Numbers 22:6

Because they are very powerful/numerous, we are afraid of them. So please come and curse them for me. Then my army may be able to defeat them and expel them from the land where they are now living. I know that good things will happen to the people whom you bless, and disasters will happen to the people whom you curse.”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

In Context

5He sent messengers to a prophet named Balaam, who was living in his own area, in Pethor town, near the Euphrates River. He sent this message to request that Balaam would come to help him: “A huge group of people has arrived here from Egypt. It looks like they are covering the entire land! And they have begun to live close to us.

7Balak’s messengers, who were leaders of both the Moab and Midian people-groups, took money with them to pay Balaam in order that he would come and curse the Israelis. They went to Balaam and told him what Balak had said.

Read all of Numbers 22

Cross References

Genesis 12:3I will bless those who ◄bless/ask God to do good things for► you, and I will ◄curse/ask God to punish► those who do evil things to you. And because of what you do, groups of people all over the earth will receive blessings (OR, people will wish that God will bless others as much as he has blessed you).”

Numbers 22:12God replied to Balaam, “Do not go with them! I have blessed those people, so you must not curse them!”

Numbers 23:7This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’

Numbers 23:27Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”

Deuteronomy 23:4One reason is that their leaders refused to give your ancestors food and water when they were traveling from Egypt to Canaan. Another reason is that they wanted to pay Balaam, the son of Beor from Pethor town in Mesopotamia, to curse you Israelis.

1 Samuel 17:43He said to David, “Are you coming to me with a stick because you think that I am a dog?” Then he called out to his gods to harm David.

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:2-15

Balak Sends for Balaam. ( b. c. 1452.) 1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Numbers 22:6