Numbers 23:1-12

Numbers 23:1-12

[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,  peradventure the LORD  will come  to meet  me: and whatsoever  he sheweth  me I will tell  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,  curse  me Jacob,  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  [11] And Balak  said  unto Balaam,  What hast thou done  unto me? I took  thee to curse  mine enemies,  and, behold, thou hast blessed  [12] And he answered  and said,  Must I not take heed  to speak  that which the LORD  hath put  in my mouth? 

What does Numbers 23:1-12 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Balaam offered seven burnt offerings to God on seven separate altars. Pagans as well as Israelites regarded seven as a complete number based on the seven days of creation and seven days of the week. Pagans commonly offered sacrifices on important occasions, as did the Israelites, to secure divine favor and help.
"The most arresting element of the introductory section is in the words "God met with him" ( Numbers 23:4) and "the LORD put a message in Balaam"s mouth" ( Numbers 23:5). Despite the pagan and unsavory actions of this ungodly Prayer of Manasseh , the Lord deigns to meet with him and to speak through him. This is utterly remarkable. We often say that God will never use an unclean vessel. This is not quite accurate. God may use whatever vessel he wishes; the issue concerns what happens to an unclean vessel when God has finished using it for his purposes." [1]
Aram ( Numbers 23:7) is Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in northern Syria (cf. Paddan-aram in Genesis 28:2; et al.). Israel was not reckoned among the nations ( Numbers 23:9) because of her divine vocation in the earth that set her apart from all other peoples.
Israel had increased in number as God had promised Abraham. The Israelites were as numerous as dust from Balaam"s perspective ( Numbers 23:10; cf. Genesis 13:16). The "fourth part of Israel" refers to that quarter of the camp that was closest to Balaam as he prophesied. He could not even count the quarter of the nation that was closest to him. This is another indication, besides the number of Israelite males counted in each tribe, that the population of Israel was great at this time.
"The account of Pharaoh"s first attempt [2] ( Exodus 1:11-14) is intended to show that "the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread" ( Exodus 1:12). In his first oracle Balaam focused precisely on this point: "How can I curse those whom God had not cursed?" ( Numbers 22[3]:8), and he concluded by stressing the phenomenal growth of God"s people: "Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel?" (22[4]:10)." [5]
Balak became disappointed and angry because he expected that Balaam would control the gods. Balaam acknowledged that the God of Israel controlled him. Balak concluded that the site was not conducive to his purpose, so he took Balaam to another place hoping that the spirits might be more favorable there.
This first oracle was not as specific as those that follow, but it did reveal that Yahweh was backing Israel rather than Moab. The fulfillment of the promise to multiply Abraham"s seed stands out in this oracle ( Numbers 23:10).