Numbers 23:12

12 He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?"

Numbers 23:12 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:12

And he answered and said
By reply to Balak:

must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
pretending a great regard to the word of God, and to great carefulness to speak it, exactly and punctually as he received it, whereas he was forced to it, and could not do otherwise.

Numbers 23:12 In-Context

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the dust-cloud of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them."

12 He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?"

13 So Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only part of them, and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there."

14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar