Numbers 23:6-16

6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab.

7 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: "Come, curse Jacob for me; Come, denounce Israel!'

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

9 For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; Here is a people living alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations!

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the dust-cloud of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them."

12 He answered, "Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?"

13 So Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only part of them, and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there."

14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar

15 Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offerings, while I meet the Lord over there."

16 The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and this is what you shall say."

Numbers 23:6-16 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Heb [him]
• [b]. Heb [he]
• [c]. Or [fourth part]