King James Version

What Does Numbers 22:16 Mean?

Numbers 22:16 in the King James Version says “And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from...” — study this verse from Numbers chapter 22 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: Let: Heb. Be not thou hindered from, etc”

Numbers 22:16 · KJV

Prayer

Context

14

And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.

15

And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

16

And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: Let: Heb. Be not thou hindered from, etc

17

For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.

18

And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

Read Numbers 22 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me—Balak's plea reveals pagan theology: he assumed obstacles to prophetic service were merely external hindrances (distance, payment, honor) rather than divine prohibition. The verb מָנַע (māna', "hinder") suggests Balak thought Balaam faced logistical barriers, not moral ones.

This verse exposes the world's fundamental misunderstanding: it assumes God's servants are available for hire if the price is right. Balak never conceived that Balaam might be bound by a Word he cannot break, revealing the gulf between pagan transactional religion and covenant obedience to Yahweh.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

Ancient Near Eastern divination was commercial—professional prophets and diviners charged fees, with prices varying by difficulty and client status. Balak operated within this paradigm, assuming every prophet had a price. Israel's prophets, by contrast, spoke as Yahweh's mouthpiece, not for hire.

Reflection Questions

  1. When the world assumes you can be bought, how clearly have you demonstrated that you serve a Master who cannot be negotiated with?
  2. How does the world's "name your price" mentality conflict with covenantal obedience to God's non-negotiable commands?
  3. What "hindrances" do worldly people imagine keep you from sin, when the real barrier is God's absolute prohibition?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 15 words
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ1 of 15

“And they came”

H935

to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)

אֶל2 of 15
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

בִּלְעָ֑ם3 of 15

“to Balaam”

H1109

bilam, a place in palestine

אָמַר֙4 of 15

“and said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

ל֗וֹ5 of 15
H0
כֹּ֤ה6 of 15
H3541

properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now

אָמַר֙7 of 15

“and said”

H559

to say (used with great latitude)

בָּלָ֣ק8 of 15

“Balak”

H1111

balak, a moabitish king

בֶּן9 of 15

“the son”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

צִפּ֔וֹר10 of 15

“of Zippor”

H6834

tsippor, a moabite

אַל11 of 15
H408

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

נָ֥א12 of 15
H4994

'i pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the imperative or future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunction

תִמָּנַ֖ע13 of 15

“Let nothing I pray thee hinder”

H4513

to debar (negatively or positively) from benefit or injury

מֵֽהֲלֹ֥ךְ14 of 15

“thee from coming”

H1980

to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

אֵלָֽי׃15 of 15
H413

near, with or among; often in general, to

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Numbers. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Numbers 22:16 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

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