So Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak: Good News Bible adds the implied information that Balaam “went to” Balak’s officials to deliver his message from the LORD. Other languages may find this addition helpful. For the Hebrew word rendered princes (sar), see verse 8 and 21.18.

Go to your own land: It would be helpful to know the manner in which Balaam orally expressed this command: what tone of voice did he use or how curt was he? This matter of politeness (or the lack of it) in direct speech cannot be avoided in some languages. The Hebrew text leaves this an open question. Good News Bible sounds rather impolite with “Go back home,” and so does New Living Translation with “Go on home!” Other cultures may prefer to sound more polite by saying “Return home” (similarly Chewa), which may require that this command be immediately linked to the reason for it that follows.

For the LORD has refused to let me go with you: Balaam does not explain why the LORD has refused to let him go to curse the Israelites. He withholds the crucial information that the LORD has blessed them (verse 12).

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 .