Numbers 23:17
in Numbers 23So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Jehovah spoken?
KJV
And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?
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This verse in Numbers 23
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering,.... As before; Num 23:6 and the princes of Moab with him; Jarchi observes, that before it is said, all the princes of Moab, but not so here; for when they saw there was no hope of succeeding, some of them went away, and only some were left: and Balak said unto him, what hath the Lord spoken? being in haste to know what it was, whether agreeable or not.
This site's exposition
the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth
on Numbers 23:16-17
The second meeting repeats the first, the LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth, at a new address. John Gill notes verse 6 says all the princes of Moab and verse 17 only the princes of Moab. He passes on the reading that some went home.
This site's exposition
What did the LORD say?
Balak's question is new, since after the first oracle he only complained. Adam Clarke reads it as a sign that Balak now knew Balaam would say only what the LORD commanded. Balak still hoped the LORD might change His mind, and verse 19 answers that hope.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
When Balaam returned Balak was impatient to know what message he had: " What hath the Lord spoken? Are there any better tidings yet, any hopes of speeding?" This should be our enquiry when we come to hear the word of God.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
What hath the Lord spoken? - Balak himself now understood that Balaam was wholly under the influence of Jehovah, and would say nothing but what God commanded him; but not knowing Jehovah as Balaam did, he hoped that he might be induced to change his mind, and curse a people whom he had hitherto determined to bless.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֣א | vaiyavo' | and he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלָ֗יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְהִנּ֤וֹ | vehino | and there he | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נִצָּב֙ | nitzav | [was] standing | H5324 → | 75 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עֹ֣לָת֔וֹ | olato | burnt offering his | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וְשָׂרֵ֥י | vesarei | and [the] leaders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| מוֹאָ֖ב | moav | Moab | H4124 → | 181 times |
| אִתּ֑וֹ | ʾito | [were] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| בָּלָ֔ק | balak | Balak | H1111 → | 43 times |
| מַה־ | mah- | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| דִּבֶּ֖ר | diber | has he spoken | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיָּבֹ֣אand he went
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֵלָ֗יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
וְהִנּ֤וֹand there he
vehinoH2009 →843 times
נִצָּב֙[was] standing
nitzavH5324 →75 times
עַל־with
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עֹ֣לָת֔וֹburnt offering his
olatoH5930 →287 times
וְשָׂרֵ֥יand [the] leaders of
vesareiH8269 →421 times
מוֹאָ֖בMoab
moavH4124 →181 times
אִתּ֑וֹ[were] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לוֹ֙to <the> him
lo
בָּלָ֔קBalak
balakH1111 →43 times
מַה־what?
mah-H4100 →752 times
דִּבֶּ֖רhas he spoken
diberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 37:17Later, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and received him in his palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there a word from the LORD?” “There is,” Jeremiah replied. “You will be delivered into the…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 22:16
But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 21:7
‘After that,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officers, and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon…
- Jeremiah 37:3
Yet King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us!”
- Jeremiah 38:14–16
Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do…
- 1 Kings 22:16
Through
Numbers 23:26But Balaam replied, “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?”
it leads to
- Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
- Numbers 22:18
But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command…
- Acts 5:29
Through
1 Samuel 3:17“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 3:35
Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread…
- Ruth 1:17
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
- 2 Samuel 3:35
Where this verse is studied
About Numbers
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonWildernessBalakKing of Moab who hired Balaam against the camp on his border and got four blessings and a prophecy of his own destroyer for his fe…
- PlaceTransjordanMoabThe high country east of the Dead Sea, home of Lot's descendants, where Balak hired Balaam, where Ruth was born, and where Moses l…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary.