Numbers 23:25 (YLT)

Passage

And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;'

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:23 For no enchantment <FI>is<Fi> against Jacob, Nor divination against Israel, At the time it is said of Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought!

Numbers 23:24 Lo, the people as a lioness riseth, And as a lion he lifteth himself up, He lieth not down till he eateth prey, And blood of pierced ones doth drink.'

Numbers 23:25 And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Neither pierce it at all, nor bless it at all;'

Numbers 23:26 and Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak, `Have I not spoken unto thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh--it I do?'

Numbers 23:27 And Balak saith unto Balaam, `Come, I pray thee, I take thee unto another place; it may be it is right in the eyes of God--to pierce it for me from thence.'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "balak", "saith", "balaam", "neither", "pierce", and "bless". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "balak" and "saith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "Lo the people as a lioness riseth..." into verse 26's "and Balaam answereth and saith unto Balak...", so "balak" and "saith" 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 "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.