Numbers 22:13
in Numbers 22So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go back to your homeland, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
KJV
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
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This verse in Numbers 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
His real character has long been a subject of discussion. Some, judging from his language, have thought him a saint; others, looking to his conduct, have described him as an irreligious charlatan; and a third class consider him a novice in the faith, who had a fear of God, but who had not acquired power over his passions [HENGSTENBERG].
This site's exposition
the LORD has refused to let me go with you
on Numbers 22:13-14
God said the people are blessed, and Balaam tells the princes that the LORD has refused to let me go with you. That version leaves a door open for a better offer. The princes shorten it again for Balak, Balaam refused to come with us, so by the time it reaches the king the refusal belongs to the man.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Note, Those are a fair mark for Satan's temptation that speak diminishingly of divine prohibitions, as if they amounted to no more than the denial of a permission, and as if to go against God's law were only to go without his leave. The messengers are not faithful in returning Balaam's answer to Balak. All the account they give of it is, Balaam refuseth to come with us (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And Balaam rose up in the morning,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The permission granted to Balaam is in accordance with the ordinary procedure of Providence. God often gives up men to follow the impulse of their own lusts; but there is no approval in thus leaving them to act at the prompting of their own wicked hearts (Jos 13:27).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
[AND BALAAM ROSE UP IN THE MORNING, AND SAID] UNTO THE PRINCES OF BALAK. According to the opinion of Rashi. Above, in Verse. the elders of Midian had left [Balaam] when he told them, Lodge here this night. Verse.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
הלוך עמנו, for we do not appear as men of substance in his eyes.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֤קָם | vaiyakom | and he arose | H6965 → | 628 times |
| בִּלְעָם֙ | bilam | Balaam | H1109 → | 61 times |
| בַּבֹּ֔קֶר | baboker | in the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| בָלָ֔ק | valak | Balak | H1111 → | 43 times |
| לְכ֖וּ | lekhu | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַרְצְכֶ֑ם | ʾartzekhem | land your | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כִּ֚י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מֵאֵ֣ן | meen | he has refused | H3985 → | 41 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְתִתִּ֖י | letiti | to permit me | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לַהֲלֹ֥ךְ | lahalokh | to go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| עִמָּכֶֽם׃ | ʾimakhem | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
וַיָּ֤קָםand he arose
vaiyakomH6965 →628 times
בִּלְעָם֙Balaam
bilamH1109 →61 times
בַּבֹּ֔קֶרin the morning
babokerH1242 →214 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] leaders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
בָלָ֔קBalak
valakH1111 →43 times
לְכ֖וּgo
lekhuH1980 →1546 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַרְצְכֶ֑םland your
ʾartzekhemH776 →2504 times
כִּ֚יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מֵאֵ֣ןhe has refused
meenH3985 →41 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְתִתִּ֖יto permit me
letitiH5414 →2011 times
לַהֲלֹ֥ךְto go
lahalokhH1980 →1546 times
עִמָּכֶֽם׃with you
ʾimakhemH5973 →1050 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach 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
Deuteronomy 23:5Yet 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.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
The 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.
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Ephesians 2:4–5
But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
- Numbers 24:9
He 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.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
Through
Numbers 22:14And the princes of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
it leads to
- Numbers 22:37
And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to richly reward you?”
- Numbers 22:37
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.