And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: Good News Bible uses indirect speech here by saying “They went to Balaam and gave him this message from Balak.” While this model may work in a number of languages, there is no reason to omit the phrase the son of Zippor since Zippor may have been better known than Balak at that time. Bible en français courant and PV also use indirect speech here, but they keep this phrase in Balak’s message by beginning it with “I, Balak, son of Zippor….” However, what Good News Bible, Bible en français courant, and PV do not take into account is that the expression Thus says Balak … mimics the so-called “divine messenger formula,” which is frequently used in the prophetic literature to indicate the beginning of an oracle from the LORD (see, for example, Jer 2.1; Ezek 16.3; Amos 1.3). Thus there may be an element of ironic usage here.

Let nothing hinder you from coming to me: Revised Standard Version omits the Hebrew particle meaning “please” (naʾ) here, as in verse 6 (see the comments there). Good News Bible keeps it by rendering this clause as “Please don’t let anything prevent you from coming to me!” The use of the word “Please” marks this request as urgent.

For I will surely do you great honor renders an emphatic Hebrew expression, which is literally “for to honor I will honor you greatly.” The Hebrew verb for “honor” is repeated, first as an infinitive absolute and then as a finite verb. This verb comes from the same root as the word translated “honorable” in verse 15. This clause does not specify what the honor will be, although it hints at material rewards or perhaps a position among Balak’s high court officials. Good News Bible says “I will reward you richly.” The sense of this rendering is wide enough to fit the context. Contemporary English Version has “I’ll pay you very well,” which narrows the meaning down too much to some monetary benefit and anyway is too explicit in the context of this diplomatic encounter.

And whatever you say to me I will do may be rendered “and I will do whatever you ask me to do.”

Come is better rendered “Please come” (Good News Bible), since the Hebrew particle naʾ occurs here again (see the comments above). Other possible models are “Do come” or “Just come” (Contemporary English Version).

Curse this people for me: See verse 6.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .