TRV
Translation
King James Version
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
Complete Jewish Bible
Now, please, you too, stay here tonight; so that I may find out what else ADONAI will say to me."
Berean Standard Bible
So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.”
American Standard Version
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Jehovah will speak unto me more.
World English Bible Messianic
Now therefore, please wait also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will speak to me more.”
Geneva Bible (1599)
But nowe, I pray you, tary here this night, that I may wit, what the Lord will say vnto mee more.
Young's Literal Translation
and, now, abide, I pray you, in this place , you also, to-night; and I know what Jehovah is adding to speak with me.'
Study This Verse
Commentary on Numbers 22 verses 15–21
15 ¶ And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18 And 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 the LORD my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
20 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.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
We have here a second embassy sent to Balaam, to fetch him over to curse Israel. It were well for us if we were as earnest and constant in prosecuting a good work, notwithstanding disappointments, as Balak was in pursuing this ill design. The enemies of the church are restless and unwearied in their attempts against it; but he that sits in heaven laughs at them. Observe,
I. The temptation Balak laid before Balaam. He contrived to make this assault more vigorous than the former. It is very probable that he sent double money in the hands of his messengers; but, besides that, now he tempted him with honours, laid a bait not only for his covetousness, but for his pride and ambition. How earnestly should we beg of God daily to mortify in us these two limbs of the old man! Those that know how to look with a holy contempt upon worldly wealth and preferment will find it not so hard a matter as most men do to keep a good conscience. See how artfully Balak managed the temptation. 1. The messengers he sent were more, and more honourable, Num 22:15. He sent to this conjurer with as great respect and deference to his quality as if he had been a sovereign prince, apprehending perhaps that Balaam had thought himself slighted in the fewness and meanness of the former messengers. 2. The request was very urgent. This powerful prince becomes a suitor to him: "Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee (Num 22:16), no, not God, nor conscience, nor any fear either of sin or shame." 3. The proffers were high: "I will promote thee to very great honour among the princes of Moab;" nay, he gives him a blank, and he shall write his own terms: I will do whatsoever thou sayest, that is, "I will give thee whatever thou desirest, and observe whatever thou orderest; thy word shall be a law to me," Num 22:17. Thus sinners stick at no pains, spare no cost, and care not how low they stoop, for the gratifying either of their luxury or of their malice; shall we then be stiff and strait-handed in our compliance with the laws of virtue? God forbid.
II. Balaam's seeming resistance of, but real yielding to, this temptation. We may here discern in Balaam a struggle between his convictions and his corruptions. 1. His convictions charged him to adhere to the command of God, and he spoke their language, Num 22:18. Nor could any man have said better: "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, and that is more than he can give or I can ask, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God." See how honourably he speaks of God; he is Jehovah, my God. Note, Many call God theirs that are not his, not truly because not only his; they swear by the Lord, and by Malcham. See how respectfully he speaks of the word of God, as one resolved to stick to it, and in nothing to vary from it, and how slightly of the wealth of this world, as if gold and silver were nothing to him in comparison with the favour of God; and yet, at the same time, the searcher of hearts knew that he loved the wages of unrighteousness. Note, It is an easy thing for bad men to speak very good words, and with their mouth to make a show of piety. There is no judging of men by their words. God knows the heart. 2. His corruptions at the same time strongly inclined him to go contrary to the command. He seemed to refuse the temptation, Num 22:18. But even then he expressed no abhorrence of it, as Christ did when he had the kingdoms of the world offered him (Get thee hence Satan), and as Peter did when Simon Magus offered him money: Thy money perish with thee. But it appears (Num 22:19) that he had a strong inclination to accept the proffer; for he would further attend, to know what God would say to him, hoping that he might alter his mind and give him leave to go. This was a vile reflection upon God Almighty, as if he could change his mind, and now at last suffer those to be cursed whom he had pronounced blessed, and as if he would be brought to allow what he had already declared to be evil. Surely he thought God altogether such a one as himself. He had already been told what the will of God was, in which he ought to have acquiesced, and not to have desired a re-hearing of that cause which was already so plainly determined. Note, It is a very great affront to God, and a certain evidence of the dominion of corruption in the heart, to beg leave to sin.
