Numbers 23:12

12 He answered and said, "{Should I not speak} what Yahweh puts in my mouth?"

Numbers 23:12 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:12

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.

Numbers 23:12 In-Context

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or [as] a number the fourth part of Israel? Let my life die the death of an upright person, and let my end be like his!"

11 And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have surely blessed them!"

12 He answered and said, "{Should I not speak} what Yahweh puts in my mouth?"

13 Then Balak said, "Please walk with me to another place where you will see them, [but] you will only see part of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there."

14 So he took him to the field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah, and he built seven altars, and he offered a bull and a ram on [each] altar

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "Should I not observe to speak"