Numbers 23:19

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

King James Version
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Lexham English Bible
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of humankind, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? And has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

English Standard Version
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

New Century Version
God is not a human being, and he will not lie. He is not a human, and he does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he makes come true.

New English Translation
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen?

Amplified Bible
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?

New American Standard Bible
"God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Geneva Bible (1587)
God is not as man, that he should lie, neither as the sonne of man that he shoulde repent: hath he sayde and shal he not do it? and hath he spoken, and shal he not accomplish it?

Legacy Standard Bible
God is not a man, that He should lie,Nor a son of man, that He should repent;Has He said, and will He not do it?Or has He spoken, and will He not establish it?

Contemporary English Version
God is no mere human! He doesn't tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.

Complete Jewish Bible
"God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind. When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it.

Darby Translation
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither a son of man, that he should repent. Shall he say and not do? and shall he speak and not make it good?

Easy-to-Read Version
God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.

George Lamsa Translation
God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should be given counsel; he speaks and he shall do it, and his word abides for ever.

Good News Translation
God is not like people, who lie; He is not a human who changes his mind. Whatever he promises, he does; He speaks, and it is done.

Christian Standard Bible®
God is not a man, that he might lie,or a son of man, that he might change his mind.Does he speak and not act,or promise and not fulfill?

Literal Translation
God is not a man that He should lie, or a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and shall He not do it? And has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
God is not a man yt he shulde lye, ner a mans childe yt eny thinge shulde repente him. Shulde he saye and not do? Shulde he speake & not make it good?

American Standard Version
God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?

Bible in Basic English
God is not a man, to say what is false; or the son of man, that his purpose may be changed: what he has said, will he not do? and will he not give effect to the words of his mouth?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
God is not a man that he should lye, neither the sonne of a ma that he should repent: should he say & not do? or should he speake, and not make it good?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: when He hath said, will He not do it? or when He hath spoken, will He not make it good?

King James Version (1611)
God is not a man that he should lie, neither the sonne of man, that hee should repent: hath he said, and shall he not doe it? or, hath hee spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
God is not as man to waver, nor as the son of man to be threatened; shall he say and not perform? shall he speak and not keep to his word?

English Revised Version
God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Berean Standard Bible
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
that he lye, nethir he is as the sone of a man, that he be chaungid; therfor he seide, and schal he not do? he spak, and schal he not fulfille?

Young's Literal Translation
God [is] not a man -- and lieth, And a son of man -- and repenteth! Hath He said -- and doth He not do [it]? And spoken -- and doth He not confirm it?

Update Bible Version
God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither a son of man, that he should repent: Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

Webster's Bible Translation
God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoke, and shall he not make it good?

World English Bible
God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?

New King James Version
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

New Living Translation
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

New Life Bible
God is not a man, that He should lie. He is not a son of man, that He should be sorry for what He has said. Has He said, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will He not keep His Word?

New Revised Standard
God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
GOD is, not a man, that he should lie, Nor a son of Adam, that he should repent, - Hath, he, said, and will not perform? Yea spoken, and will not make it stand fast?

Douay-Rheims Bible
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor is the son of man, that he should be changed. Hath he said then, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not fulfil?

Revised Standard Version
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Contextual Overview

¹³ Balak said to him, "Go with me to another place from which you can only see the outskirts of their camp—you won't be able to see the whole camp. From there, curse them for my sake." ¹⁴ So he took him to Watchmen's Meadow at the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ¹⁵ Balaam said to Balak, "Take up your station here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I meet with him over there." ¹⁶ God met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, "Return to Balak and give him the message." ¹⁷Balaam returned and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and the nobles of Moab with him. Balak said to him, "What did God say?" Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: On your feet, Balak. Listen, listen carefully son of Zippor: God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? I was brought here to bless; and now he's blessed—how can I change that? He has no bone to pick with Jacob, he sees nothing wrong with Israel. God is with them, and they're with him, shouting praises to their King. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox. No magic spells can bind Jacob, no incantations can hold back Israel. People will look at Jacob and Israel and say, "What a great thing has God done!" Look, a people rising to its feet, stretching like a lion, a king-of-the-beasts, aroused, Unsleeping, unresting until its hunt is over and it's eaten and drunk its fill. ²⁵ Balak said to Balaam, "Well, if you can't curse them, at least don't bless them." ²⁶ Balaam replied to Balak, "Didn't I tell you earlier: ‘All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak'?" ²⁷Balak said to Balaam, "Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can find the right place in God's eyes where you'll be able to curse them for me." So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, with a vista over the Jeshimon (Wasteland). ²⁹ Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice." ³⁰ Balak did it and presented an offering of a bull and a ram on each of the altars.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: 1 Samuel 15:29, Psalms 89:35, Habakkuk 2:3, Malachi 3:6, Luke 21:33, Romans 11:29, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18, James 1:17

