Numbers 22:18
in Numbers 22But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 Jehovah my God, to do less or more.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Numbers 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseI cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God - Balaam knew God too well to suppose he could reverse any of his purposes; and he respected him too much to attempt to do any thing without his permission. Though he was covetous, yet he dared not, even when strongly tempted both by riches and honors, to go contrary to the command of his God.
This site's exposition
I cannot go beyond the word
on Numbers 22:18-19
The sentence he speaks is true and it is one of the strongest in the chapter, that a house full of silver and gold could not carry him past the word of the Lord his God, to do less or more. His next sentence asks God about a matter God had answered flatly the night before, and the word he uses for it is more. Henry reads the second inquiry as the tell, because a man who has an answer he dislikes goes back to ask again.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And Balaam answered, and said unto the servant's of Balak,....
Nor could any man have said better: " If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, and that is more than he can give or I can ask, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God. " See how honourably he speaks of God; he is Jehovah, my God. Note, Many call God theirs that are not his, not truly because not only his; they swear by the Lord, and by Malcham.
But even then he expressed no abhorrence of it, as Christ did when he had the kingdoms of the world offered him ( Get thee hence Satan ), and as Peter did when Simon Magus offered him money: Thy money perish with thee.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֣עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| בִּלְעָ֗ם | bilam | Balaam | H1109 → | 61 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַבְדֵ֣י | ʾavdei | [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| בָלָ֔ק | valak | Balak | H1111 → | 43 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִתֶּן־ | yiten- | he will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִ֥י | li | to <the> me | ||
| בָלָ֛ק | valak | Balak | H1111 → | 43 times |
| מְלֹ֥א | melo' | [the] fullness of | H4393 → | |
| בֵית֖וֹ | veito | house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| כֶּ֣סֶף | kesef | silver | H3701 → | 403 times |
| וְזָהָ֑ב | vezahav | and gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אוּכַ֗ל | ʾukhal | I will be able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לַעֲבֹר֙ | laavor | to transgress | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פִּי֙ | pi | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהָ֔י | ʾelohai | God my | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת | laasot | by doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| קְטַנָּ֖ה | ketanah | a small [thing] | H6996 → | |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| גְדוֹלָֽה׃ | gedolah | a large [thing] | H1419 → | 526 times |
וַיַּ֣עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
בִּלְעָ֗םBalaam
bilamH1109 →61 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עַבְדֵ֣י[the] servants of
ʾavdeiH5650 →799 times
בָלָ֔קBalak
valakH1111 →43 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יִתֶּן־he will give
yiten-H5414 →2011 times
לִ֥יto <the> me
li
בָלָ֛קBalak
valakH1111 →43 times
מְלֹ֥א[the] fullness of
melo'H4393 →
בֵית֖וֹhouse his
veitoH1004 →2046 times
כֶּ֣סֶףsilver
kesefH3701 →403 times
וְזָהָ֑בand gold
vezahavH2091 →389 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אוּכַ֗לI will be able
ʾukhalH3201 →194 times
לַעֲבֹר֙to transgress
laavorH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פִּי֙[the] mouth of
piH6310 →498 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהָ֔יGod my
ʾelohaiH430 →2601 times
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתby doing
laasotH6213 →2628 times
קְטַנָּ֖הa small [thing]
ketanahH6996 →
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
גְדוֹלָֽה׃a large [thing]
gedolahH1419 →526 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
1 Kings 22:14But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
it leads to
- Numbers 24:13
that even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 22:38
“See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 26:2–3
“This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all the cities of Judah who…
- Numbers 24:13
Through
Numbers 23:26But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
it leads to
- Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
- Acts 4:19–20
But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.
- 2 Chronicles 18:13
But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”
- Acts 5:29
Through
2 Chronicles 18:13But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”
it leads to
- Numbers 22:35
But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
- Numbers 22:35
Through
Numbers 22:38“See, I have come to you,” Balaam replied, “but can I say just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
- Proverbs 19:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.