Numbers 23:4 (GNV)

Passage

And God met Balaam, and Balaam sayd vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and haue offred vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:2 And Balak did as Balaam sayd, and Balak and Balaam offred on euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Numbers 23:3 Then Balaam sayde vnto Balak, Stande by the burnt offring, and I will goe, if so be that the Lord will come and meete me: and whatsoeuer he sheweth me, I will tell thee: so he went forth alone.

Numbers 23:4 And God met Balaam, and Balaam sayd vnto him, I haue prepared seuen altars, and haue offred vpon euery altar a bullocke and a ramme.

Numbers 23:5 And the Lord put an answere in Balaams mouth, and sayde, Go againe to Balak, and say on this wise.

Numbers 23:6 So when he returned vnto him, loe, hee stoode by his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "balaam", "sayd", "vnto", "haue", "prepared", "seuen", and "altars". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "balaam" and "sayd", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Then Balaam sayde vnto Balak Stande by..." into verse 5's "And the Lord put an answere in...", so "balaam" and "sayd" 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 "sayd" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.