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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)and God met him there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.”

Context of Numbers 23:4

2Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Then 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. God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” 5The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.” 6So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials.

Numbers 23:4 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• metקָרָהqârâh · to meetH7136
• Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
• and he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, I have preparedעָרַךְ‛ârak · to arrangeH6186
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• altarsמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• and I have offeredעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: offer upH5927
• a bullockפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
• and a ramאַ֫יִל'ayil · ramH352

Cross-references for Numbers 23:4

• Numbers 23:16The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
• Numbers 22:9God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”
• Numbers 23:1Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
• Isaiah 58:3‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
• Matthew 20:12‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
• Luke 18:12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
• John 16:2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.
• Romans 3:27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.
• Ephesians 2:9not by works, so that no one can 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