Numbers 23:2
New International Version
Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

New Living Translation
Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.

English Standard Version
Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

Berean Standard Bible
So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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

New King James Version
And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

New American Standard Bible
Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

NASB 1995
Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

NASB 1977
And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

Amplified Bible
Balak did just as Balaam had said, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Christian Standard Bible
So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

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

Contemporary English Version
After Balak had done this, they sacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Balak did what Balaam told him, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Good News Translation
Balak did as he was told, and he and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

International Standard Version
So Balak did just as Balaam instructed. Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Majority Standard Bible
So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

NET Bible
So Balak did just as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam then offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

New Heart English Bible
Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

World English Bible
Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Balak does as Balaam has spoken, and Balak—Balaam also—offers a bullock and a ram on the altar,

Young's Literal Translation
And Balak doth as Balaam hath spoken, and Balak -- Balaam also -- offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Balak will do as Balsam spake, and Balak will bring up, and Balaam, a bullock and a ram upon the altar.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he had done according to the word of Balaam, they laid together a calf and a ram upon every altar.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when he had acted according to the words of Balaam, they placed a calf and a ram together on each altar.

New American Bible
So Balak did as Balaam had ordered, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

New Revised Standard Version
Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Balak did as Balaam had told him; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Balaq did as Balaam said to him and Balaam and Balaq offered up bulls and rams on the altar.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Balac did as Balaam told him; and he offered up a calf and a ram on every altar.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Balaam's First Oracle
1Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” 2So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3“Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,…

Cross References
Numbers 22:41
The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.

Numbers 24:1
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not seek omens as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.

1 Kings 18:29-39
Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention. / Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. / And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.” ...

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Isaiah 1:11
“What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? / Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? / He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm 51:16-17
For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. / The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Jeremiah 7:21-23
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! / For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, / but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

Amos 5:21-24
“I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. / Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. / Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. ...

Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 12:7
If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Hebrews 10:4-10
because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. / Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. / In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight. ...

Mark 12:33
and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.


Treasury of Scripture

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

offered

Numbers 23:14,30
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…

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Numbers 23
1. Balak's sacrifices














So Balak did as Balaam had instructed
Balak, the king of Moab, follows the instructions of Balaam, a prophet known for his ability to bless and curse. This obedience highlights Balak's desperation to curse the Israelites, who were encamped on the plains of Moab. The narrative underscores the tension between divine will and human attempts to manipulate it. Balak's compliance also reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of seeking divine favor through intermediaries like Balaam.

and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar
The offering of a bull and a ram on each altar is significant in the context of ancient sacrificial practices. Bulls and rams were considered valuable sacrifices, often associated with atonement and seeking favor from deities. This act of sacrifice is intended to invoke a divine response, aligning with the cultural understanding of appeasing gods through offerings. The use of multiple altars suggests an attempt to ensure the effectiveness of the ritual, emphasizing the seriousness of Balak's request. This scene also foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who fulfills and surpasses the Old Testament sacrificial system, offering Himself as the perfect atonement for sin.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Balak
The king of Moab who is fearful of the Israelites and seeks to curse them through Balaam.

2. Balaam
A non-Israelite prophet or diviner hired by Balak to curse the Israelites, known for his interactions with God.

3. Moab
The region ruled by Balak, located east of the Dead Sea, often in conflict with Israel.

4. Altars
Structures built for the purpose of offering sacrifices, in this case, seven altars were constructed.

5. Sacrifices
The offering of a bull and a ram on each altar, a common practice in ancient Near Eastern religious rituals.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Human Plans
Despite Balak's intentions, God’s will prevails. This teaches us to trust in God's ultimate control over our lives and circumstances.

The Futility of Opposing God's People
Balak's efforts to curse Israel are in vain, illustrating the futility of opposing God's chosen people. We should be encouraged that God protects His own.

The Importance of Obedience to God
Balaam's account is a cautionary tale about the dangers of disobedience and greed. We must prioritize obedience to God over personal gain.

The Role of Sacrifices in Worship
The sacrifices offered by Balak and Balaam highlight the ancient practice of seeking divine favor. In the New Covenant, we are reminded that Christ is our ultimate sacrifice.

God's Faithfulness to His Promises
The account underscores God's faithfulness to His promises to Israel, encouraging us to rely on His promises in our own lives.(2) And Balak and Balaam offered.--It is more probable that Balak, as a king, performed priestly functions than that Balaam performed them alone. (See Note on Numbers 22:40.)



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Balak
בָּלָ֔ק (bā·lāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1111: Balak -- 'devastator', a Moabite king

did
וַיַּ֣עַשׂ (way·ya·‘aś)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

as
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Balaam
בִּלְעָ֑ם (bil·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1109: Balaam -- a prophet

had directed,
דִּבֶּ֣ר (dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

and Balak
בָּלָ֧ק (bā·lāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1111: Balak -- 'devastator', a Moabite king

and Balaam
וּבִלְעָ֛ם (ū·ḇil·‘ām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1109: Balaam -- a prophet

offered
וַיַּ֨עַל (way·ya·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

a bull
פָּ֥ר (pār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6499: Young bull, steer

and a ram
וָאַ֖יִל (wā·’a·yil)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 352: Strength, strong, a chief, a ram, a pilaster, an oak, strong tree

on each altar.
בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ (bam·miz·bê·aḥ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar


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OT Law: Numbers 23:2 Balak did as Balaam had spoken (Nu Num.)
Numbers 23:1
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