Numbers 23:3-13

3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your burnt offering and I will go. If the Lord comes to me, I will tell you whatever he shows me." Then Balaam went to a higher place.

4 God came to Balaam there, and Balaam said to him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a male sheep on each altar.

5 The Lord told Balaam what he should say. Then the Lord said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message."

6 So Balaam went back to Balak. Balak and all the leaders of Moab were still standing beside his burnt offering

7 when Balaam gave them this message: "Balak brought me here from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern mountains. Balak said, 'Come, put a curse on the people of Jacob for me. Come, call down evil on the people of Israel.'

8 But God has not cursed them, so I cannot curse them. The Lord has not called down evil on them, so I cannot call down evil on them.

9 I see them from the top of the mountains; I see them from the hills. I see a people who live alone, who think they are different from other nations.

10 No one can number the many people of Jacob, and no one can count a fourth of Israel. Let me die like good men, and let me end up like them!"

11 Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but you have only blessed them!"

12 But Balaam answered, "I must say what the Lord tells me to say."

13 Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place, where you can also see the people. But you can only see part of them, not all of them. Curse them for me from there."

Numbers 23:3-13 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.