23:8 How 1 can I curse 2 one whom God has not cursed,
or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?
23:25 Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all 3 nor bless them at all!” 4
35:22 “But if he strikes him suddenly, without enmity, or throws anything at him unintentionally,
1 tn The figure is erotesis, a rhetorical question. He is actually saying he cannot curse them because God has not cursed them.
2 tn The imperfect tense should here be classified as a potential imperfect.
3 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.
4 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.