Numbers 22:10-20

10 And Balaam said unto God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

11 `Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, who covereth the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to overcome them and drive them out.'"

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

13 And Balaam rose up in the morning and said unto the princes of Balak, "Get you into your land, for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you."

14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak and said, "Balaam refuseth to come with us."

15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.

16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor: `Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me;

17 for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me. Come therefore, I pray thee, curse for me this people.'"

18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God to do less or more.

19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what more the LORD will say unto me."

20 And God came unto Balaam at night and said unto him, "If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do."

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.