New International Version
Numbers 22:7
7The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.
Numbers 22:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak's message.
- New King James Version (NKJV)So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel. They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him.
Context of Numbers 22:7
5sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.” The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said. 8“Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him. 9God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
Read all of Numbers 22Numbers 22:7 word by word
וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ זִקְנֵ֤י מוֹאָב֙ וְזִקְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֔ן וּקְסָמִ֖ים בְּיָדָ֑ם וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיְדַבְּר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו דִּבְרֵ֥י בָלָֽק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- of Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
- of Midianמִדְיָןmidyân · MidianH4080
- departedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- with the rewards of divinationקֶ֫סֶםqesem · divinationH7081
- in their handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
- and they cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- unto Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- and spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto him the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- of Balakבָּלָקbâlâq · BalakH1111
Cross-references for Numbers 22:7
- 1 Samuel 9:7Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
- Isaiah 56:11They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain.
- Ezekiel 13:19You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.
- Micah 3:11Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”
- Romans 16:18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
- 1 Timothy 6:9Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
- 2 Peter 2:15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.
- Jude 1:11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
Commentaries on Numbers 22:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The rewards of divination - Whoever went to consult a prophet took with him a present, as it was on such gratuitous offerings the prophets lived; but here more than a mere present is intended, perhaps every thing necessary to provide materials for the incantation. The drugs, etc., used on such occasions were often very expensive. It appears that Balaam was very covetous, and that he loved the wages of unrighteousness, and probably lived by it; see 2 Peter…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Rewards of divination - Rightly interpreted in 2 Peter 2:15 as “the wages of unrighteousness.”Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7departed with the fees for divination in hand: Balaam was a professional diviner and could demand a high payment for his services (22:7, 17–18; compare 1 Samuel 9:7–8; 2 Kings 8:7–9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. the elders of Moab and ... of Midian departed with the rewards of divination--like the fee of a fortune teller, and being a royal present, it would be something handsome.Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 22:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 22
- 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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries