Numbers 22:10-20

10 And Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me,

11 Behold, a people is come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the land. Now come, curse me them: perhaps I may be able to fight against them, and drive them out.

12 And God said to Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.

13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go into your land; for Jehovah refuses to give me leave to go with you.

14 And the princes of Moab rose up; and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam has refused to come with us.

15 Then sent Balak yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Suffer not thyself, I pray thee, to be restrained from coming to me;

17 for very highly will I honour thee, and whatever thou shalt say to me will I do; come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of Jehovah my God, to do less or more.

19 And now, I pray you, abide ye also here this night, and I shall know what Jehovah will say to me further.

20 Then God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men have come to call thee, rise up, [and] go with them; but only what I shall say unto thee shalt thou do.

Numbers 22:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 22

The children of Israel being come into the plains of Moab, put the king of Moab into a panic, who expressed his fears to the elders of Midian, Nu 22:1-4 and sent for Balaam the soothsayer to curse the people of Israel, but he, upon consulting the Lord refused to come, Nu 22:5-14, on which the king of Moab sent to him a second time, making large promises of preferment to him, and who at this time got leave from the Lord to go with the messengers, Nu 22:15-21, but was met with in the way by an angel of the Lord, who would have slain him had it not been for his ass, of which a very wonderful revelation is given, Nu 22:22-35, and the chapter is closed with the interview between Balak king of Moab and Balaam, and an account of what passed between them, and what was done by them, Nu 22:36-41.