Numbers 23:3 (YLT)

Passage

and Balaam saith to Balak, `Station thyself by thy burnt-offering and I go on, it may be Jehovah doth come to meet me, and the thing which He sheweth me--I have declared to thee;' and he goeth <FI>to<Fi> a high place.

Nearby Context

Numbers 23:1 And Balaam saith unto Balak, `Build for me in this <FI>place<Fi> seven altars, and make ready for me in this <FI>place<Fi> seven bullocks and seven rams.'

Numbers 23:2 And Balak doth as Balaam hath spoken, and Balak--Balaam also--offereth a bullock and a ram on the altar,

Numbers 23:3 and Balaam saith to Balak, `Station thyself by thy burnt-offering and I go on, it may be Jehovah doth come to meet me, and the thing which He sheweth me--I have declared to thee;' and he goeth <FI>to<Fi> a high place.

Numbers 23:4 And God cometh unto Balaam, and he saith unto Him, `The seven altars I have arranged, and I offer a bullock and a ram on the altar;'

Numbers 23:5 and Jehovah putteth a word in the mouth of Balaam, and saith, `Turn back unto Balak, and thus thou dost speak.'

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "And Balak doth as Balaam hath spoken..." into verse 4's "And God cometh unto Balaam and he...", so "balaam" and "saith" 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 "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.