Numbers 23:25 (LSB)

Passage

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:23 For there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done!

Numbers 23:24 Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain.”

Numbers 23:25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

Numbers 23:26 But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘Whatever Yahweh speaks, that I must do’?”

Numbers 23:27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be right in the eyes of God that you curse them for me from there.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "balak", "said", "balaam", "curse", and "bless". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "balak" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "Behold a people rises like a lioness..." into verse 26's "But Balaam replied to Balak Did I...", so "balak" and "said" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "balak" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.