Numbers 12:6

12:6 The Lord ¹  said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, ²  I the Lord ³  will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream.

Numbers 12:8

12:8 With him I will speak face to face, ⁴  openly, ⁵  and not in riddles; and he will see the form ⁶  of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

Numbers 22:20

22:20 God came to Balaam that night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but the word that I will say to you, that you must do.”

Numbers 22:35

22:35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you may only speak ⁷  the word that I will speak to you.” ⁸  So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Numbers 22:38

22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able ⁹  to speak ¹⁰  just anything? I must speak ¹¹  only the word that God puts in my mouth.”

Numbers 24:13

24:13 ‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond ¹²  the commandment ¹³  of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will, ¹⁴  but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’?

¹ tn Heb “he.”

² tn The form of this construction is rare: נְבִיאֲכֶם (nÿvi’akhem) would normally be rendered “your prophet.” The singular noun is suffixed with a plural pronominal suffix. Some commentators think the MT has condensed “a prophet” with “to you.”

³ tn The Hebrew syntax is difficult here. “The Lord” is separated from the verb by two intervening prepositional phrases. Some scholars conclude that this word belongs with the verb at the beginning of v. 6 (“And the Lord spoke”).

⁴ tn The emphasis of the line is clear enough – it begins literally “mouth to mouth” I will speak with him. In human communication this would mean equality of rank, but Moses is certainly not equal in rank with the Lord. And yet God is here stating that Moses has an immediacy and directness with communication with God. It goes beyond the idea of friendship, almost to that of a king’s confidant.

⁵ tn The word מַרְאֶה (mar’eh) refers to what is seen, a vision, an appearance. Here it would have the idea of that which is clearly visible, open, obvious.

⁶ tn The word “form” (תְּמוּנָה, tÿmunah) means “shape, image, form.” The Greek text took it metaphorically and rendered it “the glory of the Lord.” This line expresses even more the uniqueness of Moses. The elders saw God on one special occasion (Exod 24:10), and the people never (Deut 4:12, 15), but Moses has direct and familiar contact with God.

⁷ tn The imperfect tense here can be given the nuance of permission.

⁸ tn The Hebrew word order is a little more emphatic than this: “but only the word which I speak to you, it you shall speak.”

¹⁰ tn The verb is אוּכַל (’ukhal) in a question – “am I able?” But emphasizing this is the infinitive absolute before it. So Balaam is saying something like, “Can I really say anything?”

¹¹ tn The Piel infinitive construct (without the preposition) serves as the object of the verb “to be able.” The whole question is rhetorical – he is saying that he will not be able to say anything God does not allow him to say.

¹² tn The imperfect tense is here taken as an obligatory imperfect.

¹³ tn Heb “I am not able to go beyond.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “mouth.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “from my heart.”