Numbers 23:14

14 And when he had led Balaam into an high place, on the top of the hill of Pisgah, he builded there seven altars to Balaam, and when calves and rams were put above them, (And so when he had led Balaam to the Field of Zophim, that is, to the Field of the Watchers, on top of Mount Pisgah, he built seven altars for Balaam, and when a calf and a ram were offered on each altar,

Numbers 23:14 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:14

And he brought him into the field of Zophim
Or Sede Tzophim, as Hillerus ^F9 reads it, so called from the watch tower, and watchmen in it: Jarchi says, it was a high place, where a watchman stood to observe if an army came against a city, and so a very proper place to take a view of the armies of Israel from:

to the top of Pisgah;
a high hill in this place, where perhaps the watch tower was, or, however, the watchman stood: this looked towards Jeshimon or Bethjesimoth, in the plain of Moab, where Israel lay encamped, see ( Numbers 21:20 ) ( 33:49 ) : and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar: as he had done before, ( Numbers 23:2 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F9 Onomastic Sacr. p. 935.

Numbers 23:14 In-Context

12 To whom Balaam answered, Whether I may speak (any) other thing, no but that that the Lord commandeth?

13 Therefore Balak said to Balaam, Come with me into another place, from whence thou mayest see a part of Israel, and thou mayest not see all; from thence curse thou him. (And so Balak said to Balaam, Come with me to another place, from where thou can see a part of the Israelites, but thou cannot see all of them; and curse thou them from there.)

14 And when he had led Balaam into an high place, on the top of the hill of Pisgah, he builded there seven altars to Balaam, and when calves and rams were put above them, (And so when he had led Balaam to the Field of Zophim, that is, to the Field of the Watchers, on top of Mount Pisgah, he built seven altars for Balaam, and when a calf and a ram were offered on each altar,

15 Balaam said to Balak, Stand here beside thy burnt sacrifice, while I go to meet with the Lord.

16 And when the Lord had met with Balaam, and had put a word in his mouth, he said, Turn again to Balak (Return to Balak), and thou shalt say these things to him.