III. The permission God gave him to go, Num 22:20. God came to him, probably by an anger, and told him he might, if he pleased, go with Balak's messengers. So he gave him up to his own heart's lust. "Since thou hast such a mind to go, even go, yet know that the journey thou undertakest shall not be for thy honour; for, though thou hast leave to go, thou shalt not, as thou hopest, have leave to curse, for the word which I shall say unto thee, that thou shalt do." Note, God has wicked men in a chain; hitherto they shall come by his permission, but no further that he does permit them. Thus he makes the wrath of man to praise him, yet, at the same time, restrains the remainder of it. It was in anger that God said to Balaam, "Go with them," and we have reason to think that Balaam himself so understood it, for we do not find him pleading this allowance when God reproved him for going. Note, As God sometimes denies the prayers of his people in love, so sometimes he grants the desires of the wicked in wrath.
IV. His setting out in the journey, Num 22:21. God gave him leave to go if the men called him, but he was so fond of the journey that we do not find he staid for their calling him, but he himself rose up in the morning, got every thing ready with all speed, and went with the princes of Moab, who were proud enough that they had carried their point. The apostle describes Balaam's sin here to be that he ran greedily into an error for reward, Jde 1:11. The love of money is the root of all evil.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–21. Public domain.
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Richard ChallonerAD 1781
To stay: His desiring them to stay, after he had been fully informed already that it was not God's will he should go, came from the inclination he had to gratify Balac, for the sake of worldly gain. And this perverse disposition God punished by permitting him to go (though not to curse the people as he would willingly have done), and suffering him to fall still deeper and deeper into sin, till he came at last to give that abominable counsel against the people of God, which ended in his own destruction. So sad a thing it is to indulge a passion for money.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Numbers 22:19 captures a pivotal moment in the unfolding narrative of Balaam, a non-Israelite diviner, as he engages with the persistent delegation from Balak, the king of Moab. This verse illuminates Balaam's unsettling desire to re-consult the LORD, despite having received clear and unequivocal divine instruction, thereby exposing a profound tension between obedience to God's explicit will and the powerful allure of personal ambition, worldly honor, and material gain. It serves as a critical juncture, setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation between human willfulness and divine sovereignty, ultimately demonstrating God's unthwartable plan for the nation of Israel.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: The broader narrative of Numbers 22-24 centers on Balaam and his interactions with Balak, the king of Moab, who seeks to employ Balaam's prophetic abilities to curse the advancing Israelites. Immediately preceding this verse, Balak has dispatched a second, more numerous, and more prestigious delegation of princes, explicitly offering greater honor and riches to intensify the pressure on Balaam to comply. This renewed entreaty follows God's initial, unambiguous command to Balaam in Numbers 22:12: "Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed." Balaam's request in Numbers 22:19, to "tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more," is not a humble seeking of initial guidance, but rather a direct response to Balak's intensified temptation, functioning as a test of God's previously stated will. This subtle but significant act of re-inquiry foreshadows the subsequent events, including God's paradoxical permission for Balaam to go under strict conditions, the famous talking donkey episode in Numbers 22:22-35, and Balaam's ultimate inability to curse Israel.
Historical & Cultural Context: The setting for this narrative is the plains of Moab, situated east of the Jordan River, where the Israelites are encamped, poised to enter the Promised Land, as described in Numbers 22:1. Balak, as the king of Moab, perceives the vast Israelite encampment as an existential threat to his kingdom, fearing their sheer numbers and potential for conquest. In the ancient Near East, it was a widespread and accepted practice for kings and rulers to employ diviners, seers, or prophets to invoke powerful curses or blessings upon their enemies or allies. The prevailing belief was that such pronouncements, especially from renowned figures like Balaam, held genuine supernatural efficacy. Balaam, though not an Israelite, was widely recognized as a diviner whose blessings and curses were believed to be effective, as Balak himself acknowledges in Numbers 22:6. This deep-seated cultural belief explains Balak's desperate and persistent pursuit of Balaam, and it also sheds light on Balaam's own perceived authority and the significant material temptation he faced through the offers of "great honor" and "riches," which were standard forms of remuneration for such potent services.
