Numbers 23:10-20

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!”
11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”
12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Message

13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.”
14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The LORD met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the LORD say?”
18 Then he spoke his message: “Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor.
19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it.

Numbers 23:10-20 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.

Cross References 22

  • 1. S Genesis 13:16
  • 2. Psalms 16:3; Psalms 116:15; Isaiah 57:1
  • 3. Psalms 37:37
  • 4. S Numbers 22:6
  • 5. Numbers 24:10; Joshua 24:10; Nehemiah 13:2
  • 6. S Numbers 22:18,20; Numbers 22:20,38
  • 7. ver 27
  • 8. Numbers 22:41
  • 9. S Numbers 22:6
  • 10. S Numbers 21:20; Numbers 27:12
  • 11. S ver 2
  • 12. S Exodus 4:15; S Numbers 22:38
  • 13. ver 6
  • 14. S ver 7
  • 15. Numbers 22:2
  • 16. Job 9:32; Isaiah 55:9; Hosea 11:9
  • 17. S Numbers 11:23
  • 18. 1 Samuel 15:29; Job 12:13; Job 36:5; Psalms 33:11; Psalms 89:34; Psalms 102:27; Psalms 110:4; Jeremiah 4:28; Jeremiah 7:16; Malachi 3:6; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; Hebrews 7:21; James 1:17
  • 19. 2 Samuel 7:25; Psalms 119:38
  • 20. ver 5,16; Numbers 24:1
  • 21. Genesis 22:17; Numbers 22:12
  • 22. S ver 8; S Job 9:12; Isaiah 43:13
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