Numbers 23:3 (DBY)

Passage

And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatever he shews me I will tell thee. And he went to a hill.

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:1 And Balaam said to Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.

Numbers 23:2 And Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered up a bullock and a ram on [each] altar.

Numbers 23:3 And Balaam said to Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; perhaps Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatever he shews me I will tell thee. And he went to a hill.

Numbers 23:4 And God met Balaam; and [Balaam] said to him, I have disposed seven altars, and have offered up a bullock and a ram upon [each] altar.

Numbers 23:5 And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "balaam", "said", "balak", "stand", "burnt-offering", "perhaps", "jehovah", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "balaam" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "And Balak did as Balaam had said..." into verse 4's "And God met Balaam and Balaam said...", so "balaam" and "said" belong inside that flow. In Numbers context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "balaam" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.