He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?”
Parallel Translations
-
He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which Yahweh puts in my mouth?”
-
And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
-
And he answered and said: 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?'
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to Numbers 23:12 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Numbers 22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you. Have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak.”
- Numbers 23:20 Behold, I have received a command to bless. He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it.
- Numbers 23:26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that Yahweh speaks, that I must do?’ ”
- Numbers 24:13 ‘If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can’t go beyond Yahweh’s word, to do either good or bad from my own mind. I will say what Yahweh says’?
- Proverbs 26:25 When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.
- Numbers 22:20 God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.”
- Romans 16:18 For those who are such don’t serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the innocent.
- Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Num 23:12 And he answered and said, Must I…
Num 23:12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
Ver. 12. Must I not take heed to speak.] See how those hypocrites mock one with another. Potest augur augurem videre, et non ridere? {a} said Cato.
Read full note →
{a} Cic., De Divinat., lib. ii.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain I speak not these words by my own choice,…
I speak not these words by my own choice, but by the constraint of a higher power, which I cannot resist.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he answered and said,.... By reply to Balak:
And he answered and said,.... By reply to Balak:
must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? pretending a great regard to the word of God, and to great carefulness to speak it, exactly and punctually as he received it, whereas he was forced to it, and could not do otherwise.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Must I not - Ought I not? Is it…
Must I not - Ought I not? Is it not my duty? Canst thou blame me for it?
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Num 23:12-13. Must I not — Ought I not?…
Num 23:12-13. Must I not — Ought I not? Is it not my duty? Canst thou blame me for it? Thou shalt not see them all — Perhaps he thought the sight of all of them might discourage him, or, as it did before, raise his fancy to an admiration of the multitude and felicity of the people.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 12. Must I not take heed — This truly…
12. Must I not take heed — This truly noble utterance implies that Balaam did not speak under physical constraint from Jehovah, a mere fiction of Philo, but as a free agent, clearly perceiving and admiring the right, but strongly desiring the wrong. Says Bishop Butler: “He is plainly represented to be under no other force or restraint than the fear of God.” This double part which Balaam is playing, his apparent readiness to obey Jehovah and his wish to minister to the wicked desire of his employer, will ere long bring certain ruin upon himself.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.