Numbers 22:12

12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. Don't put a curse on those people, because I have blessed them."

Numbers 22:12 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:12

And God said unto Balaam, thou shalt not go with them
Which is a denial of the first thing Balak requested, "come now, therefore" ( Numbers 22:6 )

thou shall not curse the people;
which was the principal thing desired, and in order to which he was solicited to go with the messengers; but this is absolutely forbidden:

for they are blessed;
by the Lord himself, with an irrevocable blessing, and therefore it would be vain and fruitless, as well as dangerous for him to attempt to curse them, ( Genesis 12:3 ) this may have a special respect to the blessing of Jacob by Isaac, which could not be reversed by the solicitations of Esau, and which descended to Jacob's posterity, the Israelites, ( Genesis 27:33 ) .

Numbers 22:12 In-Context

10 Balaam said to God, "The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, sent them to me with this message:

11 'A nation has come out of Egypt that covers the land. So come and put a curse on them, and maybe I can fight them and force them out of my land.'"

12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. Don't put a curse on those people, because I have blessed them."

13 The next morning Balaam awoke and said to Balak's leaders, "Go back to your own country; the Lord has refused to let me go with you."

14 So the Moabite leaders went back to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us."