Numbers 23:16-26

16 And the LORD met Balaam and 1put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak."
17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?"
18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
19 2God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20 Behold, I received a command to bless: 3he has blessed, and 4I cannot revoke it.
21 5He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 6God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like 7the horns of the wild ox.
23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no 8divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, 9'What has God wrought!'
24 Behold, a people! 10As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; 11it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain."
25 And Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all."
26 But Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell you, 12'All that the LORD says, that I must do'?"

Numbers 23:16-26 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 12

  • 1. ver. 5, 12
  • 2. 1 Samuel 15:29; Malachi 3:6; Romans 11:29; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; James 1:17
  • 3. Numbers 22:12; Genesis 12:2; Genesis 22:17
  • 4. Numbers 22:18
  • 5. [Jeremiah 50:20]
  • 6. Numbers 24:8
  • 7. Deuteronomy 33:17; Job 39:9-12; Psalms 22:21; Psalms 92:10
  • 8. Numbers 22:7
  • 9. Psalms 44:1
  • 10. Genesis 49:9
  • 11. Genesis 49:27
  • 12. See Numbers 22:18
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.