Numbers 23:25-26

Balaam Relocates Yet Again

23:25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all ¹  nor bless them at all!” ²  23:26 But Balaam replied ³  to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord speaks, ⁴  I must do’?”

¹ tn The verb is preceded by the infinitive absolute: “you shall by no means curse” or “do not curse them at all.” He brought him to curse, and when he tried to curse there was a blessing. Balak can only say it would be better not to bother.

² tn The same construction now works with “nor bless them at all.” The two together form a merism – “don’t say anything.” He does not want them blessed, so Balaam is not to do that, but the curse isn’t working either.

³ tn Heb “answered and said.”

⁴ tn This first clause, “all that the Lord speaks” – is a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb that comes at the end of the verse. It is something of an independent accusative case, since it is picked up with the sign of the accusative: “all that the Lord speaks, it I must do.”