Numbers 23:3 (DRB)

Passage

And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee.

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:1 And Balaam said to Balac: Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams.

Numbers 23:2 And when he had done according to the word of Balaam, they laid together a calf and a ram upon every altar.

Numbers 23:3 And Balaam said to Balac: Stand a while by thy burnt offering, until I go, to see if perhaps the Lord will meet me, and whatsoever he shall command, I will speak to thee.

Numbers 23:4 And when he was gone with speed, God met him. And Balaam speaking to him, said: I have erected seven altars, and have laid on everyone a calf and a ram.

Numbers 23:5 And the Lord put the word in his mouth, and said: Return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "balaam", "said", "balac", "stand", "burnt", "offering", "until", and "perhaps". 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 when he had done according to..." into verse 4's "And when he was gone with speed...", 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.