Numbers 23:3

Numbers 23:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And 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." And he went to a bare height,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by 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 height.

Context of Numbers 23:3

1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.” 2Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. Then 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 bare hill. 4Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.”

Numbers 23:3 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם לְבָלָ֗ק הִתְיַצֵּב֮ עַל־עֹלָתֶךָ֒ וְאֵֽלְכָ֗ה אוּלַ֞י יִקָּרֵ֤ה יְהוָה֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י וּדְבַ֥ר מַה־יַּרְאֵ֖נִי וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי לָ֑ךְ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי׃Read the interlinear

• Then Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Balakבָּלָקbâlâq · BalakH1111
• Standיָצַבyâtsab · to standH3320
• besideעַל‛al · uponH5921
• your burntעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
• offeringעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
• and I will goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• perhapsאוּלַי'ûlay 'ûlay · perhapsH194
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• will comeקָרָהqârâh · to meetH7136
• to meetקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: meetH7122
• me, and whateverמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• me, and whateverדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• He showsרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• me I will tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• to a bareשְׁפִיshephîy · barenessH8205

Cross-references for Numbers 23:3

• Numbers 23:15And he said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the Lord over there.”
• Genesis 8:20Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
• Genesis 22:2He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”
• Exodus 18:12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
• Leviticus 1:1Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,
• Numbers 22:8He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the Lord may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
• Numbers 24:1When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Stand by thy burnt-offering - We have already seen that blessing and cursing in this way were considered as religious rites, and therefore must be always preceded by sacrifice. See this exemplified in the case of Isaac, before he blessed Jacob and Esau, Genesis 27 (note), and the notes there. The venison that was brought to Isaac, of which he did eat, was properly the preparatory sacrifice.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Balaam apparently expected to mark some phenomenon in the sky or in nature, which he would be able, according to the rules of his art, to interpret as a portent. It was for such “auguries” (not as the King James Version “enchantments” Numbers 23:23) that he now departed to watch; contrast Numbers 24:1. An high place - Or, “A bare place on the hill,” as opposed to the high place with its grove of trees.Read the comment
• 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. 33. Stand by thy burnt offering--as one in expectation of an important favor. peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he showeth me--that is, makes known to me by word or sign. he went to an high place--apart by himself, where he might practise rites and ceremonies, with a view to obtain a response of the oracle.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Balaam
• Burnt offering
• High place
• Count
• Abel-Shittim
• Balak
• Charm
• Divination
• Genealogy
• Magic; Magician

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