Numbers 23:20
18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
- KJV
- Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
- WEB
- Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.
- ASV
- Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
- DARBY
- Behold, I have received [mission] to bless; and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
- BLB
- Behold, to bless I have received; and He has blessed, and I can reverse it not.
- ÅB
- Se, å velsigne ble meg gitt; han har velsignet, og jeg kan ikke omstøte det.
- OTB
- Jeg har mottatt en befaling om å velsigne; Han har gitt sin velsignelse, og jeg kan ikke endre den.
- B1930
- Se, å velsigne blev mig gitt; han har velsignet, og jeg kan ikke omstøte det.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
John 10:27–29
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Read in contextNumbers 22:12
And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
Read in contextGenesis 12:2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Read in contextGenesis 22:17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Read in contextIsaiah 43:13
Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
Read in contextRomans 8:38–39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Read in contextNumbers 22:18
And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
Read in context1 Peter 1:5
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Read in context