Texts in Conversation
In Numbers 23, Balaam says God is not a man who lies or changes his mind. Philo follows the Hebrew here rather than the Greek Septuagint translation, similar to the Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos, which says God does what he says.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Numbers 23:19
Hebrew Bible
18 Balaam uttered his oracle, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear; Listen to me, son of Zippor: 19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? 20 Indeed, I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
Philo On the Life of Moses 1.283
Classical
283 And he, as soon as he was by himself, was again suddenly filled by divine inspiration, and, without at all understanding the words which he uttered, spoke everything that was put into his mouth, prophesying in the following manner:--"Rise up and listen, O king! prick up thy ears and hear. God is not able to speak falsely as if he were a man, nor does he change his purpose like the son of man. When he has once spoken, does he not abide by his word? For he will say nothing at all which shall not be completely brought to pass, since his word is also his deed. I, indeed, have been brought hither to bless this nation, and not to curse it.
Date: 40 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Onkelos Numbers 23:19
Targum
18 And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear, Listen to my words, Bar Zippor: 19 The word of Eloha is not as the words of men; The sons of men speak, but lie; Nor is it as the works of the children of flesh, Who decree to do, but repent, and change their counsels. What He hath said He will perform, And His every word is steadfast. 20 Behold, I have received benedictions to bless Israel, And I may not turn my blessing from him.
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Notes and References
“... Philo’s second Balaam oracle paraphrases Num. 23:19, the Hebrew of which may be rendered as God is not man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and shall he not perform it? Or has he spoken, and shall he not establish it? LXX altered Balaam’s opening words, saying that God is not like man to waver, nor like a son of man to be threatened; but retained the following questions of the original. Philo (Vit. Mos. I. 283), however, follows the opening Hebrew of the verse, before continuing with an expanded interpretation: He will utter absolutely nothing at all which shall not be steadfastly completed, since his word is his deed. TN, FTP, FTV and TO eliminate the questions of the second half of the verse, turning them into statements. TO of Num. 23:19 recalls Philo’s paraphrase: The word of God is not like the words of the sons of man. Sons of man say, and tell lies. Also it is not like the deeds of the sons of flesh, who decree that action be taken, but repent of it. He says and performs, and all his word he establishes. ...”
Hayward, Robert
Targums and the Transmission of Scripture into Judaism and Christianity
(pp. 42-43) Brill, 2010
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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