Key Themes: The narrative of Balaam, particularly in Numbers 22, profoundly explores several critical theological themes. Firstly, it highlights the tension between divine will and human willfulness. God's initial command to Balaam is unequivocally clear, yet Balaam's underlying desire for personal gain and worldly recognition leads him to seek a "second opinion," illustrating the pervasive human tendency to rationalize disobedience when faced with powerful temptations. Secondly, the story powerfully underscores the irrevocability and steadfastness of God's blessing upon Israel. Despite Balak's elaborate machinations and Balaam's initial intentions to curse, God's covenantal promises to His chosen people cannot be thwarted or undone. Balaam is ultimately compelled by divine power to pronounce blessings upon Israel, demonstrating God's absolute sovereign control over even those who oppose His plans. Thirdly, the account serves as a potent warning against covetousness and spiritual compromise. Balaam's "error" or "way" is later explicitly condemned in the New Testament as motivated by "the wages of unrighteousness," as seen in 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 1:11. This narrative vividly portrays how worldly ambition can profoundly corrupt spiritual discernment, leading one astray from God's explicit commands and into a path of moral and spiritual compromise.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse powerfully employs Irony and Foreshadowing. The profound Irony lies in Balaam's outwardly pious statement—"that I may know what the LORD will say"—which is starkly juxtaposed with his clear defiance of God's already revealed will. He presents himself as a devout seeker of divine instruction, yet his actions betray a heart swayed by worldly gain, hoping that God will conform to his desires rather than the other way around. This creates a powerful dramatic irony for the reader, who is privy to God's initial and unequivocal command. The phrase "what the LORD will say unto me more" also functions as potent Foreshadowing. It subtly hints at a further divine encounter, which indeed materializes in Numbers 22:20, where God paradoxically permits Balaam to go but under extremely strict conditions. This permission ultimately leads to the unfolding drama of the talking donkey and Balaam's ultimate inability to curse Israel, thereby foreshadowing God's sovereign control over even a disobedient prophet, ensuring His divine purposes are fulfilled despite human machinations and resistance.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 22:19 serves as a profound theological lesson on the nature of divine communication and the appropriate human response. It highlights the inherent danger of seeking a "second opinion" from God when His will has already been clearly and unequivocally revealed, especially when such re-inquiry is motivated by personal gain, external pressure, or a desire to rationalize disobedience. Balaam's persistent inquiry, despite God's clear "no," reveals a heart that values worldly reward and human approval over divine obedience and integrity. This narrative underscores God's absolute sovereignty, demonstrating that while He may, in His mysterious wisdom, permit certain actions (as He does with Balaam going with the men), His ultimate purposes and immutable character remain steadfast. He will not be manipulated or coerced into aligning with human desires that contradict His revealed will. The passage teaches that true faith involves trusting and obeying God's initial, clear word, rather than attempting to coerce Him into aligning with our desires or seeking loopholes in His commands.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Numbers 22:19 offers a timeless and deeply sobering reflection for believers in every generation. In an age where spiritual guidance is often sought for personal convenience, self-validation, or to justify pre-existing desires, Balaam's error serves as a stark and potent warning. When God has spoken clearly—whether through the explicit teachings of Scripture, the discernible leading of the Holy Spirit, or the wise counsel of the godly—our posture should be one of humble obedience and trusting submission, not persistent re-inquiry fueled by covetousness, ambition, or fear of man. This verse compels us to critically examine our motivations when we pray, seek counsel, or discern God's will. Are we genuinely seeking His perfect plan and His glory, or are we hoping He will merely rubber-stamp our own agenda, especially when significant worldly benefits or personal comfort are at stake? True spiritual maturity involves embracing God's "no" with as much faith and submission as His "yes," trusting implicitly that His wisdom and goodness always surpass our limited understanding and desires. It calls us to cultivate a heart that prioritizes God's glory and His revealed truth above all personal gain, external pressures, or the fleeting allure of worldly honor.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did God eventually allow Balaam to go with the men, even after initially forbidding it?
