Numbers 23:15-25

15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek [the Lord] over there."

16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then He said, "Return to Balak and say what I tell you."

17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the Lord say?"

18 Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak, get up and listen; son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!

19 God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?^[a]

20 I have indeed received [a command] to bless; since He has blessed,^[b] I cannot change it.

21 He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel.^[c] The Lord their God is with them, ^[d] and there is rejoicing over the King among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; He is like the horns of a wild ox for them.^{[e] [f]}

23 There is no magic curse against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said about Jacob and Israel, "What [great things] God has done!"

24 A people rise up like a lioness; They rouse themselves like a lion.^[g] They will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain.

25 Then Balak told Balaam, "Don't curse them and don't bless them!"

Numbers 23:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 23

This chapter gives an account of the sacrifices offered by Balak and Balaam, and how God met Balsam, and put a word into his mouth, which he delivered in the presence of the king of Moab and his princes, Nu 23:1-7, the substance of which are, the separate state and condition of Israel from other nations, their number, and the happiness of the righteous at death, Nu 23:8-10, which made Balak uneasy, since instead of cursing he blessed Israel, and therefore he had him to another place to take a view of the people, Nu 23:11-13 where having offered sacrifices, another word was put into the mouth of Balaam, and which he also delivered before the king and his nobles, Nu 23:14-18, in which were expressed the unchangeableness of God, the irreversibleness of the blessing of Israel, the strength, safety, happiness, and glory of that people, Nu 23:19-24 which made Balak more uneasy still; but willing to try him a third time, he carried him to another place, and there built altars, and offered sacrifices, the consequence of which is related in the next chapter, Nu 23:25-30.

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Sm 15:29; Rm 11:29; 2 Tm 2:13; Heb 6:17-18
• [b]. Sam, LXX read since I will bless
• [c]. Or He does not observe sin in Jacob; He does not see wrongdoing in Israel, or Disaster is not observed in Jacob; trouble is not seen in Israel
• [d]. Dt 2:7; 20:1; Jos 1:17; Zph 3:17; Rv 21:3
• [e]. Or Egypt; they have the horns of a wild ox
• [f]. Nm 24:8
• [g]. Nm 24:9