Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 23:8
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied?
Verse 8. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?] It was granted on all hands that no incantations nor imprecations could avail, unless God concurred and ratified them. From God’s communication to Balaam he saw that God was determined to bless and defend Israel, and therefore all endeavours to injure them must be in vain.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
God hath not cursed, but blessed Israel, and therefore it is a vain and ridiculous attempt for me to curse them in spite of God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. How shall I curse, whom God hathnot cursed?A divine blessing has been pronounced over theposterity of Jacob; and therefore, whatever prodigies can be achievedby my charms, all magical skill, all human power, is utterly impotentto counteract the decree of God.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed?…. The sense is, that it was impossible for him to curse those that God did not curse himself, or would not have cursed by others; not but that he had a good will to it, to get Balak’s money and honour, but he knew not how to accomplish it; yea, he saw it was in vain to attempt it, it was a thing that could not possibly be done: God does not, nor will he curse his spiritual Israel; they are blessed by him in Christ, and they shall be blessed; nor is it in the power of their enemies to curse them, or do them any harm: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, instead of God and the Lord in this and the following clause, use the phase,
“the Word of the Lord;”
the essential Word, the Son of God, who is so far from cursing his people, that he has delivered them from the curses of the law, being made a curse for them, that the blessings of the everlasting covenant of grace might come upon them; and they are blessed of God in him, and for his sake, with all spiritual blessings:
or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied? which is the same thing in other words, only this last word is expressive of more contempt and indignation.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
8. Whom God hath not cursed Balaam could not curse Israel, because God withheld him from so doing. Thus this master magician confesses that he is neither to help nor to hurt without leave from God. In language strikingly similar is the Babylonian exposed to shame by the prophet. See Isa 47:12-14.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Observe what he saith: that he could not; not that he would not, for that he wished. But how precious an instruction doth this hold forth to the believer in JESUS: neither magicians, nor devils, can curse those whom GOD hath pronounced blessed. And if the poor man did but call this to resemblance, never would he be led to fear, much less to put confidence in, the juggling arts of conjurers and fortune-tellers, who go about to impose on the unwary.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Num 23:8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, [whom] the LORD hath not defied?
Ver. 8. How shall I curse? ] He had a good mind to it, but did not, because he durst not: God stood over him with a whip, as it were; the angel with a sword in his hand could not be forgotten by him. Virtus nolentium nulla est.
How shall I defy?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
How . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
curse = revile. Hebrew. nakab.
GOD = Hebrew. ‘El = the mighty God. See App-4.
cursed. Hebrew. kabab = to pierce with words.
defy . . . defied. Hebrew. za’am = to be enraged with.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Num 23:20, Num 23:23, Isa 44:25, Isa 47:12, Isa 47:13
Reciprocal: Gen 27:29 – cursed Gen 31:55 – blessed Num 22:6 – curse me Num 23:11 – General Deu 32:31 – General 1Sa 17:10 – I defy 2Sa 23:9 – defied Neh 13:2 – our God Pro 26:2 – so Isa 49:25 – I will contend