Numbers 23:20 - Forerunner Commentary

Numbers 23:20

18 Then he took up his oracle and said:
^a“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19 “God^a is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He ^bsaid, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received a command to bless;
^aHe has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 “He^a has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen¹ wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
^bAnd the shout of a King is among them.

22 ^aGod brings them out of Egypt;
He has ^bstrength like a wild ox.

23 “For there is no¹ sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any¹ divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, ^awhat God has done!’

24 Look, a people rises ^alike a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
^bIt shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

26 So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ^a‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”

Verse Comparison: Numbers 23:20

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Numbers 23:21 >>

American Standard Version
Behold, I have received `commandment' to bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Amplified® Bible
You see, I have received His command to bless Israel. He has blessed, and I cannot reverse {or} qualify it.

Contemporary English Version
"My command from God was to bless these people, and there's nothing I can do to change what he has done.

Darby English Version
Behold, I have received [mission] to bless; and he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Good News Bible
I have been instructed to bless, And when God blesses, I cannot call it back.

King James Version
Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

New American Standard Bible
"Behold, I have received {a command} to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.

New International Version
I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.

New King James Version
Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
"Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.

Revised Standard Version
Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, to bless I have received: Yea, He blesseth, and I `can'not reverse it.

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Numbers 23:21 >>

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