New American Standard Bible 1995
Numbers 23:19
191God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; 2Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
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
17He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” 18Then he took up his discourse and said, “Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor! 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 it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? 20Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it. 21He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The Lord his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.
Read all of Numbers 23Numbers 23:19 word by word
לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃Read the interlinear
- Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
- is not a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that He should lieכָּזַבkâzab · to lieH3576
- Norלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- a sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- that He should repentנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
- Has He saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- and will He not doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- Or has He spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- and will He not makeקָמָיqûm · (Leb)-kamaiH6965
Cross-references for Numbers 23:19
- 1 Samuel 15:29Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”
- Psalms 89:35Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David.
- Habakkuk 2:3For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
- Malachi 3:6“For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
- Luke 21:33Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
- Romans 11:29for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
- Hebrews 6:18so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
- James 1:17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
- 1 Chronicles 17:17This was a small thing in Your eyes, O God; but You have spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the standard of a man of high degree, O Lord God.
- Micah 7:20You will give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old.
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
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Numbers 23:19 1 Sam 15:29 ↩
- 2. Numbers 23:19 Is 40:8; 55:11 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries