Numbers 23:17 (YLT)

Passage

And he cometh unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him, and Balak saith to him: `What hath Jehovah spoken?'

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:15 And he saith unto Balak, `Station thyself here by thy burnt-offering, and I--I meet <FI>Him<Fi> there;'

Numbers 23:16 and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam, and setteth a word in his mouth, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

Numbers 23:17 And he cometh unto him, and lo, he is standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him, and Balak saith to him: `What hath Jehovah spoken?'

Numbers 23:18 And he taketh up his simile, and saith: `Rise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!

Numbers 23:19 God <FI>is<Fi> not a man--and lieth, And a son of man--and repenteth! Hath He said--and doth He not do <FI>it<Fi> ? And spoken--and doth He not confirm it?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cometh", "standing", "burnt-offering", "princes", "moab", "balak", "saith", and "hath". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cometh" and "standing", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "and Jehovah cometh unto Balaam and setteth..." into verse 18's "And he taketh up his simile and...", so "cometh" and "standing" 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 "cometh" and "standing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.