Numbers 23 27

Numbers 23:27 kjv

And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

Numbers 23:27 nkjv

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there."

Numbers 23:27 niv

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there."

Numbers 23:27 esv

And Balak said to Balaam, "Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there."

Numbers 23:27 nlt

Then King Balak said to Balaam, "Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there."

Numbers 23 verses

Numbers 23 27 Meaning

Numbers 23:27 reveals Balak’s persistent, desperate, and deluded attempt to make Balaam curse Israel. Despite two previous failed attempts and Balaam's declarations that God cannot be swayed, Balak believes a change of location might alter God's will. It underscores the futility of human schemes against God’s sovereign plan to bless His people.

Numbers 23 27 Context

Numbers chapter 23 narrates the second and third attempts by Balak, King of Moab, to coerce the prophet Balaam into cursing the nation of Israel. Driven by fear of Israel's vast numbers and strength, Balak sought to weaken them spiritually through divination. Verse 27 follows Balaam’s second oracle (Num 23:18-24), delivered from the field of Zophim on Mount Pisgah, in which he clearly states God's unchangeable purpose to bless Israel, emphasizing that "God is not a man, that He should lie." Despite this unambiguous declaration of God’s will, Balak remains stubborn and spiritually blind. His response in verse 27 shows a desperate refusal to accept divine sovereignty, persisting in his belief that a mere change in physical vantage point might somehow sway or trick the omniscient God into granting his malicious desire to curse Israel. He's moving from one sacred high place to another (the third attempt overall), trying every possible pagan-influenced method to achieve his goal.

Numbers 23 27 Word analysis

• Then Balak said to Balaam: Indicates continuation of their interaction. Balak's words reveal his determined will against divine revelation.
• "Come, please" (לְכָה־נָּא - lekha-na): lekha means "go/come," na is an enclitic particle conveying a plea, entreaty, or urging. It shows Balak's urgent desperation and persistent supplication to Balaam.
• "I will take you" (אֶקָחֲךָ - eqaḥakha): Balak maintains control and initiative in this process, highlighting his agency in selecting the locations, believing his actions can influence the outcome.
• "to another place" (אֶל־מָקוֹם אַחֵר - ʾel-maqom ʾaḥer): Literally "to another place." This signifies Balak's superstition. He believes a new vantage point, perhaps one with a different spiritual significance or one where only a portion of Israel is visible, might alter God's disposition or allow Balaam's words to be more effective. This is his third location after Bamoth-Baal and Pisgah.
• "perhaps it will please God" (אוּלַי יִישַׁר בְּעֵינֵי הָאֱלֹהִים - ʾulay yiyshar bəʿênê hāʾĕlohîm):
  • ʾulay ("perhaps/it may be"): Expresses Balak's hope or lingering doubt, his fundamental misunderstanding of God's nature. He clings to the possibility of manipulating the divine.
  • yiyshar ("it will be straight/right/pleasing"): Implies what seems correct or fitting to God. Balak thinks God's will is pliable and can be influenced by location or repeated human effort.
  • hāʾĕlohîm ("the God/God"): Generic term for God, used here even by a pagan king who understands Balaam speaks for a powerful deity, but he fails to grasp this God's absolute sovereignty and unchangeable decrees regarding His covenant people. This term acknowledges God's power but not necessarily His unique character as Yahweh.
• "that you may curse them for me" (תָּקֳבֶנּוּ־לִי מִשָּׁם - tāqoḇennû-lî miššām):
  • tāqoḇennû ("you may curse them"): Qalal (קלל) implies a light cursing, making light of, or diminishing the person's status. Balak’s goal is direct opposition to God's blessing.
  • lî ("for me"): Balak's self-interest is paramount; he wants the curse for his own political and strategic gain.
  • miššām ("from there"): Reinforces the significance of the geographical vantage point. Balak ties the effectiveness of the curse to the physical location from which it is pronounced, a common ancient Near Eastern pagan belief about divine presence or influence.

Numbers 23 27 Bonus section

• Balak's persistent reliance on location illustrates a common ancient pagan misconception of deity being spatially limited or influenced by specific ritual sites. He treats Yahweh like the territorial gods of other nations, whom one might placate or manipulate in different locales.
• The dramatic tension arises from Balak's refusal to accept the reality of God's immutability, creating a foil for Yahweh's steadfastness. This stands as a polemic against the idea that foreign seers or pagan rituals could ever exert control over the God of Israel.
• Balaam, though a prophet who hears from God, remains entwined with Balak’s schemes for monetary gain, embodying a spiritual compromise even as he delivers God's unalterable decrees. This verse thus also subtly introduces Balaam's ongoing temptation and moral struggle which ultimately leads to his corrupt counsel mentioned in Revelation and Jude.

Numbers 23 27 Commentary

Numbers 23:27 showcases the climax of Balak’s stubborn defiance against divine will. Despite hearing clear pronouncements from God, through Balaam, that Israel is blessed and cannot be cursed, Balak clings to a pagan worldview that sees deity as malleable or limited by external circumstances like location. His suggestion to move to "another place" (his third attempt after Bamoth-baal and Pisgah) reflects a superstitious belief common in the ancient Near East: that altering the ritual setting, view, or specific gods being appealed to might yield a different divine response. It vividly illustrates human desperation and spiritual blindness when confronted with God’s unchanging word. This verse powerfully underscores God's absolute sovereignty and faithfulness to His promises, showing that no human effort, no matter how persistent or manipulative, can overturn His declared purpose for His people. The narrative highlights the futility of fighting against God and the enduring truth that His blessing on His chosen people cannot be undone.