As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
As the bird (or the sparrow) by wandering (or, is prone to wandering), as the swallow by flying (or, is prone to flying), so the curse causeless shall not come. 'As the bird wandering, and the swallow flying' up and down, never lights upon us, but quickly flies to the winds, 'so the curse that is causeless' (i:e., for which we have given no just cause) "shall not come" to injure us. Balaam could not curse the people whom God had blessed (Deuteronomy 23:5). David was not hurt by Shimei's curse (2 Samuel 16:5-12); but was requited instead by God with good (Psalms 109:28). The Hebrew ( dªrowr (H1866)) for "swallow" means freedom implying its free movements to and fro. The Qeri' needlessly reads, 'shall come to him' - i:e., shall recoil upon the curser х low (H3807a), for lo' (H3808)].