“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?”
My Notes
What Does Numbers 23:19 Mean?
Balaam — a pagan prophet hired to curse Israel — is compelled to speak truth instead: God is not a man, that he should lie. He does not change his mind like humans do. What he has said, he will do. What he has spoken, he will make good.
The verse addresses a fundamental question: can you trust what God says? The answer is absolute. God does not lie. He does not change his mind. His promises are as reliable as his nature.
"Hath he said, and shall he not do it?" — the question is rhetorical and expects the answer: of course he will. God's track record of fulfilling his word is perfect. No promise has ever failed.
The irony is that Balaam, hired to contradict God's blessing on Israel, ends up being the one who declares God's faithfulness most clearly. The enemy's own prophet becomes the mouthpiece for God's reliability.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What promise of God have you been doubting that this verse reaffirms?
- 2.How does God 'not repenting' (not changing his mind) provide security?
- 3.What is the significance of this truth coming from a pagan prophet hired to oppose God?
- 4.Where have human lies made it hard for you to trust God's word?
Devotional
God is not a man, that he should lie. You have been lied to by people. You have been let down by promises that evaporated. You have learned to distrust what people say because human words are unreliable.
God is not like that. He is not a man. He does not lie. The category of deception does not apply to him. His word is as solid as his existence.
Neither the son of man, that he should repent. God does not wake up and change his mind about you. He does not make a promise on Monday and regret it by Friday. His commitments are not subject to mood or circumstance.
Hath he said, and shall he not do it? If God said it, it is happening. Maybe not on your timeline. Maybe not in the form you expected. But what he promised, he will perform. The question is not whether he will keep his word. It is whether you will believe it long enough to see it fulfilled.
Balaam tried to curse Israel and could not. Even the enemy's prophet had to admit: God does not lie. His word stands. And what he has spoken, he will make good.
What promise of God are you doubting right now? He has said it. He shall do it.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
God is not a man, that he should lie,.... Man is a creature consisting of a body of flesh and blood, and of a soul, a…
Here is, I. Preparation made the second time, as before, for the cursing of Israel. 1. The place is changed, Num 23:13.…
Neither a son of man a mere mortal, with human caprices. It is the only occurrence of the expression that is certainly…
Cross References
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