Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I earnestly send to you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?”
Parallel translations
- KJV And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
- BSB And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to richly reward you?”
- NKJV Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”
- NASB Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send word to you to call for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?”
- NLT “Didn’t I send you an urgent invitation? Why didn’t you come right away?” Balak asked Balaam. “Didn’t you believe me when I said I would reward you richly?”
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
Balak chides Balaam for his delay and boasts of his power to honor him. The king assumes wealth and status will secure the desired curse.
Overview
Balak's complaint and his reminder of his ability to reward reveal his confidence in the power of patronage. He cannot imagine that God's word might override his lavish offers. The exchange contrasts earthly power and riches with the unpurchasable will of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Num 24:11Therefore now flee you to your place! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.”
- John 5:44How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God?
- Ps 75:6For neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south, comes exaltation.
- Matt 4:8–9Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.
- Num 22:16–17They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,
- Luke 4:6The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 22:37 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.