22:18 Balaam replied 3 to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment 4 of the Lord my God 5 to do less or more.
1 tn The verb is the Hiphil of רָעַע (ra’a’, “to be evil”). Moses laments (with the rhetorical question) that God seems to have caused him evil.
2 tn The infinitive construct with the preposition is expressing the result of not finding favor with God (see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 12-13, §57). What Moses is claiming is that because he has been given this burden God did not show him favor.
3 tn Heb “answered and said.”
4 tn Heb “mouth.”
5 sn In the light of subsequent events one should not take too seriously that Balaam referred to Yahweh as his God. He is referring properly to the deity for which he is acting as the agent.