or hath he: 1 Chronicles 17:17, Micah 7:20

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:6 - repented Genesis 28:15 - until Genesis 32:12 - thou Genesis 41:32 - it is because Exodus 6:8 - I am Leviticus 1:3 - a burnt Numbers 10:29 - for the Lord Numbers 11:23 - thou shalt Numbers 14:35 - I will surely Numbers 22:12 - thou shalt not curse Numbers 23:27 - peradventure Joshua 21:45 - General Joshua 23:14 - not one thing 1 Samuel 3:12 - I will perform 2 Samuel 7:21 - thy word's 2 Samuel 7:28 - thy words 1 Kings 22:23 - and the Lord 2 Kings 7:16 - according to 2 Kings 15:12 - And so Nehemiah 9:8 - righteous Job 9:32 - not a man Job 23:13 - who can Psalms 50:21 - thoughtest Psalms 77:8 - doth Psalms 89:2 - faithfulness Psalms 89:34 - nor Psalms 110:4 - will not Isaiah 1:20 - for the mouth Isaiah 21:17 - for Isaiah 25:1 - thy counsels Isaiah 31:2 - will not Isaiah 45:19 - speak righteousness Isaiah 45:23 - the word Isaiah 46:11 - I have spoken Isaiah 52:6 - I am he Isaiah 63:1 - speak Jeremiah 4:28 - because Jeremiah 38:21 - this is Ezekiel 21:32 - for I Ezekiel 24:14 - the Lord Ezekiel 26:14 - for I Ezekiel 36:36 - I the Lord have Daniel 4:28 - General Hosea 11:9 - for Hosea 13:14 - repentance Zechariah 1:6 - did Matthew 24:35 - my Mark 13:31 - my Luke 1:57 - General Acts 15:18 - General Acts 27:25 - I believe Romans 3:3 - shall Romans 9:6 - as though 1 Corinthians 1:9 - God Galatians 3:17 - that it 1 Thessalonians 5:24 - who 2 Timothy 2:13 - he cannot 1 John 5:10 - hath made

Cross-References

Genesis 23:10
Ephron was part of the local Hittite community. Then Ephron the Hittite spoke up, answering Abraham with all the Hittites who were part of the town council listening: "Oh no, my master! I couldn't do that. The field is yours—a gift. I'll give it and the cave to you. With my people as witnesses, I give it to you. Bury your deceased wife."

Genesis 50:25
Then Joseph made the sons of Israel promise under oath, "When God makes his visitation, make sure you take my bones with you as you leave here."

Ecclesiastes 6:3
Say a couple have scores of children and live a long, long life but never enjoy themselves—even though they end up with a big funeral! I'd say that a stillborn baby gets the better deal. It gets its start in a mist and ends up in the dark—unnamed. It sees nothing and knows nothing, but is better off by far than anyone living.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

God is not a man, that he should lie,.... Man is a creature consisting of a body of flesh and blood, and of a soul, a created and finite spirit; but God, though he has the parts of an human body ascribed to him in a figurative sense, yet is not to be conceived of in a corporeal manner; and though he is a Spirit, yet eternal, immense, and infinite; and much less is as a sinful man, who goes astray from the womb speaking lies; no, let God be true, and every man a liar: he is God, that cannot lie; his counsels of old are faithfulness and truth; his promises yea and amen in Christ; the Scriptures inspired by him are true, and the prophecies of them are punctually accomplished, particularly what he foretold of the people of Israel, and promised unto them; that they should be happy, and inherit the land of Canaan; that be would be true and faithful to them, and there could be no hope, by any means whatever, to make him false and unfaithful to his word: neither the son of man, that he should repent; repentance is found in men, who repent for what they have done, or change their minds, as to what they intended to do or set about; perceiving it to be wrong to do it, or that they are able to do it, some unforeseen thing turning up they were not aware of: but nothing of this kind belongs to God, or can befall him; he never changes his mind, alters his counsels, purposes, and decrees, and never varies in his affections to his people, nor makes void his choice of them, or covenant with them; and his calling of them by his grace, and his gifts of grace bestowed upon them, are without repentance: and particularly with respect to the people of Israel, there was no reason to hope or believe that God would change his purposes or promises respecting their outward happiness, and enjoyment of the land of Canaan; or that ever he would be prevailed upon to curse them, or admit them to be cursed, when he was determined, and had so peremptorily promised that he would bless them:

hath he said, and shall he not do it? or "hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" whether it be with regard to things temporal, spiritual, or eternal; for there is no variableness nor shadow of turning in his mind; he never forgets his word, he foresees all events, he is able to perform, and is true and faithful; and therefore whatever is gone out of his lips will never be altered, but will be most certainly fulfilled, Psalms 89:34 Isaiah 14:24.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 23:19. God is not a man, that he should lie — This seems to be spoken to correct the foregoing supposition of Balak that God could change his mind. Even the heathen would not allow that their supreme god could be caught in a falsity. Hence AESCHYLUS, in Prometh. vinct. 1068: -

Ψευδηγορειν γαρ ουκ επισταται στομα

Το Διον, αλλα παν επος τελει.

"The mouth of Jove knows not to frame a lie;

But every word finds full accomplishment."