Números 23:8

8 ¿Pero cómo podré echar maldicionessobre quien Dios no ha maldecido?¿Cómo podré desearle el mala quien el SEÑOR no se lo desea?

Números 23:8 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:8

How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed?
&c.] The sense is, that it was impossible for him to curse those that God did not curse himself, or would not have cursed by others; not but that he had a good will to it, to get Balak's money and honour, but he knew not how to accomplish it; yea, he saw it was in vain to attempt it, it was a thing that could not possibly be done: God does not, nor will he curse his spiritual Israel; they are blessed by him in Christ, and they shall be blessed; nor is it in the power of their enemies to curse them, or do them any harm: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, instead of God and the Lord in this and the following clause, use the phase,

``the Word of the Lord;''

the essential Word, the Son of God, who is so far from cursing his people, that he has delivered them from the curses of the law, being made a curse for them, that the blessings of the everlasting covenant of grace might come upon them; and they are blessed of God in him, and for his sake, with all spiritual blessings:

or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied?
which is the same thing in other words, only this last word is expressive of more contempt and indignation.

Números 23:8 In-Context

6 Balán regresó y encontró a Balac de pie, al lado de su holocausto, en compañía de todos los jefes de Moab.

7 Y Balán pronunció su oráculo:«De Aram, de las montañas de Oriente,me trajo Balac, el rey de Moab.“Ven —me dijo—, maldice por mí a Jacob;ven, deséale el mal a Israel”.

8 ¿Pero cómo podré echar maldicionessobre quien Dios no ha maldecido?¿Cómo podré desearle el mala quien el SEÑOR no se lo desea?

9 Desde la cima de las peñas lo veo;desde las colinas lo contemplo:es un pueblo que vive apartado,que no se cuenta entre las naciones.

10 ¿Quién puede calcular la descendencia de Jacob,tan numerosa como el polvo,o contar siquiera la cuarta parte de Israel?¡Sea mi muerte como la del justo!¡Sea mi fin semejante al suyo!»