God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”
Parallel Translations
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God met Balaam, and he said to him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.”
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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.
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And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him: 'I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.'
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to Numbers 23:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Numbers 23:16 Yahweh met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”
- Luke 18:12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
- Ephesians 2:9 not of works, that no one would boast.
- Numbers 22:9 God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?”
- Numbers 22:20 God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.”
- Numbers 23:1 Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
- Isaiah 58:3-4 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you don’t see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you don’t notice?’ “Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and oppress all your laborers. Behold, you fast for strife and contention, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You don’t fast today so as to make your voice to be heard on high.
- Matthew 20:12 saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’
- John 16:2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.
- Romans 3:27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (10 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Appeared unto him.
Appeared unto him.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Num 23:4 And God met Balaam: and he said…
Num 23:4 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.
Ver. 4. I have prepared seven altars.] He boasts of his devotions, and so thinks to demerit God’s favour. So those hypocrites in Isaiah. {Isa 58:3} Non sic deos coluimus, ut ille nos vinceret, We have not so served the gods, as that the enemy should have the better of us, said the Emperor Antonius, the philosopher.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain God met Balaam, not to comply with Balaam’s charms,…
God met Balaam, not to comply with Balaam’s charms, nor to gratify, but to oppose, his wicked desires, and to fierce him against his own inclination and interest to utter the following words.
A bullock and a ram, which I pray thee accept, and give me leave to curse thy people, as their abundant wickedness deserves.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And God met Balaam,.... Not in a kind and…
And God met Balaam,.... Not in a kind and gracious manner; not out of any respect to him and his offerings; not to indulge him with any spiritual communion with him; nor to communicate his mind and will to him as a friend of his; not to gratify his desires, and grant the request of the king of Moab, or to smile upon and succeed the scheme that they had concerted; but for the sake of his people Israel, to counterwork the designs of their enemies; to blast and confound them, and turn their curses into blessings; and particularly to oblige Balaam to bless the people he was so desirous of cursing for the sake of gain:
and he said unto him; in a bragging boasting way, in order to gain his favour, and carry his point:
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I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram: that is, to him the Lord; for had they been offered to Baal, he could never have had the nerve to have spoken of them to God; and which he could never have proposed as a reason why he should be regarded by him, or expect on account of them any favour from him: and indeed these altars and sacrifices were not at his expense, though they were prepared and offered at a motion of his; nor were they offered in a right manner, nor with a right end, nor from a right principle, and were far from being acceptable unto God, yea, were abominable unto him; see Pro 21:27.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain God met Balaam - God served His own purposes…
God 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 Lev 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 Num 22:15 note.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Speed. Hebrew shephi, may signify also "on the straight…
Speed. Hebrew shephi, may signify also "on the straight road," (Septuagint) "into the plain," (Louis de Dieu) "all alone," (Onkelos) or most probably "upon an eminence." (Kimchi) (Calmet) --- God, in the visible form of an angel. (Menochius) --- To him. Balaam might suppose that he was addressing his idol. But Moses informs us, that the true God or his angel was present, and forced Balaam to deliver an unwelcome message to the king. (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain God met Balaam--not in compliance with his incantations, but…
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 [Num 23:8-10].
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. God met Balaam — Not in the flight…
4. God met Balaam — Not in the flight of birds or in any natural sign of doubtful signification, but by a distinct and unequivocal message which he was commanded to declare to Balak. This was done, not for the sake of Balak, but for the good of Israel. Where his people are concerned God may direct the result of a pagan divination. Eze_21:19-23.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain I have prepared seven altars. Balaam, acting for the…
I have prepared seven altars. Balaam, acting for the king of Moab, his heathen patron, in this difficult business, points out to God that he had given him the full quota of sacrifices to begin with. It was implied in this reminder that God would naturally feel disposed to do something for Balaam in return.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 I have offered up a bull and a ram
I have offered up a bull and a ram
It has already been stated that he killed these animals as a burnt offering. AT: "I have killed a bull and a ram and burnt them as an offering" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
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Yahweh put a message in Balaam's mouth
Here Yahweh giving Balaam a message to speak is spoken of as if Yahweh placed it in his mouth. AT: "Yahweh told Balaam what he wanted him to say to Balak" (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
God
altar
sacrifice
Yahweh
burnt offering
Moab
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.