Numbers 23:4

THE MESSAGE

God did meet with Balaam. Balaam said, "I've set up seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
God met Bil`am: and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

King James Version
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

Lexham English Bible
And God met with Balaam, and he said to him, "I have arranged seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar."

English Standard Version
and 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."

New Century Version
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."

New English Translation
Then God met Balaam, who said to him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."

Amplified Bible
Now God met Balaam, who said to Him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

New American Standard Bible
Now God met with Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And God met Balaam, and Balaam sayd vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and haue offred vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."

Contemporary English Version
When God appeared to him, Balaam said, "I have built seven altars and have sacrificed a bull and a ram on each one."

Complete Jewish Bible
God met Bil‘am, who said to him, "I prepared the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

Darby Translation
And God met Balaam; and [Balaam] said to him, I have disposed seven altars, and have offered up a bullock and a ram upon [each] altar.

Easy-to-Read Version
God came to Balaam at that place, and Balaam said, "I have prepared seven altars. And I have killed a bull and a ram as a sacrifice on each altar."

George Lamsa Translation
And God appeared to Balaam and said to him, You have prepared seven altars, and have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

Good News Translation
and God met him. Balaam said to him, "I have built the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each."

Christian Standard Bible®
God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”

Literal Translation
And God came to Balaam, and he said to Him, I have set up seven altars. And I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye LORDE mett Balaam. And Balaam saide vnto him: Seuen altares haue I prepared, and offred on euery altare a bullocke and a ramme.

American Standard Version
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Bible in Basic English
And God came to Balaam, and Balaam said to him, I have made ready seven altars, offering an ox and a male sheep on every altar.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But God met Balaam, & [Balaam] sayd vnto hym: I haue prepared seuen aulters, and haue offred vpon euery aulter an oxe and a ramme.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him: 'I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.'

King James Version (1611)
And God met Balaam, and he said vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and I haue offered vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balaam went to enquire of God; and he went straight forward, and God appeared to Balaam; and Balaam said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and have offered a calf and a ram on every altar.

English Revised Version
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Berean Standard Bible
and God met with him. "I have set up seven altars," Balaam said, "and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne he hadde go swiftli, God cam to hym; and Balaam spak to hym, and seide, Y reiside seuene auteris, and Y puttide a calf and a ram aboue.

Young's Literal Translation
And God cometh unto Balaam, and he saith unto Him, `The seven altars I have arranged, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar;'

Update Bible Version
And God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

Webster's Bible Translation
And God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon [every] altar a bullock and a ram.

World English Bible
God met Balaam: and he said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.

New King James Version
And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."

New Living Translation
and God met him there. Balaam said to him, "I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar."

New Life Bible
God met Balaam. Balaam said to Him, "I have made seven altars. And I have given a bull and a ram on each altar in worship."

New Revised Standard
Then God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars, and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And God came unto Balaam, - so he said unto him The seven altars, have I built in a row, and have caused to ascend, bullock and a ram on each altar.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on everyone a calf and a ram.

Revised Standard Version
And God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered upon each altar a bull and a ram."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar."

Contextual Overview

¹ Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and then prepare seven bulls and seven rams." ² Balak did it. Then Balaam and Balak sacrificed a bull and a ram on each of the altars. ³ Balaam instructed Balak: "Stand watch here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I go off by myself. Maybe God will come and meet with me. Whatever he shows or tells me, I'll report to you." Then he went off by himself. ⁴ God did meet with Balaam. Balaam said, "I've set up seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar." ⁵ Then God gave Balaam a message: "Return to Balak and give him this message." ⁶He went back and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and with him all the nobles of Moab. Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle: Balak led me here from Aram, the king of Moab all the way from the eastern mountains. "Go, curse Jacob for me; go, damn Israel." How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I damn whom God has not damned? From rock pinnacles I see them, from hilltops I survey them: Look! a people camping off by themselves, thinking themselves outsiders among nations. But who could ever count the dust of Jacob or take a census of cloud-of-dust Israel? I want to die like these right-living people! I want an end just like theirs! ¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, "What's this? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and all you've done is bless them." ¹² Balaam answered, "Don't I have to be careful to say what God gives me to say?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: Numbers 23:16, Numbers 22:9, Numbers 22:20

I have prepared: Numbers 23:1, Isaiah 58:3, Isaiah 58:4, Matthew 20:12, Luke 18:12, John 16:2, Romans 3:27, Ephesians 2:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:18 - met 1 Kings 13:11 - an old prophet 2 Kings 10:16 - Come with me 1 Chronicles 15:26 - bullocks

Cross-References

Genesis 23:12
Abraham bowed respectfully before the assembled council and answered Ephron: "Please allow me—I want to pay the price of the land; take my money so that I can go ahead and bury my wife."

Genesis 23:16
Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and paid out the sum that Ephron had named before the town council of Hittites—four hundred silver shekels at the current exchange rate.

Genesis 47:9
Jacob answered Pharaoh, "The years of my sojourning are 130—a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.

Leviticus 25:23
"The land cannot be sold permanently because the land is mine and you are foreigners—you're my tenants. You must provide for the right of redemption for any of the land that you own.

Psalms 39:12
"Ah, God , listen to my prayer, my cry—open your ears. Don't be callous; just look at these tears of mine. I'm a stranger here. I don't know my way— a migrant like my whole family. Give me a break, cut me some slack before it's too late and I'm out of here."

Ecclesiastes 6:3
Say a couple have scores of children and live a long, long life but never enjoy themselves—even though they end up with a big funeral! I'd say that a stillborn baby gets the better deal. It gets its start in a mist and ends up in the dark—unnamed. It sees nothing and knows nothing, but is better off by far than anyone living.

1 Peter 2:11
Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

God met Balaam - God served His own purposes through the arts of Balaam, and manifested His will through the agencies employed to seek it, dealing thus with Balaam in an exceptional manner. To God’s own people auguries were forbidden Leviticus 19:26.

I have prepared seven altars - And therefore Balaam expected that God on His part would do what was desired by the donor; compare Numbers 22:15 note.