Discovery BoxNumbers 5:22 
Context5:22 and this water that causes the curse will go 1 into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh rot.” 2 Then the woman must say, “Amen, amen.” 3
Numbers 22:12
Context22:12 But God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, 4 for they are blessed.” 5
Numbers 22:17
Context22:17 For I will honor you greatly, 6 and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.’”
Numbers 23:8
Context23:8 How 7 can I curse 8 one whom God has not cursed,
or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?
Numbers 23:11
Context23:11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary 9 you have only blessed them!” 10
Numbers 23:27
Context23:27 Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God 11 to let you curse them for me from there.” 12
1 tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. It could be taken as a jussive following the words of the priest in the previous section, but it is more likely to be a simple future.
2 tn Heb “fall away.”
3 tn The word “amen” carries the idea of “so be it,” or “truly.” The woman who submits to this test is willing to have the test demonstrate the examination of God.
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 The construction uses the Piel infinitive כַּבֵּד (kabbed) to intensify the verb, which is the Piel imperfect/cohortative אֲכַבֶּדְךָ (’akhabbedkha). The great honor could have been wealth, prestige, or position.
7 tn The figure is erotesis, a rhetorical question. He is actually saying he cannot curse them because God has not cursed them.
8 tn The imperfect tense should here be classified as a potential imperfect.
9 tn The Hebrew text uses הִנֵּה (hinneh) here to stress the contrast.
10 tn The construction is emphatic, using the perfect tense and the infinitive absolute to give it the emphasis. It would have the force of “you have done nothing but bless,” or “you have indeed blessed.” The construction is reminiscent of the call of Abram and the promise of the blessing in such elaborate terms.
11 tn Heb “be pleasing in the eyes of God.”
12 sn Balak is stubborn, as indeed Balaam is persistent. But Balak still thinks that if another location were used it just might work. Balaam had actually told Balak in the prophecy that other attempts would fail. But Balak refuses to give up so easily. So he insists they perform the ritual and try again. This time, however, Balaam will change his approach, and this will result in a dramatic outpouring of power on him.
