Numbers Chapter 23 — Balaam’s First Two Oracles
King Balak of Moab attempts to have Balaam curse the Israelites, but God intervenes and causes Balaam to bless them twice.
1Balaam said to Balak, “Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.”
2Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.
3Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.”
4God 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.”
5The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
6He returned to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7He took up his parable, and said,
8How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
9For from the top of the rocks I see him.
10Who can count the dust of Jacob,
11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether.”
12He answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD puts in my mouth?”
13Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, where you may see them. You shall see just part of them, and shall not see them all. Curse them from there for me.”
14He took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
15He said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet God over there.”
16The LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and say this.”
17He came to him, and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”
18He took up his parable, and said,
19God is not a man, that he should lie,
20Behold, I have received a command to bless.
21He has not seen iniquity in Jacob.
22God brings them out of Egypt.
23Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob;
24Behold, a people rises up as a lioness.
25Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”
26But Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”
27Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”
28Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks down on the desert.
29Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.”
30Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bull and a ram on every altar.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Numbers 23:8
“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied?”
This verse establishes the central theme that human efforts cannot override God's divine will.
Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?”
It highlights the unchanging nature and reliability of God's word compared to human fickleness.
Chapter Summary
In Numbers 23, King Balak of Moab prepares seven altars and sacrifices in an attempt to influence Balaam to curse the Israelites. However, when Balaam meets with the Lord, he is given a message of blessing instead. In his first oracle, Balaam declares he cannot curse those whom God has not cursed and notes the immense size of the Israelite people. Frustrated, Balak takes Balaam to a different location on Mount Pisgah, hoping for a different outcome. After another series of sacrifices, Balaam delivers a second oracle, emphasizing that God does not change His mind like humans do. He asserts that there is no sorcery against Jacob and describes Israel as a powerful lion. Despite Balak’s plea for Balaam to remain silent, Balaam insists on only speaking what God reveals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Balak, the king of Moab, was afraid of the Israelites because of their large numbers and military success, so he hoped a spiritual curse would weaken them.
Balaam delivers two distinct oracles of blessing in this chapter after being taken to two different locations, the field of Zophim and the top of Pisgah.
It signifies that unlike humans who may change their minds or fail to keep promises, God's decrees and blessings for Israel are final and dependable.
Study Note
The use of seven altars and sacrifices of bulls and rams reflects ancient Near Eastern ritual practices intended to invoke or appease the divine.
Related Chapters
Numbers 22
This chapter provides the background for Balak's initial request for Balaam's services.
Numbers 24
The narrative of Balaam's oracles continues with his final blessings over Israel.
Micah 6
The prophet Micah later references the interaction between Balak and Balaam as an example of God's faithfulness.
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