Numbers 23:4

Numbers 23:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
• New International Version (NIV)God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

Context of Numbers 23:4

2Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. 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 bare hill. Now 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.” 6So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.

Numbers 23:4 word by word

וַיִּקָּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אֶת־שִׁבְעַ֤ת הַֽמִּזְבְּחֹת֙ עָרַ֔כְתִּי וָאַ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃Read the interlinear

• Now Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• metקָרָהqârâh · to meetH7136
• Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
• and he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to Him, “I have setעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
• up the sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• and I have offeredעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: offer upH5927
• up a bullפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
• and a ramאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352

Cross-references for Numbers 23:4

• Numbers 23:16Then the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
• Numbers 22:9Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
• Numbers 23:1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
• Isaiah 58:3‘Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’ Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers.
• Matthew 20:12saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’
• Luke 18:12I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
• John 16:2They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.
• Romans 3:27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
• Ephesians 2:9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Commentaries on Numbers 23:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4God met Balaam - God served His own purposes through the arts of Balaam, and manifested His will through the agencies employed to seek it, dealing thus with Balaam in an exceptional manner. To God‘s own people auguries were forbidden Leviticus 19:26. I have prepared seven altars - And therefore Balaam expected that God on His part would do what was desired by the donor; compare Numbers 22:15 note.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. 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

• Balaam
• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• 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