Numbers 23:25

25 And Balac said to Balaam, Neither curse the people at all for me, nor bless them at all.

Numbers 23:25 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:25

And Balak said unto Balaam, neither curse them at all, nor
bless them at all.
] Signifying that it would be as well or better to do nothing at all, than to do what he did; but the sense is not, that he would not have him curse them, that he could never say, since he had pressed it both before and after this; wherefore the words should be rendered, as they are by some F16, "if in cursing thou dost not curse", or will not curse, "neither in blessing bless", or, however, do not bless: if he could not or would not curse Israel, he would not have him bless them on any account; if he could do him and his people no good in ridding them of their enemies, yet he desires him by no means to do them any harm by discouraging them and encouraging Israel.


FOOTNOTES:

F16 So Fagius, Vatablus; with which agree the Arabic version, and Noldius, p. 221. No. 1024.

Numbers 23:25 In-Context

23 For there is no divination in Jacob, nor enchantment in Israel; in season it shall be told to Jacob and Israel what God shall perform.
24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion's whelp, and shall exalt himself as a lion; he shall not lie down till he have eaten the prey, and he shall drink the blood of the slain.
25 And Balac said to Balaam, Neither curse the people at all for me, nor bless them at all.
26 And Balaam answered and said to Balac, Spoke I not to thee, saying, Whatsoever thing God shall speak to me, that will I do?
27 And Balac said to Balaam, Come I will remove thee to another place, if it shall please God, and curse me them from thence.

Footnotes 1

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.