Numbers 23:5 kjv
And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
Numbers 23:5 nkjv
Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
Numbers 23:5 niv
The LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this word."
Numbers 23:5 esv
And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
Numbers 23:5 nlt
The LORD gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, "Go back to Balak and give him my message."
Numbers 23 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 4:11-12 | Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth...? Is it not I, the Lord?... I will be with your mouth and teach you..." | God equips and controls speech |
| Deut 18:18 | I will raise up for them a prophet like you... And I will put my words in his mouth... | God empowers His chosen prophets |
| Isa 51:16 | And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand... | God directly inspires prophetic utterances |
| Jer 1:9 | Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth." | Divine impartation of prophetic message |
| Eze 3:27 | But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord God." | God enables prophetic speaking |
| Mat 10:20 | For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. | Holy Spirit directs speech in testimony |
| Lk 21:15 | For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. | God grants supernatural ability to speak |
| Acts 2:4 | And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. | Holy Spirit enables various forms of speech |
| 2 Pet 1:21 | For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. | Prophecy originates from God, not human will |
| Psa 76:10 | Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remainder of wrath you will restrain. | God controls and uses even human antagonism |
| Prov 16:9 | The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. | God ultimately directs human paths |
| Prov 21:1 | The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. | God's sovereignty over powerful rulers |
| Gen 50:20 | As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good... | God overrules evil intentions for good |
| Num 22:38 | But Balaam said to Balak, "...Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?" | Balaam’s prior acknowledgment of God’s control |
| Num 23:12 | He answered and said, "Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?" | Balaam reiterates his compulsion to speak God’s word |
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind... | God's word is immutable and trustworthy |
| Num 23:20 | Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. | Balaam declares he cannot reverse God's blessing |
| Deut 23:4-5 | because they did not meet you... with bread and with water... and because they hired against you Balaam... to curse you. Nevertheless, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you... | God frustrates and reverses curses |
| Josh 24:9-10 | Then Balak... hired Balaam... but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. | God overrode Balaam's intent and commanded blessing |
| Neh 13:2 | because they had not met the people of Israel with bread... and had hired Balaam against them to curse them, yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. | God transforms evil into blessing |
| Mic 6:5 | O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal... | Prophetic recall of Balaam's story and God's intervention |
| 2 Pet 2:15-16 | They have left the straight way... For the sake of gain they have followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing... a mute donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. | New Testament commentary on Balaam’s flawed character and God's use of a donkey to correct him |
| Jude 11 | Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error... | NT warning against avarice and rebellion mirroring Balaam |
| Rev 2:14 | But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel... | NT caution against spiritual compromise and idolatry linked to Balaam's counsel |
Numbers 23 verses
Numbers 23 5 Meaning
Numbers 23:5 reveals God's absolute sovereignty over even a pagan diviner. It signifies that the Lord Yahweh directly intervened, placing His specific divine message into Balaam’s mouth, thereby controlling what Balaam would speak. This act rendered Balaam an unwilling instrument of God’s will, preventing him from uttering his desired curse and compelling him to deliver only the divine pronouncements.
Numbers 23 5 Context
Numbers 23:5 is situated during Israel's journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land, as they encamp on the plains of Moab. Balak, the king of Moab, filled with fear at the Israelites' numerous presence and past victories, sought to prevent their advance. Believing in the power of divination and curses, he hired Balaam from Pethor near the Euphrates, a renowned prophet and diviner, to curse Israel. Despite Balaam's initial interactions with the Lord and the explicit divine command not to go or curse Israel, he proceeded at Balak's persistent urging, albeit with a warning that he could only speak what the Lord allowed. This specific verse marks the pivotal moment where, after sacrifices have been offered, Balaam goes to a desolate place seeking an oracle, and God immediately establishes control over his utterances. This act powerfully highlights YHWH's supremacy over all pagan deities and practices, asserting His will regardless of human intentions or spiritual alignments.
Numbers 23 5 Word analysis
- And the Lord (YHWH): This refers to the covenant God of Israel, the one true God, distinct from any local deities or idols Balak or Balaam might acknowledge. His direct action signifies His personal involvement and supremacy.
- put (שִׂים, sim): The Hebrew verb means to place, set, appoint, or ordain. It denotes an active, deliberate, and authoritative action. God wasn't merely influencing or suggesting; He was directly inserting or placing the 'word' into Balaam's mouth, implying full control.
- a word (דָּבָר, dabar): In Hebrew, dabar means more than just a sound or a single utterance; it encompasses a matter, a thing, a decree, a message, or even an event. When associated with God, it carries immense power, authority, and often efficacy. This 'word' is divine communication, specific and powerful.
- in Balaam’s mouth (בְּפִי בִלְעָם, b'fi Bil'am): "Mouth" (פה, peh) is the organ of speech. Placing the word in his mouth signifies direct, intimate control over Balaam's ability to articulate anything. It means Balaam was not to speak his own will, thoughts, or any pagan incantations, but only precisely what God decreed.
- and said: This clarifies the nature of the "word" – it was an explicit, verbal command from the Lord.
- "Return to Balak": A direct command specifying Balaam's immediate action, indicating that Balaam’s solitude for an oracle was concluded and he was to go back to the king.
- "and thus you shall speak": This reinforces the divine control. Balaam is commanded not only where to go but precisely what his message must be, serving as God's conduit, not his own diviner.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth": This phrase emphasizes divine authority and initiation. It signifies that the message Balaam is about to deliver originates entirely from YHWH, bypassing Balaam’s own intentions, prophecies, or curses. This direct insertion demonstrates God's sovereignty over speech, particularly prophetic speech, rendering Balaam an instrument rather than an independent agent. It's a clear statement that despite Balaam's status as a pagan diviner, he is absolutely subjected to the will of the Almighty God of Israel.
- "and said, 'Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak'": This section highlights God’s specific direction and precise instruction. It's not just the content (the "word") but the mandate for its delivery. Balaam receives his assignment immediately: go back to the one who sent you and deliver this specific message. This underlines the fact that Balaam is utterly subservient to God's command, unable to choose his audience or the tenor of his message. The divine will completely dictates Balaam's actions and utterances.
Numbers 23 5 Bonus section
This verse starkly illustrates a powerful polemic against paganism and divination prevalent in the ancient Near East. Balak and the Moabites relied on Balaam’s perceived power to manipulate divine forces for their benefit. However, YHWH’s direct control over Balaam’s mouth serves as a profound statement: the God of Israel is not like the regional deities that might be coerced or influenced by diviners. Instead, He controls even those who claim such power, rendering their rituals impotent against His sovereign will. It also introduces the consistent theme that God's word is ultimate and cannot be gainsaid by man.
Numbers 23 5 Commentary
Numbers 23:5 is a foundational verse that establishes divine sovereignty at the very outset of Balaam’s oracles. It portrays the Lord’s absolute control, asserting that no power, not even a celebrated foreign diviner, can curse what God has blessed or speak contrary to His will. This intervention turns Balaam into an unwilling prophetic mouthpiece for God, underscoring that authentic prophecy flows directly from God's utterance, overriding human will or pagan practices. It sets the stage for Balaam’s subsequent blessings upon Israel, demonstrating God’s power to use even seemingly hostile or mercenary agents to accomplish His purposes and reveal His glory, consistently turning intended harm into divine favour for His people.