but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still. So I delivered you out of his hand.
- KJV But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
- NKJV But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.
- NASB But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I saved you from his hand.
- NLT but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God refused to let Balaam curse Israel, so Balaam blessed them instead, and God delivered Israel from Balak's hand. It matters because God turns intended curses into blessing for His people.
Overview
Yahweh overruled Balaam's words so that blessing came where a curse was sought (Numbers 23-24). This demonstrates God's sovereign control over even hostile powers and His unwavering commitment to His covenant. It points forward to the gospel, in which the curse we deserved is borne by Christ, securing blessing for those who trust Him (Galatians 3:13-14).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Deut 23:5Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.
- Num 24:5–10How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
- Isa 54:17No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.
- Num 23:3–12“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,
- Num 22:11–12‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’”
- Num 22:35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
- Num 23:15–26Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”
- Num 22:18–20But 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.
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Christ at the center
Joshua — the same name as Jesus, 'the LORD saves' — leads God's people into their inheritance, a shadow of the greater Joshua who brings us into the true rest and the promised land that remains.
How Joshua 24:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.