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 offering. I will go and perhaps Adonai will meet me. Whatever message He shows me, I will tell you. Then he went to a barren height. 4God met with Balaam and he said to Him, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I offered a bull and a ram.” Adonai put a message into Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak this.” 6Balaam went back to him. Behold, he was standing beside his offering with all the princes of Moab. 7Then he uttered his oracle and said, “From Aram, Balak brought me, Moab’s king from the mountains of the east: ‘Come! Curse Jacob for me! ‘Come! Denounce 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 23:16Adonai met Balaam there and put a message into his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak and speak thus.”
• Numbers 22:35The angel of Adonai said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s princes.
• Deuteronomy 18:18I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him.
• Proverbs 16:1The plans of the heart belong to man, but the tongue’s answer is from Adonai.
• Isaiah 51:16I have put My words in your mouth, and covered you with the shadow of My hand— I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”
• Isaiah 59:21“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says Adonai: “My Ruach who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your offspring, or from the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says Adonai, “from now on and forever.”
• Jeremiah 1:9Then Adonai stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and Adonai said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
• Luke 12:12because the Ruach ha-Kodesh will teach you at that time what is necessary to say.”
• John 11:51Now he did not say this by himself; but as the kohen gadol that year, he prophesied that Yeshua would die for the 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