Numbers 23:12

Balaam replied, ¹  “Must I not be careful ²  to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?” ³ 

biblegateway Num 23:12

He answered, "Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

biblegateway Num 23:12

He replied, "Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

biblegateway Num 23:12

But Balaam replied, "Can I say anything except what the LORD tells me?"

biblegateway Num 23:12

Balaam answered, "Don't I have to be careful to say what GOD gives me to say?"

SABDAweb Num 23:12

And in answer he said, Am I not ordered to say only what the Lord puts into my mouth?

bibleoremus Num 23:12

He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the LORD puts into my mouth?"

biblegateway Num 23:12

So he answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?"

biblegateway Num 23:12

Balaam replied, ¹  “Must I not be careful ²  to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?” ³ 

¹ tn Heb “he answered and said.” The referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn The verb שָׁמַר (shamar) means “to guard, watch, observe” and so here with a sense of “be careful” or even “take heed” (so KJV, ASV). The nuance of the imperfect tense would be obligatory: “I must be careful” – to do what? to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth. The infinitive construct “to speak” is therefore serving as the direct object of שָׁמַר.

³ tn The clause is a noun clause serving as the direct object of “to speak.” It begins with the sign of the accusative, and then the relative pronoun that indicates the whole clause is the accusative.