Numbers 22:18

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹⁵Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first messengers. ¹⁶They came to Balaam and said, "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: 'Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me, ¹⁷for I will honor you richly and do whatever you say. So please come and put a curse on these people for me!'" ¹⁸But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.¹⁹So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me." ²⁰That night God came to Balaam and said, "Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you." ²¹So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If Balak: Numbers 24:13, Titus 1:16

I cannot: Numbers 23:26, Numbers 24:13, 1 Kings 22:14, 2 Chronicles 18:13, Daniel 5:17, Acts 8:20

Reciprocal: Numbers 22:38 - have I Numbers 23:20 - I cannot Numbers 24:12 - General Joshua 24:10 - General Judges 16:5 - we will 1 Kings 13:8 - If 2 Kings 5:5 - and took Job 3:15 - who filled their houses 2 Peter 2:15 - who

Cross-References

Genesis 18:18
Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

Genesis 22:1
Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he answered.

Genesis 22:3
So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.

Genesis 22:4
On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

Genesis 22:5
"Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told his servants. "The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you."

Genesis 22:8
Abraham answered, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two walked on together.

Genesis 22:9
When they arrived at the place God had designated, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.

Genesis 22:10
Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

1 Samuel 2:30
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.

Psalms 72:17
May his name endure forever; may his name increase as long as the sun shines. In him may all nations be blessed; may they call him blessed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Balaam answered, and said unto the servant's of Balak,.... Who were not only princes of the land, but officers of state in the court 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; which is well spoken, had it been from his heart: he speaks very respectfully of God, calling him by his great and incommunicable name Jehovah, the Being of beings; representing him as the object of his worship and adoration, as he might be along with other gods, which was the practice of the Heathens in those times, particularly the Syrians, among whom Balaam lived; so did Laban and others before him: likewise he makes a profession of him, and claims an interest in him, which he might the rather do, to make himself look greater, as being the servant of the most high God; for the Gentiles in those times, and indeed in later times, had a notion of one supreme God, superior to all the rest; and this Jehovah Balaam claimed as his God: he speaks very well of the word of God, to which he pretended so strict a regard, that he would not transgress it in the least, for all that Balak could give him or more, no, not for all the money in the world; and yet his heart at the same time went after his covetousness, and he was eagerly desirous and greedy of getting the advantages into his hands that were offered him; for he hoped that God would change his mind, and alter his word, and give him leave to go and get the money, as appears by what follows.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 22:18. I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God — Balaam knew God too well to suppose he could reverse any of his purposes; and he respected him too much to attempt to do any thing without his permission. Though he was covetous, yet he dared not, even when strongly tempted both by riches and honours, to go contrary to the command of his God. Many make all the professions of Balaam, without justifying them by their conduct. "They pretend," says one, "they would not do any thing against the word of God for a house full of gold, and yet will do it for a handful!"