כִּֽי־עָמַ֨ד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֜ל אֶל־אֵ֣ם הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ בְּרֹ֛אשׁ שְׁנֵ֥י הַדְּרָכִ֖ים לִקְסָם־קָ֑סֶם קִלְקַ֤ל בַּֽחִצִּים֙ שָׁאַ֣ל בַּתְּרָפִ֔ים רָאָ֖ה בַּכָּבֵֽד׃
Car le roi de Babylone s’est porté à la naissance du chemin, au commencement des deux chemins, pour consulter le sort; il a agité les flèches, interrogé les Teraphim, examiné le foie.
Rashi
the crossroads Heb. אֵם הַדֶרֶךְ, carrefour in French, crossroads.
Rashi
he furbished the arrows Heb. קִלְקַל, he furbished the arrows with a glitter. He shot an arrow upward, and it turns by itself right or left, and to the place it turns—that is the lot.
Rashi
he flashed with the arrows Menachem (p. 155), connected it with (above 1:7): “burnished (קָלָל) copper”; (Ecc. 10:10): “and he did not sharpen (קִלְקֵל) the edge.” It may also be explained as an expression of deterioration, as in (Jer. 4:24): “and all the hills deteriorated (הִתְקַלְקָלוּ).” Some translate קִלְקַל into French, as trait, he shot, and Jonathan as well renders קִלְקַל בֲּחִצִים as קְשֲּׁתבְּגִרְרֲיָא.
Rashi
he inquired of the teraphim An image that talks through magic, and there is a set time, that if one makes it at that time, it possesses speech forever.
Rashi
looked into the liver There are some experts who divine with liver.