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Numbers 23:19

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?

KJV

non est Deus quasi homo, ut mentiatur, nec ut filius hominis, ut mutetur. Dixit ergo, et non faciet ? locutus est, et non implebit ?

Vulgate

οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεὸς διαρτηθῆναι, οὐδὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀπειληθῆναι· αὐτὸς εἴπας οὐχὶ ποιήσει; λαλήσει, καὶ οὐχὶ ἐμμενεῖ;

LXX

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?

ASV

לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽ/יכַזֵּ֔ב וּ/בֶן אָדָ֖ם וְ/יִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַ/ה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְ/לֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְ/דִבֶּ֖ר וְ/לֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽ/נָּה

Hebrew

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In the original Hebrew

12 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.

אִ֣ישׁ
'ysh
noun · 2171×
אֵ֣ל
'l
noun · 244×
אָדָ֖ם
'dm
noun · 545×
בֶּן
bn
noun · 4909×
ה֖וּא
hv'
pronoun · 1878×
יְדַבֵּ֥ר
ydbr
verb · 1134×
יְכַזֵּ֑ב
ykzb
verb · 18×
יַּ֥עַשׂ
y'sh
verb · 2621×
יָּ֣קָם
yqm
verb · 626×
יֹּ֣אמֶר
y'mr
verb · 5290×
לֹ֣א
l'
proper_noun · 5171×
נִי
ny
verb · 108×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

2 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

Is there will in God? Does God will things apart from Himself? Does God necessarily will whatever He wills? Is the will of God the cause of things? Can any cause be assigned to the divine will? Is the divine will always fulfilled? Is the will of God mutable? Does the will of God impose necessity on the things willed? Is there in God the will of evil? Does God have free will? Is…

Cross-references

  • 1Chr 17:17 — And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant’s house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O
  • 1Cor 1:9 — God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • 1John 5:10 — He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
  • 1Kgs 22:23 — Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
  • 1Sam 15:29 — And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
  • 1Sam 15:29 — And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
  • 1Thess 5:24 — Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
  • 2Sam 7:28 — And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
  • 2Tim 2:13 — If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
  • Acts 15:18 — Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
  • Acts 27:25 — Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
  • Dan 4:28 — All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
  • Ezek 24:14 — I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judg
  • Ezek 26:14 — And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
  • Ezek 36:36 — Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.
  • Gen 6:6 — And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
  • Gen 28:15 — And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to the
  • Gen 41:32 — And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
  • Hab 2:3 — For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
  • Heb 6:18 — That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
  • Heb 6:18 — That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
  • Hos 11:9 — I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
  • Hos 11:9 — I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
  • Hos 13:14 — I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
  • Isa 1:20 — But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
  • Isa 21:17 — And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
  • Isa 25:1 — O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
  • Isa 31:2 — Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
  • Isa 45:19 — I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
  • Isa 45:23 — I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
  • Isa 46:11 — Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
  • Isa 52:6 — Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
  • Isa 63:1 — Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
  • Jas 1:17 — Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
  • Jas 1:17 — Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
  • Jer 4:28 — For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
  • Job 9:32 — For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.
  • Job 23:13 — But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
  • Josh 21:45 — There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
  • Josh 23:14 — And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake con