Numbers 23:12-22

12 And he answered and sayed: must I not kepe that and speake it which the Lorde hath put in my mouthe?

13 And Balac sayed vnto him: Come I praye the with me vnto another place whence thou shalt se them and shalt se but ye vtmoste parte of them ad shalt not se them all and curse me them there.

14 And he brought him in to a playne felde where men myght se farre euen to the toppe of Pisga and bylt .vij. alters and offered an oxe and a ra on euery alter

15 And he sayed vnto Balac: stonde here by thi sacrifyce whyle I goo yonder.

16 And the Lorde mett Balam and put wordes in his mouth and sayed: goo agayne vnto Balac ad thus saye.

17 And when he came to him: beholde he stode by his sacrifyce and the lordes of Moab with him And Balac sayed vnto him: what sayeth ye Lorde?

18 And he toke vp his parable and sayed: ryse vpp Balac and heare and herken vnto me thou sonne of Ziphor

19 The Lorde is not a ma that he can lye nether the sonne of a ma that he can repent: shulde he saye and not doo or shulde he speake and not make it good

20 beholde I haue begon to blesse and haue blessed and can not goo backe there fro.

21 He beheld no wikednesse in Iacob nor sawe Idolatrye in Israel: The Lorde his God is with him and the trompe of a kynge amonge the

22 God that broughte them out of Egipte is as the strength of an vnycorne

Numbers 23:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 23

This chapter gives an account of the sacrifices offered by Balak and Balaam, and how God met Balsam, and put a word into his mouth, which he delivered in the presence of the king of Moab and his princes, Nu 23:1-7, the substance of which are, the separate state and condition of Israel from other nations, their number, and the happiness of the righteous at death, Nu 23:8-10, which made Balak uneasy, since instead of cursing he blessed Israel, and therefore he had him to another place to take a view of the people, Nu 23:11-13 where having offered sacrifices, another word was put into the mouth of Balaam, and which he also delivered before the king and his nobles, Nu 23:14-18, in which were expressed the unchangeableness of God, the irreversibleness of the blessing of Israel, the strength, safety, happiness, and glory of that people, Nu 23:19-24 which made Balak more uneasy still; but willing to try him a third time, he carried him to another place, and there built altars, and offered sacrifices, the consequence of which is related in the next chapter, Nu 23:25-30.