Answer: God's permission for Balaam to go with the men in Numbers 22:20 is a complex theological point, often interpreted not as a reversal of God's will, but as God giving Balaam over to his own stubborn desire, yet with strict conditions that ensured God's ultimate purpose would be fulfilled. It can be seen as a form of divine judgment or "hardening," similar to how God dealt with Pharaoh in Exodus, where God permits a course of action that will ultimately reveal His power and sovereignty. Balaam was explicitly told, "yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do." This demonstrates that Balaam would be a mere instrument, unable to curse Israel, thus ensuring God's blessing on His people remained inviolable. This highlights that God's ultimate plan and His covenant promises cannot be thwarted by human disobedience or manipulation; He uses even the waywardness of men to accomplish His purposes.
What is the "error of Balaam" mentioned in the New Testament?
Answer: The "error of Balaam" (or "the way of Balaam") is referenced in 2 Peter 2:15 and Jude 1:11. It primarily refers to Balaam's motivation: he "loved the wages of unrighteousness" and "ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward." This signifies spiritual corruption driven by covetousness and material gain. Balaam was willing to compromise his prophetic integrity and attempt to curse God's people for money and honor. The New Testament uses him as a cautionary tale for false teachers and those who exploit spiritual gifts for personal profit, leading others astray for selfish motives. It's a severe warning against allowing greed to distort one's spiritual discernment and lead to apostasy.
Does God ever change His mind?
Answer: This is a profound theological question that requires careful nuance. Scripture presents God as immutable, meaning He does not change in His character, nature, or ultimate purposes (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). However, there are passages where God is described as "relenting" or "changing His mind" in response to human repentance or prayer (e.g., Exodus 32:14; Jonah 3:10). This apparent paradox is often understood in terms of God's covenantal relationship with humanity. When God states a consequence for sin, and people genuinely repent, His "change of mind" is consistent with His unchanging character of mercy, justice, and faithfulness to His covenant. In Balaam's case, God did not change His mind about blessing Israel or His initial prohibition on cursing them. Instead, He permitted Balaam to go under conditions that ensured His original, unchanging purpose would be fulfilled. Balaam's desire for God to change His mind was rooted in his own greed and disobedience, not in a genuine repentance that would elicit divine mercy.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of Balaam, particularly his attempt to manipulate God's will in Numbers 22:19, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the stark contrast between human self-interest and divine self-sacrifice. Balaam, driven by "the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15), sought to alter God's decree for personal gain and worldly honor. In profound contrast, Jesus Christ, the ultimate Prophet and Son of God, perfectly embodied unwavering obedience to the Father's will, even when it led to immense suffering and death. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39). Unlike Balaam, who sought a "more" convenient or profitable word from God, Jesus embraced the Father's difficult and sacrificial will, demonstrating complete submission, perfect trust, and ultimate love. Furthermore, Balaam's ultimate inability to curse Israel, being compelled instead to pronounce blessings, powerfully foreshadows Christ's redemptive work. Jesus did not come to curse humanity for its sin but to bless it by taking away its sin, as John the Baptist proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Jesus secured an eternal blessing for all who believe, a blessing far greater and more enduring than any Balaam could have pronounced. This ultimate act of redemption fulfills the ancient Abrahamic promise that "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3), demonstrating that God's plan of blessing for humanity is perfectly and irrevocably secured in Christ, overcoming all human machinations and sin.