Numbers 22:19
Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
Original Language Analysis
וְעַתָּ֗ה
H6258
שְׁב֨וּ
Now therefore I pray you tarry
H3427
שְׁב֨וּ
Now therefore I pray you tarry
Strong's:
H3427
Word #:
2 of 13
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
נָ֥א
H4994
נָ֥א
Strong's:
H4994
Word #:
3 of 13
'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction
בָזֶ֛ה
H2088
גַּם
H1571
גַּם
Strong's:
H1571
Word #:
5 of 13
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
הַלָּ֑יְלָה
ye also here this night
H3915
הַלָּ֑יְלָה
ye also here this night
Strong's:
H3915
Word #:
7 of 13
properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity
וְאֵ֣דְעָ֔ה
that I may know
H3045
וְאֵ֣דְעָ֔ה
that I may know
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
8 of 13
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
מַה
H4100
מַה
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
9 of 13
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
יֹּסֵ֥ף
unto me more
H3254
יֹּסֵ֥ף
unto me more
Strong's:
H3254
Word #:
10 of 13
to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
יְהוָ֖ה
what the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֖ה
what the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
11 of 13
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
Cross References
Jude 1:11Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.2 Peter 2:3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.2 Peter 2:15Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Historical Context
Ancient divination often involved repeated inquiries until desired answers came. Balaam, trained in pagan methods, may have assumed Yahweh operated similarly—that persistence or changed circumstances might yield different responses. He fundamentally misunderstood God's unchanging character.
Questions for Reflection
- When you keep "seeking God's will" after He has clearly answered, are you truly seeking guidance or seeking permission to disobey?
- How does treating God's "no" as a provisional answer subject to negotiation reveal a heart that loves the wages of unrighteousness?
- What temptations make you pray for "more" revelation when God has already spoken definitively in Scripture?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more—God already answered (v. 12): "Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people." Why ask again? The Hebrew עוֹד ('ôd, "more") suggests Balaam hoped for additional revelation—a loophole, a conditional permission, perhaps a yes if circumstances changed.
This is spiritual presumption masked as piety. Balaam sought to manipulate God through prayer, treating divine commands as negotiable starting positions rather than final verdicts. When God's answer is clear, asking again isn't faithfulness—it's rebellion dressed as seeking guidance. Peter warns of those who have "forsaken the right way" following "the way of Balaam" who "loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15).