Numbers 22:12

God Tells Him Not to Go and Not to Curse Israel (Numbers 22:12)

Numbers 22:12

‘And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” '

Note again that the One Who spoke to him was called ‘God' and not ‘Yahweh'. He was not to be seen as one of many gods whom Balaam contacted (which was how Balaam would have seen Yahweh). He was the living God, the only God. He sternly informed Balaam that he must not go, and that he was not to seek to curse this people, for they were blessed. In other words they had special protection over them and were strengthened and watched over by Him. So no one must touch them (compare Psalms 105:15).