Numbers 22:12

12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”

Numbers 22:12 in Other Translations

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

12 God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed. ”

12 But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”

12 God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. And don't curse the others - they are a blessed people."

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

12 But God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them! Don't curse these people, because they are blessed."

12 Then God said to Balaam, "You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed."

12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people. 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, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:

11 ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’ ”

12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”

13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”

14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

Cross References

• 1. S Genesis 12:2; Genesis 22:17; Numbers 23:20