John Gill Commentary Numbers 22:20

"And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do." — Numbers 22:20 (ASV)

And the Lord came to Balaam at night. As before (Numbers 22:9), it may be in a dream; the Targum of Jonathan is as there, "a word came from the Lord:" and said to him, if the men come and call thee, rise up, and go with them; this was said, as some think, not seriously, but sarcastically, or rather in an angry manner, bidding him go, if he would; so giving him up to his own heart's lusts, or, at most, only permitting him to go with them, but not to curse Israel; and this permission to go seems to be on this condition, if the princes first called him, and were urgent on him to go with them: this was a trial of Balaam, whether he would be eager and forward to go, or patiently wait until he should be called; or the words may be rendered, "seeing", or because ^F7, they are come to call thee:

but yet the word which I shall say to thee, that shall thou do; whether he would or not, he should be forced to do it, as Jarchi; and therefore go not with any intention to curse Israel, which shall never be done; wherefore to go would be vain and fruitless, since he would never be able to answer the design of Balak: but still Balaam hoped, it not being so fully and clearly expressed as before, that he should not curse Israel; that God would say something else to him, though he had no reason at all for it, but all the reverse; so blinded was he with a greedy desire of riches and honour.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F7: (Ma) "quandoquidem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Noldius, p. 88. & Ainsworth.