Numeri 23:4

4 E Iddio si fece incontro a Balaam; e Balaam gli disse: Io ho ordinati sette altari, e ho offerto un giovenco e un montone, sopra ciascuno altare

Numeri 23:4 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 23:4

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:

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 ( Proverbs 21:27 ) .

Numeri 23:4 In-Context

2 E Balac fece come Balaam avea detto; e Balac e Balaam offersero un giovenco e un montone, sopra ciascuno altare.

3 E Balaam disse a Balac: Fermati presso al tuo olocausto, e io andrò; forse mi si farà il Signore incontro, e ciò ch’egli mi avrà fatto vedere, io tel rapporterò. Ed egli se ne andò sopra un’alta cima di un monte.

4 E Iddio si fece incontro a Balaam; e Balaam gli disse: Io ho ordinati sette altari, e ho offerto un giovenco e un montone, sopra ciascuno altare

5 Allora il Signore mise la parola in bocca a Balaam, e gli disse: Ritorna a Balac, e parla così.

6 Egli adunque ritornò a Balac; ed ecco, egli si stava presso al suo olocausto, insieme con tutti i principi di Moab.