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Deuteronomy 23:5

in Deuteronomy 23

Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Nevertheless Jehovah thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but Jehovah thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because Jehovah thy God loved thee.

KJV

Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.

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This verse in Deuteronomy 23

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD

on Deuteronomy 23:3-6

Moab and Ammon are charged with withholding food and water and hiring Balaam. Nehemiah 13:1-2 quotes the charge back, the turned curse included.

This site's exposition

turned the curse into a blessing

Henry reads the turn in two parts. God changed the words in Balaam's mouth, and He turned the plan to curse Israel into a blessing for their honor.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), not only changing the word in Balaam's mouth, but making that really turn to the honour and advantage of Israel which was designed for their ruin. But though the design was defeated, and overruled for good, the Moabites' wickedness was not the less provoking. God will deal with sinners, but according to their endeavours, Ps. xxviii.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

Nevertheless, the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam,....

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • אָבָ֞הhe was willing

    ʾavahH14 →54 times

  • יְהוָ֤הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your

    ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times

  • לִשְׁמֹ֣עַto listen

    lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • בִּלְעָ֔םBalaam

    bilamH1109 →

  • וַיַּהֲפֹךְ֩and he turned

    vaiyahafokhH2015 →

  • יְהוָ֨הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֶ֧יךָGod your

    ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times

  • לְּךָ֛for <the> you

    lekha

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַקְּלָלָ֖הthe curse

    hakelalahH7045 →33 times

  • לִבְרָכָ֑הinto blessing

    livrakhahH1293 →69 times

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • אֲהֵֽבְךָ֖he loved you

    ʾahevekhaH157 →211 times

  • יְהוָ֥הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃God your

    ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Deuteronomy 7:7–8The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.18 worksRomans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?17 worksNumbers 22:12But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”13 worksNehemiah 13:2because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).12 works2 Samuel 16:12Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today.”10 worksEphesians 2:4–5But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,9 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Numbers 24:9He crouches, he lies down like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”9 works2 Corinthians 4:17For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.8 worksRomans 11:28Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.7 worksMicah 6:5My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”7 worksJeremiah 31:3The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.7 worksNumbers 23:5–12Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”7 worksDeuteronomy 33:3Surely You love the people; all the holy ones are in Your hand, and they sit down at Your feet; each receives Your words—6 worksEzekiel 16:8Then I passed by and saw you, and you were indeed old enough for love. So I spread My cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, declares the Lord GOD.6 worksProverbs 26:2Like a fluttering sparrow or darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.5 worksPsalms 73:1Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.5 worksJoshua 24:10but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.5 worksRevelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,5 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Romans 8:31

    What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

    it leads to

    • Psalms 118:6

      The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

    • Jeremiah 1:19

      They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

    • Psalms 56:11

      in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

    • 1 John 4:4

      You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

    • Isaiah 54:17

      No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 4:17

    For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.

    it leads to

    • Romans 8:18

      I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.

    • 1 Peter 5:10

      And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish…

    • Romans 5:3–5

      Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 23 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Deuteronomy 23 →