22:18 Balaam replied 1 to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment 2 of the Lord my God 3 to do less or more.
1 tn Heb “answered and said.”
2 tn Heb “mouth.”
3 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.
4 tn The two lines before this verse begin with the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh), and so they lay the foundation for these imperatives. In view of those circumstances, this is what should happen.
5 tn Heb “people.” So also in vv. 10, 17, 41.
6 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense אוּכַל (’ukhal, “I will be able”) followed by the imperfect tense נַכֶּה (nakkeh, “we will smite/attack/defeat”). The second verb is clearly the purpose or the result of the first, even though there is no conjunction or particle.
7 tn The verb is the Piel imperfect of בָּרַךְ (barakh), with the nuance of possibility: “whomever you may bless.” The Pual participle מְבֹרָךְ (mÿvorakh) serves as the predicate.