Numbers 23:6

Numbers 23:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
• New International Version (NIV)So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

Context of Numbers 23:6

4Now God met Balaam, who said to Him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5Then the Lord put a speech in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.” Balaam returned to Balak, and behold, he was standing by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the leaders of Moab. 7Balaam took up his [first] discourse (oracle) and said: “Balak, the king of Moab, has brought me from Aram (Syria), from the mountains of the east, [saying,] ‘Come, curse [the descendants of] Jacob for me; And come, [violently] denounce Israel.’ 8How shall I curse those whom God has not cursed? Or how can I [violently] denounce those the Lord has not denounced?

Numbers 23:6 word by word

וַיָּ֣שָׁב אֵלָ֔יו וְהִנֵּ֥ה נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֹלָת֑וֹ ה֖וּא וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• unto him, and, lo, he stoodנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• by his burnt sacrificeעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
• he, and all the princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124

Cross-references for Numbers 23:6

• Numbers 23:3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me; and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate hill.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:6

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-30As a diviner, Balaam carried out rituals to look for signs about the future of Israel (compare 23:23; 24:1). Balak had called him to curse Israel, but God repeatedly stopped him. These sacrifices might have related to extispicy. This was the practice of examining animal livers or other organs to predict the future. Ancient Near Eastern texts show that this fortune-telling method was common and well-developed. God had forbidden Israel from such practices…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-64-6. God met Balaam--not in compliance with his incantations, but to frustrate his wicked designs and compel him, contrary to his desires and interests, to pronounce the following benediction [Nu 23:8-10].Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Moab
• Moab; Moabites
• Moab, Moabite
• Burnt Sacrifice
• Count
• Abel-Shittim
• Balaam
• Balak
• Charm
• Divination

Commentaries on Numbers 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings