Numbers 23:5

Numbers 23:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

Context of Numbers 23:5

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. 4God came to him, and Balaam said, “I have set up seven altars, and I offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” The Lord told Balaam, “Go back to Balak, and give him my message.” 6So he went back to Balak and found him standing beside his burnt offering with all the princes of Moab. 7Then Balaam delivered this message: “Balak brought me from Aram. The king of Moab summoned me from the eastern mountains. ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,’ he said. ‘Come, condemn Israel.’

Numbers 23:5 word by word

וַיָּ֧שֶׂם יְהוָ֛ה דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֣י בִלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• a wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• in Balaam’sבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
• mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• unto Balakבָּלָקbâlâq · BalakH1111
• and thus thou shalt speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696

Cross-references for Numbers 23:5

• Numbers 23:16The Lord came to Balaam and told him, “Go back to Balak, and give him my message.”
• Numbers 22:35The Messenger of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s princes.
• Deuteronomy 18:18So I will send them a prophet, an Israelite like you. I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.
• Proverbs 16:1The plans of the heart belong to humans, but an answer on the tongue comes from the Lord.
• Isaiah 51:16I put my words in your mouth and sheltered you in the palm of my hand. I stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and said to Zion, “You are my people.”
• Isaiah 59:21“This is my promise to them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I put in your mouth will not leave you. They will be with your children and your grandchildren permanently,” says the Lord.
• Jeremiah 1:9Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. The Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth.
• Luke 12:12At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”
• John 11:51Caiaphas didn’t say this on his own. As chief priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:5

• 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

Topics related to Numbers 23:5

• Prophets

In the dictionaries

• Count
• Abel-Shittim
• Balaam
• Balak
• Charm
• Divination
• Genealogy
• Magic; Magician
• Numbers, Book of
• Poetry, Hebrew

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