂיתָ לִי | τί πεποίηκάς μοι | Interrogative + perfect verb → Interrogative + perfect active | Aspectual equivalence (completed action) |
| לָקֹב אֹיְבַי לְקַחְתִּיךָ | εἰς κατάρασιν ἐχθρῶν μου κέκληκά σε | Infinitives and accusative pronoun → prepositional articular noun + perfect | Substitution of infinitive with noun phrase |
| וְהִנֵּה | καὶ ἰδού | Discourse particle for attention → Greek interjectional equivalent | Literal attention marker match |
| בֵרַ֥כְתָּ בָרֵֽךְ | εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν | Perfect + infinitive absolute → perfect verb + abstract noun | Semantic intensification |
Grammatical and Theological Observations
- Perfect Aspect in Greek: The use of πεποίηκάς and εὐλόγηκας stresses completed, irreversible action, emphasizing Balak’s sense of betrayal.
- Translation of Purpose: Hebrew infinitives suggest purpose or intention (לָקֹב), whereas the Greek renders this as the goal of the action with εἰς κατάρασιν — a more noun-based expression of purpose.
- Infinitive Absolute Rendered as Abstract Noun: The emphatic Hebrew בֵרַ֥כְתָּ בָרֵֽךְ is creatively translated as εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν, retaining force through repetition but shifting to a more conceptual Greek abstraction.
- Emotional Cadence: The Greek keeps Balak’s rhetorical tone but reorders the logical flow, making the climax (the blessing) fall with syntactic punch at the end: εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν.
The Grammatical Amen
In a single rebuke, Balak’s intentions collapse into irony: the hired cursing prophet speaks divine blessing. The Hebrew captures this with verbal repetition and infinitive strength; the Greek repackages it with perfect verbs and rhetorical climax. Here, translation is not just linguistic conversion — it is interpretation. The Septuagint honors the emotional arc of Balak’s lament while sharpening its theological contrast through aspect and abstraction. In doing so, it teaches us that even grammar bears the weight of divine reversal.
