Passage Overview · Free · Numbers 23:19
God Is Not a Man That He Should Lie
Balak tries a new location, hoping a different view will produce a different divine answer. Balaam replies that God does not lie or change his declared purpose like a human manipulator. The oracle insists that the blessing has already been received and cannot be reversed by enchantment.
Test the Claim: “God is not a man” is qualified in the verse by “that he should lie” and change his declared word. The point is YHWH’s reliability in contrast with human manipulation. The verse should not be detached from Balaam’s oracle and used as though it directly answers the later New Testament question of the Incarnation.