Numbers 22:37

37 Balak said to Bil`am, Didn't I earnestly send to you to call you? why didn't you come to me? am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?

Numbers 22:37 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:37

And Balak said unto Balaam
Upon their meeting together:

did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee?
or "in sending send" {u}; the first messengers in a very pressing manner, with great importunity, to give thee an invitation to come to me, and those men of rank and quality, with rewards of divination in their hands, and yet the invitation was rejected; and after them other messengers, more in number and greater in dignity, with larger offers and promises; and now indeed thou art come, but with much ado, what is the meaning of all this?

wherefore camest thou not unto me?
at first, without showing so much indifference and reluctance, and which obliged me to send another message to thee:

am I not able to promote thee to honour?
to give thee wealth and riches, and put thee into high places of honour and profit? hadst thou any doubt in thy mind about it, either concerning my ability or will to do it?


FOOTNOTES:

F21 (ytxlv xlv) "mittendo misi", Pagninus, Montanus.

Numbers 22:37 In-Context

35 The angel of the LORD said to Bil`am, Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak. So Bil`am went with the princes of Balak.
36 When Balak heard that Bil`am was come, he went out to meet him to the City of Mo'av, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.
37 Balak said to Bil`am, Didn't I earnestly send to you to call you? why didn't you come to me? am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?
38 Bil`am said to Balak, Behold, I have come to you: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 Bil`am went with Balak, and they came to Kiryat-Hutzot.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.