Numbers 23:1

Christian Standard Bible ®

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.”

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams."

Update Bible Version
And Balaam said to Balak, Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

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

New Century Version
Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven male sheep for me."

New English Translation
Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

World English Bible
Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams.

Amplified Bible
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams here."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Balaam seide to Balaach, Bilde thou here to me seuene auteris, and make redi so many caluys, and rammes of the same noumbre.

Young's Literal Translation
And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Build for me in this [place] seven altars, and make ready for me in this [place] seven bullocks and seven rams.'

Berean Standard Bible
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams."

Contemporary English Version
Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here, then bring seven bulls and seven rams."

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

Bible in Basic English
And Balaam said to Balak, Make me here seven altars and get ready seven oxen and seven male sheep.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Balaam said vnto Balac: Buylde me here seuen aulters, & prepare me here seuen oxen & seuen rammes.

Complete Jewish Bible
Bil‘am said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here."

Darby Translation
And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

Easy-to-Read Version
Balaam said, "Build seven altars here. And prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Balaam said unto Balak: 'Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.'

King James Version (1611)
And Balaam saide vnto Balak, Build me here seuen Altars, and prepare mee here seuen oxen, and seuen rammes.

New Life Bible
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars here for me. And make ready seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

New Revised Standard
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Balaam unto Balak: Build me here seven altars, - and prepare me here, seven bullocks and seven rams.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Balaam sayd vnto Balak, Builde me here seuen altars, and prepare me here seuen bullockes, and seuen rammes.

George Lamsa Translation
AND Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

Good News Translation
He said to Balak, "Build seven altars here for me, and bring me seven bulls and seven rams."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Balaam said to Balac: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.

Revised Standard Version
And Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and provide for me here seven bulls and seven rams."

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balaam said to Balac, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven calves, and seven rams.

Hebrew Names Version
Bil`am said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bulls and seven rams.

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

Lexham English Bible
Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me this: seven altars. And prepare for me this: seven bulls and seven rams."

Literal Translation
And Balaam said to Balak, Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
. And Balaam sayde vnto Balac: Buylde me here seuen altares, and prouyde me here seuen bullockes, and seue rammes.

THE MESSAGE
Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and then prepare seven bulls and seven rams."

New American Standard Bible
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

New King James Version
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams."

New Living Translation
Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me here."

Contextual Overview

¹Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ²So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the Lord will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill. ⁴God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” ⁵Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.” ⁶So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab. ⁷Balaam proclaimed his poem: ⁸How can I curse someone God has not cursed?How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced? ⁹I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,and I watch them from the hills.There is a people living alone;it does not consider itself among the nations. ¹⁰Who has counted the dust of Jacobor numbered even one-fourth of Israel?Let me die the death of the upright;let the end of my life be like theirs.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Build me: Numbers 23:29, Ezekiel 33:31, Jude 1:11

seven altars: Exodus 20:24, Exodus 27:1-8, 1 Samuel 15:22, 2 Kings 18:22, Psalms 50:8, Psalms 50:9, Proverbs 15:8, Isaiah 1:11-15, Matthew 23:14

seven oxen: Numbers 29:32, 1 Chronicles 15:26, 2 Chronicles 29:21, Job 42:8, Ezekiel 45:23

Reciprocal: Numbers 23:4 - I have prepared Numbers 23:14 - built seven Joshua 6:4 - seven times 2 Samuel 15:12 - while he offered Isaiah 16:12 - when Micah 6:6 - with

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?”

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Balaam said unto Balak,.... When upon one of the high places of Baal, and after having taken a view of the people of Israel as they lay encamped:

build me here seven altars; this was purely Heathenish; for not only the Israelites after the law of Moses had but one altar, but the patriarchs before that never built but one altar at a time. Some have thought regard is had to the seven planets worshipped by Heathens; though no doubt Balaam pretended to sacrifice to Jehovah the true God, in order to gain him over to him to agree to it to curse Israel, and persuaded Balak, though an idolater, to join with him; and, the more easily to bring him to it, mixes Heathen rites and customs in sacrifice to him:

and prepare me here seven oxen, and seven rams; which were creatures offered in sacrifice according to the law of Moses, and before that was given, and by persons who were not under it; and even by seven of each sort, and that by the express command of God, Job 42:8. It may be observed, that both in this, and the preceding clause, the word here is carefully expressed, namely, in one of the high places; there the altars were erected, and thither the oxen were brought to be sacrificed; so that both the place, and the number of the altars, savoured of Heathenish worship, in which he complied to induce the king to sacrifice to Jehovah.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Balaam, after the general custom of the pagan, prefaced his divinations by sacrifice. In the number of the altars regard was probably had to the number of the then known planets. Yet Balaam evidently intended his sacrifice as an offering to the true God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXIII

Being arrived at the high places of Baal, (Numbers 22:41,)

Balaam orders Balak to build seven altars, and prepare oxen and

rams for sacrifice, 1, 2.

Balaam inquires of the Lord, receives an answer, with which he

returns to Balak, 3-10.

Balak, finding that this was a prediction of the prosperity of

the Israelites, is greatly troubled, 11.

Balaam excuses himself, 12.

He brings him to another place, where he might see only a part of

Israel, and repeats his sacrifices, 13, 14.

Balaam again consults the Lord, 15-17.

Returns with his answer, and again predicts the glory of Israel,

18-24.

Balak is angry, 25;

and Balaam again excuses himself. Balak proposes another trial,

takes him to another place, and repeats the same sacrifices,

26-30.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXIII

Verse Numbers 23:1. Build me here seven altars, c. — The oxen and the rams were such as the Mosaic law had ordered to be offered to God in sacrifice the building of seven altars was not commanded. Some think that these seven altars were built to the seven planets: this is most gratuitously said; of it there is no proof whatever; it is mere trifling, even with conjecture. As seven was a number of perfection, Balaam chose it on this occasion, because he intended to offer a grand sacrifice, and to offer a bullock and a ram upon each of the altars; the whole to be made a burnt-offering at the same time. And as he intended to offer seven bullocks and seven rams at the same time, it could not be conveniently done on one altar, therefore he ordered seven to be built. We need go no farther to find out his reasons.