Numbers 23 · Verse 11

Numbers 23:11

And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
Numbers 23:11, King James Version

Numbers 23:11 in other translations

BSBThen Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”
WEBBalak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
ASVAnd Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
YLTAnd Balak saith unto Balaam, ‘What hast thou done to me? to pierce mine enemies I have taken thee--and lo, thou hast certainly blessed;'
DARBYAnd Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
BBEThen Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I sent for you so that my haters might be cursed, and see, you have given them a blessing.
WebsterAnd Balak said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I took thee to curse my enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

What does Numbers 23:11 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 23:11-30
Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any change of his mind; but only a change of his way. There was sin in Jacob, and God saw it; but there was not such as might provoke him to give them up to ruin. If the Lord sees that we trust in his mercy, and accept of his salvation; that we indulge no secret lust, and continue not in rebellion, but endeavour to serve and glorify him; we may be sure that he looks upon us as accepted in Christ, that our sins are all pardoned. Oh the wonders of providence and grace, the wonders of redeeming love, of pardoning mercy, of the new-creating Spirit! Balak had no hope of ruining Israel, and Balaam showed that he had more reason to fear being ruined by them. Since Balaam cannot say what he would have him, Balak wished him to say nothing. But though there are many devices in man's heart, God's counsels shall stand. Yet they resolve to make another attempt, though they had no promise on which to build their hopes. Let us, who have a promise that the vision at the end shall speak and not lie, continue earnest in prayer, Lu 18:1.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Numbers 23:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
בָּלָק֙ba.LakBalakH1111
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בִּלְעָ֔םbil.'AmBalaamH1109
מֶ֥הmehwhat?H4100
עָשִׂ֖יתָ'a.Si.tahave you doneH6213
לִ֑יLito <the> me
לָקֹ֤בla.Koto curseH6895
אֹיְבַי֙'o.ye.Vaienemies myH341
לְקַחְתִּ֔יךָle.kach.Ti.khaI took youH3947
וְהִנֵּ֖הve.hi.Nehand here!H2009
בֵּרַ֥כְתָּbe.Rakh.tayou have blessedH1288
בָרֵֽךְ\׃va.Rekhactually <bless>H1288

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 23:11

  • Nehemiah 13:2

    Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

  • Numbers 24:10

    And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

  • Psalms 109:17-20

    As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

  • Numbers 23:7-8

    And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

  • Numbers 22:17

    For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

  • Numbers 22:11

    Behold, 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7,8; 22:11,17; 24:10; Ps 109:17-20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 23:10

    Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

  • Numbers 23:11

    And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

  • Numbers 23:12

    And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?

Read all of Numbers 23

Numbers 23:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Balac dijo á Balaam: ¿Qué me has hecho? hete tomado para que maldigas á mis enemigos, y he aquí has proferido bendiciones.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Balak dit à Balaam: Que m’as-tu fait? Je t’avais pris pour maudire mes ennemis, et voici, tu les as bénis expressément.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprach Balak zu Bileam: Was hast du mir getan! Meine Feinde zu verwünschen habe ich dich holen lassen, und siehe, du hast sie sogar gesegnet!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque Balac ad Balaam: Quid est hoc quod agis? ut malediceres inimicis meis vocavi te, et tu e contrario benedicis eis.