Joshua 24:10
But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
Original Language Analysis
וְלֹ֥א
H3808
וְלֹ֥א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
1 of 10
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
אָבִ֖יתִי
But I would
H14
אָבִ֖יתִי
But I would
Strong's:
H14
Word #:
2 of 10
to breathe after, i.e., (figuratively) to be acquiescent
לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ
not hearken
H8085
לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ
not hearken
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
3 of 10
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
בָּרוֹךְ֙
therefore he blessed
H1288
בָּרוֹךְ֙
therefore he blessed
Strong's:
H1288
Word #:
5 of 10
to kneel; by implication to bless god (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (god or the king, as
בָּרוֹךְ֙
therefore he blessed
H1288
בָּרוֹךְ֙
therefore he blessed
Strong's:
H1288
Word #:
6 of 10
to kneel; by implication to bless god (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (god or the king, as
אֶתְכֶ֔ם
H853
אֶתְכֶ֔ם
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
7 of 10
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
וָֽאַצִּ֥ל
so I delivered
H5337
וָֽאַצִּ֥ל
so I delivered
Strong's:
H5337
Word #:
8 of 10
to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense
Cross References
Isaiah 54:17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.Deuteronomy 23:5Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.Numbers 22:35And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Historical Context
Numbers 22-24 records Balaam's four oracles. Despite Balak's escalating anger and bribery attempts, Balaam could only speak God's word. His prophecies included:
- Israel's uniqueness among nations
- God's presence among them
- their future military victories,
- the coming Messiah ('a Star out of Jacob').
Though God used Balaam's mouth for blessing, Balaam's heart remained corrupt—he later conspired to destroy Israel through seduction into Baal worship (Numbers 25, 31:16). The Moabite incident became a perpetual reminder of God's sovereign protection.
Questions for Reflection
- What does God's refusal to 'hearken unto Balaam' reveal about His unchangeable commitment to His elect?
- How does forced blessing instead of curse demonstrate God's sovereignty over all spiritual powers?
- In what ways does this deliverance 'out of his hand' foreshadow Christ's greater rescue from Satan's accusations?
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Analysis & Commentary
I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still (וְלֹא־אָבִיתִי לִשְׁמֹעַ לְבִלְעָם וַיְבָרֶךְ בָּרוֹךְ אֶתְכֶם)—the verb avah (אָבָה, to be willing/consent) with the negative shows God's absolute refusal to permit Balaam's curse. The phrase barech baroch (בָּרֵךְ בָּרֹךְ, blessed he blessed) uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis—Balaam blessed repeatedly, not just once. Four times Balaam pronounced blessing instead of curse (Numbers 23-24).
So I delivered you out of his hand (וָאַצִּל אֶתְכֶם מִיָּדוֹ)—the verb natsal (נָצַל, to snatch away, deliver, rescue) appears throughout Scripture for divine salvation. Though Balak hired Balaam to destroy Israel through curses, God rescued them from this spiritual attack. This demonstrates that God's electing love cannot be overthrown by human or demonic opposition. As Paul declares: 'If God be for us, who can be against us?' (Romans 8:31).