The Meaning of Numbers 23:19 Explained

Numbers 23:19

KJV: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

YLT: God is not a man -- and lieth, And a son of man -- and repenteth! Hath He said -- and doth He not do it? And spoken -- and doth He not confirm it?

Darby: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither a son of man, that he should repent. Shall he say and not do? and shall he speak and not make it good?

ASV: God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

God  [is] not a man,  that he should lie;  neither the son  of man,  that he should repent:  hath he said,  and shall he not do  [it]? or hath he spoken,  and shall he not make it good? 

What does Numbers 23:19 Mean?

Study Notes

repent
Scofield " Zechariah 8:14 ".

Context Summary

Numbers 23:13-30 - No Enchantment Against Israel
Balak was surprised and disappointed. He therefore bethought himself of limiting the seer's vision, so that he might see an attenuated Israel from a height that commanded only a partial view of the camp. How often we try to see only what we want to see! How often we shut our eyes to a rival's real merits! Instead of entering into God's great thoughts we shut ourselves up in a tiny limited world. We will not acknowledge what our pride does not want to acknowledge. We are like children building sand-castles against the tide. You had better bring your mind to harmonize with God's facts than minimize or evade their truth. You are hurting yourself, but can never alter them. Take God's way and be at peace!
Let us ponder Numbers 23:21 -it is as we are in God's purpose; and Numbers 23:23 -when faced by our enemies; and Numbers 23:24 -when most convinced of our helplessness. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 23

1  Balak's sacrifices

What do the individual words in Numbers 23:19 mean?

not [is] a man God that He should lie nor a son of man that He should repent Has He said and not will He do Or has He spoken will He make it good
לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־ אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר ؟ יְקִימֶֽנָּה

אִ֥ישׁ  [is]  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֵל֙  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב  that  He  should  lie 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּזַב  
Sense: to lie, tell a lie, be a liar, be found a liar, be in vain, fail.
וּבֶן־  nor  a  son 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָ֖ם  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם  that  He  should  repent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
הַה֤וּא  Has  He 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אָמַר֙  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה  will  He  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וְדִבֶּ֖ר  Or  has  He  spoken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
؟ יְקִימֶֽנָּה  will  He  make  it  good 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.