Revised Literal Translation
Numbers 22:20
20And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
Numbers 22:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
- New International Version (NIV)That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.”
Context of Numbers 22:20
18And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Yhwh my God, to do less or more. 19Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Yhwh will say unto me more. And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. 21And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. 22And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of Yhwh stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
Read all of Numbers 22Numbers 22:20 word by word
וַיָּבֹ֨א אֱלֹהִ֥ים׀ אֶל־בִּלְעָם֮ לַיְלָה֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ אִם־לִקְרֹ֤א לְךָ֙ בָּ֣אוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים ק֖וּם לֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֑ם וְאַ֗ךְ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ אֹת֥וֹ תַעֲשֶֽׂה׃Read the interlinear
- And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- unto Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- at nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, If the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- to callקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- thee, rise upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- with them; but yetאַךְ'ak · surelyH389
- the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- which I shall sayדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto thee, that shalt thou doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
Cross-references for Numbers 22:20
- Numbers 22:9And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
- 1 Samuel 8:5And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
- 1 Samuel 12:12And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when Yhwh your God was your king.
- Psalms 81:12So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
- Ezekiel 14:2And the word of Yhwh came unto me, saying,
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- Numbers 22:35And the angel of Yhwh said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
- Numbers 23:12And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Yhwh hath put in my mouth?
- Numbers 24:13If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of Yhwh, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what Yhwh saith, that will I speak?
- Psalms 33:10Yhwh bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
- Psalms 78:30They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
- Isaiah 37:29Because thy rage against me, and thy tumult, is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
- Hosea 13:11I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.
Commentaries on Numbers 22:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20If the men come - go with them - This is a confirmation of what was observed on the twelfth verse; though we find his going was marked with the Divine displeasure, because he wished, for the sake of the honors and rewards, to fulfill as far as possible the will of the king of Moab. Mr. Shuckford observes that the pronoun הוא hu is sometimes used to denote a person's doing a thing out of his own head, without regard to the directions of another. Thus in…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-21Verses 15-21 A second embassy was sent to Balaam. It were well for us, if we were as earnest and constant in prosecuting a good work, notwithstanding disappointments. Balak laid a bait, not only for Balaam's covetousness, but for his pride and ambition. How earnestly should we beg of God daily to mortify such desires in us! Thus sinners stick at no pains, spare no cost, and care not how low they stoop, to gratify their luxury, or their malice. Shall we…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20Balaam agreed to ask about the Lord's wishes once more. God allowed him to go with Balak’s representatives but warned him to follow God's commands exactly (see 22:35).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2019-20. tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more--The divine will, as formerly declared, not being according to his desires, he hoped by a second request to bend it, as he had already bent his own conscience, to his ruling passions of pride and covetousness. The permission granted to Balaam is in accordance with the ordinary procedure of Providence. God often gives up men to follow the impulse of their own lusts…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 22:20
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries