TRV
Translation
King James Version
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
KJV (with Strong's)
Come H3212 now therefore, I pray thee, curse H779 me this people H5971; for they are too mighty H6099 for me: peradventure I shall prevail H3201, that we may smite H5221 them, and that I may drive them out H1644 of the land H776: for I wot H3045 that he whom thou blessest H1288 is blessed H1288, and he whom thou cursest H779 is cursed H779.
Complete Jewish Bible
Therefore, please come, and curse this people for me, because they are stronger than I am. Maybe I will be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is in fact blessed, and whomever you curse is in fact cursed."
Berean Standard Bible
So please come now and put a curse on this people, because they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land; for I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.”
American Standard Version
Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
World English Bible Messianic
Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Geneva Bible (1599)
Come now therefore, I pray thee, and curse me this people (for they are stronger then I) so it may be that I shall be able to smite them, and to driue them out of the land: for I knowe that hee, whome thou blessest, is blessed, and he whom thou cursest, shall be cursed.
Young's Literal Translation
and now, come, I pray thee, curse for me this people, for it is mightier than I; it may be I prevail--we smite it--and I cast it out from the land; for I have known--that which thou blessest is blessed, and that which thou cursest is cursed.'
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Commentary on Numbers 22 verses 1–14
1 ¶ And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
The children of Israel have at length finished their wanderings in the wilderness, out of which they went up (Num 21:18), and are now encamped in the plains of Moab near Jordan, where they continued till they passed through Jordan under Joshua, after the death of Moses. Now we have here,
I. The fright which the Moabites were in upon the approach of Israel, Num 22:2-4. They needed not to fear any harm from them if they knew (and it is probable that Moses let them know) the orders God had given to Israel not to contend with the Moabites, nor to use any hostility against them, Deu 2:9. But, if they had any notice of this, they were jealous that it was but a sham, to make them secure, that they might be the more easily conquered. Notwithstanding the old friendship between Abraham and Lot, the Moabites resolved to ruin Israel if they could, and therefore they will take it for granted, without any ground for the suspicion, that Israel resolves to ruin them. Thus it is common for those that design mischief to pretend that mischief is designed against them; and their groundless jealousies must be the colour of their causeless malice. They hear of their triumphs over the Amorites (Num 22:2), and think that their own house is in danger when their neighbour's is on fire. They observe their multitudes (Num 22:3): They were many; and hence infer how easily they would conquer their country, and all about them if some speedy and effectual course were not taken to stop the progress of their victorious arms: "They shall lick up or devour us, and all that are round about us, as speedily and irresistibly as the ox eats up the grass" (Num 22:4), owning themselves to be an unequal match for so formidable an enemy. Therefore they were sorely afraid and distressed themselves; thus were the wicked in great fear where no fear was, Psa 53:5. These fears they communicated to their neighbours, the elders of Midian, that some measures might be concerted between them for their common safety; for, if the kingdom of Moab fall, the republic of Midian cannot stand long. The Moabites, if they had pleased, might have made a good use of the advances of Israel, and their successes against the Amorites. They had reason to rejoice, and give God and Israel thanks for freeing them from the threatening power of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had taken from them part of their country, and was likely to overrun the rest. They had reason likewise to court Israel's friendship, and to come in to their assistance; but having forsaken the religion of their father Lot, and being sunk into idolatry, they hated the people of the God of Abraham, and were justly infatuated in their counsels and given up to distress.
II. The project which the king of Moab formed to get the people of Israel cursed, that is, to set God against them, who, he perceived, hitherto fought for them. He trusted more to his arts than to his arms, and had a notion that if he could but get some prophet or other, with his powerful charms, to imprecate evil upon them, and to pronounce a blessing upon himself and his forces, then, though otherwise too weak, he should be able to deal with them. This notion arose, 1. Out of the remains of some religion; for it owns a dependence upon some visible sovereign powers that rule in the affairs of the children of men and determine them, and an obligation upon us to make application to these powers. 2. Out of the ruins of the true religion; for if the Midianites and Moabites had not wretchedly degenerated from the faith and worship of their pious ancestors, Abraham and Lot, they could not have imagined it possible to do any mischief with their curses to a people who alone adhered to the service of the true God, from whose service they had themselves revolted.
III. The court which he made to Balaam the son of Beor, a famous conjurer, to engage him to curse Israel. The Balaam lived a great way off, in that country whence Abraham came, and where Laban lived; but, though it was probable that there were many nearer home that were pretenders to divination, yet none had so great a reputation for success as Balaam, and Balak will employ the best he can hear of, though he send a great way for him, so much is his heart upon this project. And to gain him, 1. He makes him his friend, complaining to him, as his confidant, of the danger he was in from the numbers and neighbourhood of the camp of Israel: They cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me, Num 22:5. 2. In effect he makes him his god, by the great power he attributes to his word: He whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed, Num 22:6. The learned bishop Patrick inclines to think, with many of the Jewish writers, that Balaam had been a great prophet, who, for the accomplishment of his predictions and the answers of his prayers, both for good and evil, had been looked upon justly as a man of great interest with God; but that, growing proud and covetous, God departed from him, and then, to support his sinking credit, he betook himself to diabolical arts. He is called a prophet (Pe2 2:16,) because he had been one, or perhaps he had raised his reputation from the first by his magical charms, as Simon Magus, who bewitched the people so far that he was called the great power of God, Act 8:10. Curses pronounced by God's prophets in the name of the Lord have wonderful effects, as Noah's (Gen 9:25), and Elisha's, Kg2 2:24. But the curse causeless shall not come (Pro 26:2), no more than Goliath's, when he cursed David by his gods, Sa1 17:43. Let us desire to have the prayers of God's ministers and people for us, and dread having them against us; for they are greatly regarded by him who blesseth indeed and curseth indeed. But Balak cannot rely upon these compliments as sufficient to prevail with Balaam, the main inducement is yet behind (Num 22:7): they took the rewards of divination in their hand, the wages of unrighteousness, which he loved, Pe2 2:15.
IV. The restraint God lays upon Balaam, forbidding him to curse Israel. It is very probable that Balaam, being a curious inquisitive man, was no stranger to Israel's case and character, but had heard that God was with them of a truth, so that he ought to have given the messengers their answer immediately, that he would never curse a people whom God had blessed; but he lodges the messengers, and takes a night's time to consider what he shall do, and to receive instructions from God, Num 22:8. When we enter into a parley with temptations we are in great danger of being overcome by them. In the night God comes to him, probably in a dream, and enquires what business those strangers had with him. He knows it, but he will know it from him. Balaam gives him an account of their errand (Num 22:9-11), and God thereupon charges him not to go with them, or attempt to curse that blessed people, Num 22:12. Thus God sometimes, for the preservation of his people, was pleased to speak to bad men, as to Abimelech (Gen 20:3), and to Laban, Gen 31:24. And we read of some that were workers of iniquity, and yet in Christ's name prophesied, and did many wondrous works. Balaam is charged not only not to go to Balak, but not to offer to curse this people, which he might have attempted at a distance; and the reason is given: They are blessed. This was part of the blessing of Abraham (Gen 12:3), I will curse him that curseth thee; so that an attempt to curse them would be not only fruitless, but perilous. Israel had often provoked God in the wilderness, yet he will not suffer their enemies to curse them, for he rewards them not according to their iniquities. The blessedness of those whose sin is covered comes upon them, Rom 4:6, Rom 4:7.
V. The return of the messengers without Balaam. 1. Balaam is not faithful in returning God's answer to the messengers, Num 22:13. He only tells them, the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you. He did not tell them, as he ought to have done, that Israel was a blessed people, and must by no means be cursed; for then the design would have been crushed, and the temptation would not have been renewed: but he, in effect, desired them to give his humble service to Balak, and let him know that he applauded his project, and would have been very glad to gratify him, but that truly he had the character of a prophet, and must not go without leave from God, which he had not yet obtained, and therefore for the present he must be excused. Note, Those are a fair mark for Satan's temptation that speak diminishingly of divine prohibitions, as if they amounted to no more than the denial of a permission, and as if to go against God's law were only to go without his leave. 2. The messengers are not faithful in returning Balaam's answer to Balak. All the account they give of it is, Balaam refuseth to come with us (Num 22:14), intimating that he only wanted more courtship and higher proffers; but they are not willing Balak should know that God had signified his disallowance of the attempt. Thus are great men wretchedly abused by the flatteries of those about them, who do all they can to prevent their seeing their own faults and follies.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–14. Public domain.
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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 22:6 captures the desperate plea of King Balak of Moab to Balaam, a renowned Mesopotamian diviner. Overwhelmed by the immense numbers and recent military victories of the Israelite nation encamped on his border, Balak seeks to employ Balaam's reputed spiritual power to curse the Israelites. His urgent request, "curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me," vividly portrays his profound terror and his unwavering belief in Balaam's ability to supernaturally disable an enemy, a conviction explicitly stated in his acknowledgment: "I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed." This verse initiates the dramatic narrative of Balak's attempts to thwart God's plan for Israel through sorcery, setting the stage for a profound demonstration of divine sovereignty and faithfulness.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Numbers 22:6 employs several impactful literary devices that enhance its meaning and dramatic tension. The entire verse is a prime example of Dialogue, as it records Balak's direct, urgent address to Balaam, immediately establishing the central conflict and revealing the king's desperate state of mind. There is significant Foreshadowing embedded in Balak's statement, "I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed." This line ironically foreshadows the very outcome of the narrative, where Balaam, despite Balak's intentions, is compelled by God to bless Israel and is utterly unable to curse them. The statement "they are too mighty for me" can be seen as Hyperbole, reflecting Balak's extreme fear and the perceived existential threat, even if Israel's actual military strength against Moab was yet to be fully tested. Finally, there is a profound Irony in Balak's reliance on a foreign diviner to curse a people who are under the direct, unshakeable blessing of the one true God, setting up the dramatic reversal that will unfold in subsequent chapters and highlighting the futility of human opposition to divine will.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 22:6 introduces the profound theological truth that God's sovereign will and His covenantal blessings cannot be thwarted by human schemes or pagan sorcery. Balak's desperate attempt to manipulate spiritual forces to curse Israel underscores the futility of human opposition to divine purpose. This narrative serves as a powerful testament to God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises, particularly His commitment to protect and prosper His chosen people. It demonstrates that true blessing and cursing originate solely from the Lord, not from the pronouncements of human agents, however renowned. The story ultimately reveals that God can even use those outside His covenant, like Balaam, to declare His unchangeable decrees, turning intended curses into blessings. This highlights God's absolute control over all spiritual forces and His steadfast love for His covenant people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Numbers 22:6, and the subsequent Balaam narrative, offers profound and enduring lessons for believers today. Balak's fear-driven actions remind us that when we perceive overwhelming threats or challenges in our lives, our natural inclination might be to seek control through human means, even resorting to desperate or ungodly measures. However, the story powerfully asserts God's ultimate sovereignty over all circumstances and all powers, both seen and unseen. It encourages us to trust implicitly in God's unwavering protection and His unfailing faithfulness to His promises, rather than succumbing to fear or attempting to manipulate spiritual forces for our own ends. Just as God protected Israel from Balak's curses, He continues to be a shield for His people, ensuring that no weapon formed against us shall ultimately prosper if we walk in His will. This narrative also cautions against the misuse of spiritual influence or the pursuit of power from sources other than God's revealed truth, emphasizing that true blessing flows from obedience to Him alone and is not subject to human manipulation.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Balak believe Balaam could curse Israel?
Answer: Balak's belief stemmed from the widespread ancient Near Eastern practice and worldview that powerful diviners or seers could indeed influence divine will and outcomes through their pronouncements. Balaam had a significant reputation for being able to bless or curse effectively, as Balak explicitly states, "I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed." This was a common pagan belief that spiritual power could be harnessed or manipulated to achieve specific results, such as weakening an enemy nation or ensuring victory in battle. Balak saw Balaam as a potent spiritual weapon to counteract Israel's overwhelming might, as detailed in Numbers 22:3-4.
What does the archaic word "wot" mean in this verse?
Answer: "Wot" is an archaic English verb meaning "to know" or "to understand." In the King James Version, when Balak says, "I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed," he is emphatically stating his firm conviction and personal knowledge of Balaam's reputed spiritual power. It highlights Balak's certainty in Balaam's ability to act as an effective conduit for divine favor or disfavor, reflecting a deep-seated belief in the efficacy of the diviner's words.
Did Balaam actually curse Israel?
Answer: No, despite Balak's repeated attempts and Balaam's initial willingness to go, Balaam was ultimately unable to curse Israel. Each time Balaam opened his mouth to pronounce a curse, God sovereignly intervened and put words of blessing into his mouth instead. This is powerfully demonstrated in Balaam's oracles, such as his declaration in Numbers 23:8 and Balak's frustrated reaction in Numbers 24:10. God's absolute sovereignty over Balaam's will and words ensured that His covenantal blessing on Israel remained intact, turning every intended curse into a divine blessing.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative initiated in Numbers 22:6, where a pagan king desperately attempts to curse God's chosen people, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Balak's futile plea to Balaam highlights the ultimate inability of any human or demonic power to thwart God's divine plan of blessing for His people. Ultimately, Balaam was compelled by God to bless Israel, demonstrating unequivocally that no one can curse whom God has blessed. This divine protection culminates in Christ, who is the ultimate embodiment of God's blessing for humanity. Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus became the one who bore the curse of sin for all who believe, as Galatians 3:13 powerfully declares, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." He absorbed the divine judgment that was due to humanity, transforming potential curses into eternal blessings and reconciliation with God. Furthermore, just as God faithfully preserved Israel for His redemptive purposes, so too does He preserve His church, the spiritual Israel, through Christ. The unwavering promise of God's blessing, first seen in His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:3), is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, through whom all the families of the earth are indeed blessed, and against whom no power, earthly or spiritual, can prevail (Matthew 16:18). He is the true source of blessing, and in Him, all curses are overcome.