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Numbers Chapter 23

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Viewing the Standard King James Version (Pure Cambridge). Click to switch to 1611 King James Version of Numbers Chapter 23


1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

4 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.

5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?

9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.

12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?

13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.

14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.

16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

17 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?

18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.

26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

 


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Matthew Henry's Numbers Chapter 23 Bible commentary...



Balak's sacrifice, Balaam pronounces a blessing instead of a curse. (1-10) Balak's disappointment, and second sacrifice, Balaam again blesses Israel. (11-30)1-10 With the camps of Israel full in view, Balaam ordered seven altars to be built, and a bullock and a ram to be offered on each. Oh the sottishness of superstition, to imagine that God will be at man's beck! The curse is turned into a blessing, by the overruling power of God, in love to Israel. God designed to serve his own glory by Balaam, and therefore met him. If God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, who would have defied God and Israel, surely he will not be wanting to those who desire to glorify God, and to edify his people; it shall be given what they should speak. He who opened the mouth of the ass, caused the mouth of this wicked man to speak words as contrary to the desire of his heart, as those of the ass were to the powers of the brute. The miracle was as great in the one case as in the other. Balaam pronounces Israel safe. He owns he could do no more than God suffered him to do. He pronounces them happy in their distinction from the rest of the nations. Happy in their numbers, which made them both honourable and formidable. Happy in their last end. Death is the end of all men; even the righteous must die, and it is good for us to think of this with regard to ourselves, as Balaam does here, speaking of his own death. He pronounces the righteous truly blessed, not only while they live, but when they die; which makes their death even more desirable than life itself. But there are many who desire to die the death of the righteous, but do not endeavour to live the life of the righteous; gladly would they have an end like theirs, but not a way like theirs. They would be saints in heaven, but not saints on earth. This saying of Balaam's is only a wish, not a prayer; it is a vain wish, being only a wish for the end, without any care for the means. Many seek to quiet their consciences with the promise of future amendment, or take up with some false hope, while they neglect the only way of salvation, by which a sinner can be righteous before God.

11-30 Balak was angry with Balaam. Thus a confession of God's overruling power is extorted from a wicked prophet, to the confusion of a wicked prince. A second time the curse is turned into a blessing; and this blessing is both larger and stronger than the former. Men change their minds, and break their words; but God never changes his mind, and therefore never recalls his promise. And when in Scripture he is said to repent, it does not mean any change of his mind; but only a change of his way. There was sin in Jacob, and God saw it; but there was not such as might provoke him to give them up to ruin. If the Lord sees that we trust in his mercy, and accept of his salvation; that we indulge no secret lust, and continue not in rebellion, but endeavour to serve and glorify him; we may be sure that he looks upon us as accepted in Christ, that our sins are all pardoned. Oh the wonders of providence and grace, the wonders of redeeming love, of pardoning mercy, of the new-creating Spirit! Balak had no hope of ruining Israel, and Balaam showed that he had more reason to fear being ruined by them. Since Balaam cannot say what he would have him, Balak wished him to say nothing. But though there are many devices in man's heart, God's counsels shall stand. Yet they resolve to make another attempt, though they had no promise on which to build their hopes. Let us, who have a promise that the vision at the end shall speak and not lie, continue earnest in prayer, #Lu 18:1|.

 


Recent Comments for Numbers Chapter 23...

 


Timothy's Numbers Chapter 23 comment about verse 19 on 5/31/2013, 12:12am...

This passage of scripture is very encouraging to me. God can and will not lie. Everyone can know that what his word say or prophecy you receive from a real person of GOD will come to pass just as he says. I know for a fact that if your life is dedicated to living and pleasing him he is going to keep and take care of you. Try GOD for yourself you will not be let down.

 


Aline K's Numbers Chapter 23 comment about verse 19 on 4/25/2013, 1:00am...

Miracle numbers for whom who do trust God!, for hom who believes that God can answer our prayers in the Miracle ways, God has power for anything, numbers 23:19 can be anything God wants. Imana iduhezagire twese mubitangaza byayo byose, ari mumibare yayo, or mumagambo yayo!! God bless Rwanda God bless America, and much Love to everyone who beleives in Him.

 


Ekong ataObong Ekanem's Numbers Chapter 23 comment about verse 23 on 3/03/2013, 9:26pm...

I stand strong having been washed in the blood of Jesus the CHRIST that speaks better things and in the GRACE that is HIS continued intermission for my sins whilst sitting at the right hand of the Father;making MORE THAN A CONQUEROR. Hallelujah!!

 


Insight 777's Numbers Chapter 23 comment on 1/22/2013, 4:45pm...

Jesus is the Son of God and not the Son of man. Verse 19 is a scripture among many in the Bible that proves this. The Son of man needs to repent. Jesus is sinless and God is his Father, so Jesus has no need to repent. Matthew 8:20 explains that God made resting places for everything on earth except the Son of man. The Son of man is EVIL. The Son of man has been compared to a thief in scripture. Jesus is not a thief. Matthew 24:37-39 - the coming of the Son of Man will be like the days of Noah. Knowing that Jesus died on the cross because he refused to be called the Son of man and said he was the Son of God, then the reference to Noah must be that the Son of man is like the flood (Satan) that destroys mankind.

 


Muslim's Numbers Chapter 23 comment about verse 19 on 1/18/2013, 4:23pm...

I think it's like that. From Qur'an Surah 112. Al-Ikhlas 1. Says:
1. He is God, the One!
2. God, the eternally Besought of all!
3. He begetteth not nor was begotten.
4. And there is none comparable unto Him.

 


Jennifer's Numbers Chapter 23 comment about verse 19 on 1/16/2013, 10:56pm...

If it says God is not man, because man sins, is that the only attribute that separates man from God, and the only attribute that Jesus had that none of us has? What about self sufficient which is an attribute of God almighty as we all know, then how come Jesus had to eat and drink and answer the call of nature and live as man lives, we don't deny he was superior as he did miracles, but did he in fact himself need protection and to pray to God almighty for himself as well, and how we can say he is God or the begotten son of God when we cannot attribute any of these characteristics of man to God almighty for He is beyond our imagination?

 


LoLo's Numbers Chapter 23 comment about verse 19 on 1/16/2013, 9:53am...

God is not a man, that He would lie. I read and translate that as God is not a liar as man is. Sometime we go to deep. We know that Jesus never lied nor sinned. Also the fact that Jesus' birth was unlike any other makes Him separate from all other humans. So let’s not ponder over the small things. God wrapped Himself in flesh to dwell among us, John 1:9. This was His Magnificent decision after the failure of Adam to remain sinless. God can be who He wants when He wants, to fulfill His Plan of Salvation. He never changes but when man does, He accommodates.

 


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Test Your Knowledge of Numbers Chapter 23

1.  How many times did Balaam bless Israel


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