Numbers 23:1-12

Balaam's First Oracle

1 And Balaam said to Balak, ¹"Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams."

2 Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam ²offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

3 And Balaam said to Balak, ³"Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come ⁴to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height,

4 ⁵and 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.

5 And the LORD ⁶put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

6 And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering.

7 And Balaam ⁷took up his discourse and said, "From ⁸Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab ⁹from the eastern mountains: 'Come, ¹⁰curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!'

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

9 For from the top of the crags ¹¹I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, ¹²a people dwelling alone, and ¹³not counting itself among the nations!

10 ¹⁴Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part^[a] of Israel? Let me die ¹⁵the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"

11 And Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? ¹⁶I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them."

12 And he answered and said, ¹⁷"Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?"

Numbers 23:1-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 23

This chapter gives an account of the sacrifices offered by Balak and Balaam, and how God met Balsam, and put a word into his mouth, which he delivered in the presence of the king of Moab and his princes, Nu 23:1-7, the substance of which are, the separate state and condition of Israel from other nations, their number, and the happiness of the righteous at death, Nu 23:8-10, which made Balak uneasy, since instead of cursing he blessed Israel, and therefore he had him to another place to take a view of the people, Nu 23:11-13 where having offered sacrifices, another word was put into the mouth of Balaam, and which he also delivered before the king and his nobles, Nu 23:14-18, in which were expressed the unchangeableness of God, the irreversibleness of the blessing of Israel, the strength, safety, happiness, and glory of that people, Nu 23:19-24 which made Balak more uneasy still; but willing to try him a third time, he carried him to another place, and there built altars, and offered sacrifices, the consequence of which is related in the next chapter, Nu 23:25-30.

Cross References

• 1. ver. 29
• 2. ver. 14, 30
• 3. ver. 15
• 4. [Numbers 24:1]
• 5. ver. 16
• 6. ver. 12, 16; Numbers 22:38; Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 1:9
• 7. ver. 18; Numbers 24:3, 15, 20, 21, 23; Job 27:1; Job 29:1; Psalms 49:4; Psalms 78:2; Isaiah 14:4; Micah 2:4; [Numbers 21:27]
• 8. [Numbers 22:5]
• 9. [Genesis 29:1]
• 10. Numbers 22:6
• 11. [Numbers 24:17]
• 12. Deuteronomy 32:28
• 13. Exodus 33:16; [Ezra 9:2; Esther 3:8; Ephesians 2:14]
• 14. See Genesis 13:16
• 15. Psalms 37:37; Psalms 116:15; Revelation 14:13
• 16. Numbers 22:11; Numbers 24:10; Deuteronomy 23:5; Nehemiah 13:2
• 17. See ver. 5

Footnotes

• [a]. Or dust clouds