Numbers 22:10-20

10 He answered: Balac the son of Sephor king of the Moabites hath sent to me,

11 Saying: Behold a people that is come out of Egypt, hath covered the face of the land: come and curse them, if by any means I may fight with them and drive them away.

12 And God said to Balaam: Thou shalt not go with them, nor shalt thou curse the people: because it is blessed.

13 And he rose in the morning and said to the princes: Go into your country, because the Lord hath forbid me to come with you.

14 The princes returning, said to Balac: Balaam would not come with us.

15 Then he sent many more and more noble than he had sent before:

16 Who, when they were come to Balaam, said: Thus saith Balac the son of Sephor, Delay not to come to me:

17 For I am ready to honour thee, and will give thee whatsoever thou wilt: come and curse this people.

18 Balaam answered: If Balac would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot alter the word of the Lord my God, to speak either more or less.

19 I pray you to stay here this night also, that I may know what the Lord will answer me once more.

20 God therefore came to Balaam in the night, and said to him: If these men be come to call thee, arise and go with them: yet so, that thou do what I shall command thee.

Numbers 22:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 22

The children of Israel being come into the plains of Moab, put the king of Moab into a panic, who expressed his fears to the elders of Midian, Nu 22:1-4 and sent for Balaam the soothsayer to curse the people of Israel, but he, upon consulting the Lord refused to come, Nu 22:5-14, on which the king of Moab sent to him a second time, making large promises of preferment to him, and who at this time got leave from the Lord to go with the messengers, Nu 22:15-21, but was met with in the way by an angel of the Lord, who would have slain him had it not been for his ass, of which a very wonderful revelation is given, Nu 22:22-35, and the chapter is closed with the interview between Balak king of Moab and Balaam, and an account of what passed between them, and what was done by them, Nu 22:36-41.