Numbers 22:11-21

11 "A people has come out of Egypt and has spread over the face of the earth; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.' "

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

13 So Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the officials of Balak, "Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you."

14 So the officials of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us."

15 Once again Balak sent officials, more numerous and more distinguished than these.

16 They came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak son of Zippor: "Do not let anything hinder you from coming to me;

17 for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do; come, curse this people for me.' "

18 But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Although Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God, to do less or more.

19 You remain here, as the others did, so that I may learn what more the Lord may say to me."

20 That night God came to Balaam and said to him, "If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them; but do only what I tell you to do."

21 So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the officials of Moab.

Numbers 22:11-21 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.