24:10 Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together. 1 Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless 2 them these three times! 24:11 So now, go back where you came from! 3 I said that I would greatly honor you; but now the Lord has stood in the way of your honor.”
24:12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 24:13 ‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond 4 the commandment 5 of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will, 6 but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’?
1 sn This is apparently a sign of contempt or derision (see Job 27:23; and Lam 2:15).
2 tn The construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the perfect tense for “bless.”
3 tn Heb “flee to your place.”
4 tn Heb “I am not able to go beyond.”
5 tn Heb “mouth.”
6 tn Heb “from my heart.”