God’s Word Translation
Numbers 23:1
1Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
Numbers 23:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
- New International Version (NIV)Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
Context of Numbers 23:1
Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2Balak did what Balaam told him, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your burnt offering while I’m gone. Maybe the Lord will come and meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” Then Balaam went off to a higher place where there were no trees.
Read all of Numbers 23Numbers 23:1 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק בְּנֵה־לִ֥י בָזֶ֖ה שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת וְהָכֵ֥ן לִי֙ בָּזֶ֔ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Balakבָּלָקbâlâq · BalakH1111
- Buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- me here sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- and prepareכּוּןkûn · to establish: prepareH3559
- oxenפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
- ramsאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352
Cross-references for Numbers 23:1
- Numbers 23:29Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
- Ezekiel 33:31Then they come to you, as if they are still my people, and they sit down in front of you. They listen to what you say, but they don’t do it. They say that they love me, but in their hearts they chase dishonest profits.
- Jude 1:11How horrible it will be for them! They have followed the path of Cain. They have rushed into Balaam’s error to make a profit. They have rebelled like Korah and destroyed themselves.
- Exodus 20:24“You must build an altar for me made out of dirt. Sacrifice your burnt offerings and your fellowship offerings, your sheep, goats, and cattle on it. Wherever I choose to have my name remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
- Exodus 27:1⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Make an altar out of acacia wood. It should be 7½ feet square, and 4½ feet high.
- 1 Samuel 15:22Then Samuel said, “Is the Lord as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as he would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams.
- 2 Kings 18:22Suppose you tell me, “We’re trusting the Lord our God.” He’s the god whose places of worship and altars Hezekiah got rid of. He told Judah and Jerusalem, “Worship at this altar in Jerusalem.” ’
- Psalms 50:8I am not criticizing you for your sacrifices or burnt offerings, which are always in front of me.
- Proverbs 15:8A sacrifice brought by wicked people is disgusting to the Lord, but the prayers of decent people please him.
- Isaiah 1:11The Lord asks, “What do your many animal sacrifices mean to me? I’ve had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and enough fat from your fattened calves. I’m not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.
- Numbers 29:32“On the seventh day bring 7 bulls, 2 rams, and 14 one-year-old lambs that have no defects.
- 1 Chronicles 15:26Because God helped the Levites who carried the ark of the Lord’s promise, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.
- 2 Chronicles 29:21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as an offering for sin for the kingdom, the holy place, and Judah. Hezekiah told the priests, Aaron’s descendants, to sacrifice the animals on the Lord’s altar.
- Job 42:8So take seven young bulls and seven rams. Go to my servant Job, and make a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you. Then I will accept his prayer not to treat you as godless fools. After all, you didn’t speak what is right about me as my servant Job has done.”
- Ezekiel 45:23Every day during the seven days of the festival, he must prepare burnt offerings for the Lord: seven young bulls that have no defects, seven rams that have no defects, and one male goat as an offering for sin.
Commentaries on Numbers 23:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Build me here seven altars, etc. - The oxen and the rams were such as the Mosaic law had ordered to be offered to God in sacrifice; the building of seven altars was not commanded. Some think that these seven altars were built to the seven planets: this is most gratuitously said; of it there is no proof whatever; it is mere trifling, even with conjecture. As seven was a number of perfection, Balaam chose it on this occasion, because he intended to offer a…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Balaam, after the general custom of the pagan, prefaced his divinations by sacrifice. In the number of the altars regard was probably had to the number of the then known planets. Yet Balaam evidently intended his sacrifice as an offering to the true God.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Balak's sacrifice, Balaam pronounces a blessing instead of a curse. (1-10) Balak's disappointment, and second sacrifice, Balaam again blesses Israel. (11-30) Verses 1-10 With the camps of Israel full in view, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and a bullock and a ram to be offered on each. Oh the sottishness of superstition, to imagine that God will be at man's beck! The curse is turned into a blessing, by the overruling power of God, in love to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The number seven was a holy symbol (also 23:4, 14, 29; compare Job 42:8; see “Symbolic Numbers” Theme Note).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-301. Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars--Balak, being a heathen, would naturally suppose these altars were erected in honor of Baal, the patron deity of his country. It is evident, from Nu 23:4 that they were prepared for the worship of the true God; although in choosing the high places of Baal as their site and rearing a number of altars (2Ki 18:22; Is 17:8; Jr 11:13; Ho 8:11; 10:1), instead of one only, as God had appointed, Balaam blended…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 23:1
In the dictionaries
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
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