But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of 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.
- BSB but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from 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 23:5Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
- Num 24:5–10How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
- Isa 54:17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
- Num 23:3–12And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
- Num 22:11–12Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
- Num 22:35And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
- Num 23:15–26And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.
- Num 22:18–20And Balaam answered and said unto the servants 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.
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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.