Numbers 23:29
in Numbers 23Then Balaam said, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
KJV
And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
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This verse in Numbers 23
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I will take you to another place
on Numbers 23:27-30
The third station is the top of Peor, and the name carries the rest of the book. Numbers 25:3 records that Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and 31:16 says the counsel behind it was Balaam's, so he stands where his advice will do what his oracles cannot. Seven altars go up a third time.
This site's exposition
Build for me seven altars here
The order repeats verse 1 word for word, so by now twenty-one bulls and twenty-one rams have been offered. Nothing in the rite has changed. Matthew Henry notes that they kept up the costly offerings with no promise to rest their hopes on. He tells readers who do hold a promise to keep praying, citing Luke 18:1.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And Balaam said unto Balak,....
Thus he covers his malice against Israel with a show of devotion, but his sacrifice was an abomination, being brought with such a wicked mind, Prov. xxi. That which he aimed at was not to honour God with the sacrifices of righteousness, but to enrich himself with the wages of unrighteousness. How very obsequious Balak was.
Thus do they persevere in their expensive oblations, though they had no promise on which to build their hopes of speeding. Let not us therefore, who have a promise that the vision at the end shall speak and not lie, be discouraged by delays, but continue instant in prayer, and not faint, Luke xviii.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בִּלְעָם֙ | bilam | Balaam | H1109 → | 61 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בָּלָ֔ק | balak | Balak | H1111 → | 43 times |
| בְּנֵה־ | beneh- | build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| לִ֥י | li | for <the> me | ||
| בָזֶ֖ה | vazeh | in this [place] | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| שִׁבְעָ֣ה | shivah | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת | mizbechot | altars | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וְהָכֵ֥ן | vehakhen | and prepare | H3559 → | 217 times |
| לִי֙ | li | for <the> me | ||
| בָּזֶ֔ה | bazeh | in this [place] | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| שִׁבְעָ֥ה | shivah | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| פָרִ֖ים | farim | young bulls | H6499 → | 132 times |
| וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה | veshivah | and seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| אֵילִֽים׃ | ʾeilim | rams | H352 → | 187 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
בִּלְעָם֙Balaam
bilamH1109 →61 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בָּלָ֔קBalak
balakH1111 →43 times
בְּנֵה־build
beneh-H1129 →376 times
לִ֥יfor <the> me
li
בָזֶ֖הin this [place]
vazehH2088 →1180 times
שִׁבְעָ֣הseven
shivahH7651 →394 times
מִזְבְּחֹ֑תaltars
mizbechotH4196 →401 times
וְהָכֵ֥ןand prepare
vehakhenH3559 →217 times
לִי֙for <the> me
li
בָּזֶ֔הin this [place]
bazehH2088 →1180 times
שִׁבְעָ֥הseven
shivahH7651 →394 times
פָרִ֖יםyoung bulls
farimH6499 →132 times
וְשִׁבְעָ֥הand seven
veshivahH7651 →394 times
אֵילִֽים׃rams
ʾeilimH352 →187 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.