Numbers 23:19

Numbers 23:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
• New International Version (NIV)God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
• English Standard Version (ESV)God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Context of Numbers 23:19

17So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and the Moabite officers were standing beside the burnt offerings. Balak asked Balaam, ‘What did the Lord say?’ 18Balaam spoke his message from God. He said, ‘Balak, son of Zippor, be ready! Listen carefully to me. God is not human. He does not tell lies. He does not change his thoughts. If he promises to do something, it happens. 20He told me that I must bless the Israelites. He has blessed them, so I must do it too. 21I do not see that any trouble will come to the Israelites. The Lord their God is with them, to help them. They call him their king.

Numbers 23:19 word by word

לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
• not a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• that he should lieכָּזַבkâzab · to lieH3576
• neither the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• that he should repentנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
• hath he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• and shall he not doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• or hath he spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• and shall he not make it goodקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965

Cross-references for Numbers 23:19

• 1 Samuel 15:29The great God who rules over Israel always does what he says he will do. He does not change his mind. People may change their minds, but he does not!’
• Psalms 89:35I made that promise to David at one time, and that will not change. I promised him by my holy name and I will never deceive him.
• Habakkuk 2:3What I will show to you must happen at the time that I have decided. That is a future time, but it will certainly happen, as I have said. It may not happen very soon, but you must be patient. What I show to you will certainly happen at the right time, so wait for it.
• Malachi 3:6‘I am the Lord and I do not change. Because of my promises to my people, I have not destroyed you, descendants of Jacob.
• Luke 21:33One day, the earth and the sky will have an end. But my words will be there for ever.
• Romans 11:29God's thoughts about his people cannot change. He has blessed them with gifts and he has chosen them to belong to him.
• Hebrews 6:18Those two things can never change. God cannot tell a lie. As a result, we can be brave and strong. We have trusted God to keep us safe with him. We should also expect to receive the good things that he has promised to give us.
• James 1:17Remember that every good gift comes to us from God. He only does what will help us. He is our Father in heaven. He made everything in the sky that gives us light. Those things do not give us the same light all the time. They change, but God does not change.
• 1 Chronicles 17:17And you have done more than that, my God. You have made a promise about the descendants of my family in the future. You, Lord God, have spoken to me as if I am a very important man.
• Micah 7:20You will continue to be kind to us, because we are Jacob's and Abraham's people. That is what you promised to our grandfathers a long time ago.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19God is not a man, that he should lie - This seems to be spoken to correct the foregoing supposition of Balak that God could change his mind. Even the heathen would not allow that their supreme god could be caught in a falsity. Hence Aeschylus, in Prometh. vinct. 1068: - , . "The mouth of Jove knows not to frame a lie; But every word finds full accomplishment."Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-30Verses 11-30 Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19Because God is faithful and always keeps his word, Balaam had no choice but to bless Israel. He could not speak against them because God had decided to bless them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-1918-19. Rise up--As Balak was already standing (Nu 23:17), this expression is equivalent to "now attend to me." The counsels and promises of God respecting Israel are unchangeable; and no attempt to prevail on Him to reverse them will succeed, as they may with a man.Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 23:19

• God Continued...
• Pisgah
• Truth

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Son of man
• Count
• Abel-Shittim
• Anthropology
• Balaam
• Balak
• Charm
• Divination

Commentaries on Numbers 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings