Bamidbar 23:18

18 And he took up his mashal, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; pay heed unto me, thou son of Tzippor.

Bamidbar 23:18 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:18

And he took up his parable
Pronounced the word put into his mouth,

and said, rise up Balak, and hear;
not from his seat, as Eglon a successor of his did, ( Judges 3:20 ) for he was now standing by his burnt offering; but the sense is, that he would raise his attention, and stir up himself with all diligence to hear what he was about to say:

hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor;
or to his word, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, which follow.

Bamidbar 23:18 In-Context

16 And Hashem met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 And when he came to him, hinei, he stood by his olah, and the sarim of Moav with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Hashem spoken?

18 And he took up his mashal, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; pay heed unto me, thou son of Tzippor.

19 El is not an ish, that He should lie; neither a ben adam, that He should change His mind; hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not carry it out?

20 Hinei, I have received commandment to make brocha; and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.