Numbers 22:11-12

22:11 “Look, a nation has come out ¹  of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them ²  and drive them out.” ³  22:12 But God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, ⁴  for they are blessed.” ⁵ 

Numbers 22:18-20

22:18 Balaam replied ⁶  to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment ⁷  of the Lord my God ⁸  to do less or more. 22:19 Now therefore, please stay ⁹  the night here also, that I may know what more the Lord might say to me.” ¹⁰  22:20 God came to Balaam that night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but the word that I will say to you, that you must do.”

Numbers 22:35

22:35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you may only speak ¹¹  the word that I will speak to you.” ¹²  So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

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¹ tn In this passage the text differs slightly; here it is “the nation that comes out,” using the article on the noun, and the active participle in the attributive adjective usage.

² tn Here the infinitive construct is used to express the object or complement of the verb “to be able” (it answers the question of what he will be able to do).

³ tn The verb is the Piel perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. It either carries the force of an imperfect tense, or it may be subordinated to the preceding verbs.

⁴ tn The two verbs are negated imperfects; they have the nuance of prohibition: You must not go and you must not curse.

⁵ tn The word בָּרוּךְ (barukh) is the Qal passive participle, serving here as the predicate adjective after the supplied verb “to be.” The verb means “enrich,” in any way, materially, spiritually, physically. But the indication here is that the blessing includes the promised blessing of the patriarchs, a blessing that gave Israel the land. See further, C. Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church (OBT).

⁶ tn Heb “answered and said.”

⁷ tn Heb “mouth.”

⁸ sn In the light of subsequent events one should not take too seriously that Balaam referred to Yahweh as his God. He is referring properly to the deity for which he is acting as the agent.

⁹ tn In this case “lodge” is not used, but “remain, reside” (שְׁבוּ, shÿvu).

¹⁰ tn This clause is also a verbal hendiadys: “what the Lord might add to speak,” meaning, “what more the Lord might say.”

¹¹ tn The imperfect tense here can be given the nuance of permission.

¹² tn The Hebrew word order is a little more emphatic than this: “but only the word which I speak to you, it you shall speak.”