Numbers 23 · Verse 26

Numbers 23:26

But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?
Numbers 23:26, King James Version

Numbers 23:26 in other translations

BSBBut Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
WEBBut Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”
ASVBut Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh, that I must do?
YLTand Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak, ‘Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh--it I do?'
DARBYAnd Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that Jehovah shall speak, that will I do?
BBEBut Balaam in answer said to Balak, Did I not say to you, I may only do what the Lord says?
WebsterBut Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not tell thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

What does Numbers 23:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
26. All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do--a remarkable confession that he was divinely constrained to give utterances different from what it was his purpose and inclination to do.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

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…

Read the full comment on Numbers 23:11-30 →

Numbers 23:26 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.

וַיַּ֣עַןvai.Ya.'anand he answeredH6030
בִּלְעָ֔םbil.'AmBalaamH1109
וַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֶל\־'el-toH413
בָּלָ֑קba.LakBalakH1111
הֲלֹ֗אha.Lo'¿ notH3808
דִּבַּ֤רְתִּיdi.Bar.tidid I speakH1696
אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙'e.Lei.khato youH413
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
כֹּ֛לkolallH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-thatH834
יְדַבֵּ֥רye.da.Berhe will speakH1696
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֹת֥וֹ'o.To<obj.> itH853
אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה\׃'E.'e.SehI will doH6213

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

Cross references for Numbers 23:26

  • Acts 5:29

    Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

  • Numbers 22:18

    And 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.

  • Acts 4:19-20

    But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

  • Numbers 22:38

    And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.

  • 2 Chronicles 18:13

    And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.

  • Numbers 24:12-13

    And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?

  • 1 Kings 22:14

    And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.

  • Numbers 23:12-13

    And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
12,13; 22:18,38; 24:12,13; 1Ki 22:14; 2Ch 18:13; Ac 4:19,20; 5:29

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

Context

  • Numbers 23:25

    And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

  • Numbers 23:26

    But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?

  • Numbers 23:27

    And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

Read all of Numbers 23

Numbers 23:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Balaam respondió, y dijo á Balac: ¿No te he dicho que todo lo que Jehová me dijere, aquello tengo de hacer?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Balaam répondit et dit à Balak: Ne t’ai-je pas parlé, disant: Tout ce que l’ Éternel dira, je le ferai?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Bileam antwortete und sprach zu Balak: Habe ich nicht zu dir geredet und gesagt: Alles, was Jehova reden wird, das werde ich tun?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ille ait: Nonne dixi tibi quod quidquid mihi Deus imperaret, hoc facerem?