New Living Translation
Numbers 22:34
34Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”
Numbers 22:34 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
- New International Version (NIV)Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”
Context of Numbers 22:34
32“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me. 33Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.” Then Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.” 35But the angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with these men, but say only what I tell you to say.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s officials. 36When King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way, he went out to meet him at a Moabite town on the Arnon River at the farthest border of his land.
Read all of Numbers 22Numbers 22:34 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם אֶל־מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ חָטָ֔אתִי כִּ֚י לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֥י אַתָּ֛ה נִצָּ֥ב לִקְרָאתִ֖י בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ וְעַתָּ֛ה אִם־רַ֥ע בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ אָשׁ֥וּבָה לִּֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- I have sinnedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- for I knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- not that thou stoodestנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
- in the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- againstקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
- me: now therefore, if it displease theeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
- me: now therefore, if it displease theeרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
- I will get me back againשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
Cross-references for Numbers 22:34
- Exodus 9:27Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he confessed. “The Lord is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong.
- Exodus 10:16Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you,” he confessed.
- 1 Samuel 15:24Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.
- 1 Samuel 24:17And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil.
- 1 Samuel 26:21Then Saul confessed, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong.”
- 2 Samuel 12:13Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.
- Job 34:31“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’?
- Psalms 78:34When God began killing them, they finally sought him. They repented and took God seriously.
- Matthew 27:4“I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
- Numbers 22:12But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”
- Numbers 11:1Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp.
- 1 Chronicles 21:7God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.
- Proverbs 24:18For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.
Commentaries on Numbers 22:34
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34If it displease thee, I will get me back again - Here is a proof, that though he loved the wages of unrighteousness, yet he still feared God; and he is now willing to drop the enterprise if God be displeased with his proceeding. The piety of many called Christians does not extend thus far; they see that the thing displeases God, and yet they proceed. Reader, is this thy case?Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-35Verses 22-35 We must not think, that because God does not always by his providence restrain men from sin, therefore he approves of it, or that it is not hateful to him. The holy angels oppose sin, and perhaps are employed in preventing it more than we are aware. This angel was an adversary to Balaam, because Balaam counted him his adversary; those are really our best friends, and we ought so to reckon them, who stop our progress in sinful ways. Balaam has…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 34I have sinned: Balaam admitted he was wrong. He realized that he had not seen the angel of the Lord standing in his way. He also had not understood the angel’s purpose. Balaam offered to turn back and not continue on the journey.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 34-3534-35. I have sinned ... if it displease thee, I will get me back again--Notwithstanding this confession, he evinced no spirit of penitence, as he speaks of desisting only from the outward act. The words "go with the men" was a mere withdrawal of further restraint, but the terms in which leave was given are more absolute and peremptory than those in Nu 22:20.Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 22:34
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 22
- 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
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