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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Numbers 23:4–9

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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6 selected · 4 available

Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

25 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 4

  1. Numbers 23:16Rank 1 from verse 4
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    16And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

  2. Ephesians 2:9Rank 2 from verse 4
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    9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

  3. Luke 18:12Rank 3 from verse 4
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    12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

  4. Isaiah 58:3–4Rank 4 from verse 4
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    3¶ Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

    4Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

  5. John 16:2Rank 5 from verse 4
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    2They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

From verse 5

  1. Deuteronomy 18:18Rank 1 from verse 5
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    18I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

  2. Jeremiah 1:9Rank 2 from verse 5
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    9Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

  3. Isaiah 51:16Rank 3 from verse 5
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    16And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

  4. Isaiah 59:21Rank 4 from verse 5
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    21As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

  5. Numbers 23:16Rank 5 from verse 5
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    16And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

From verse 7

  1. Deuteronomy 23:4Rank 1 from verse 7
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    4Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

  2. Numbers 22:5–6Rank 2 from verse 7
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    5He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

    6Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.

  3. Numbers 23:18Rank 3 from verse 7
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    18And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:

  4. Numbers 24:3Rank 4 from verse 7
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    3And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

  5. Job 29:1Rank 5 from verse 7
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    1MOREOVER Job continued his parable, and said,

From verse 8

  1. Numbers 23:23Rank 1 from verse 8
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    23Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

  2. Isaiah 44:25Rank 2 from verse 8
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    25That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

  3. Numbers 23:20Rank 3 from verse 8
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    20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

  4. Numbers 22:12Rank 4 from verse 8
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    12And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

  5. Isaiah 47:12–13Rank 5 from verse 8
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    12Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

    13Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

From verse 9

  1. Deuteronomy 33:28Rank 1 from verse 9
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    28Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

  2. Deuteronomy 32:8Rank 2 from verse 9
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    8When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

  3. Exodus 33:16Rank 3 from verse 9
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    16For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

  4. Esther 3:8Rank 4 from verse 9
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    8¶ And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.

  5. Ezra 9:2Rank 5 from verse 9
    Open

    2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Numbers 23:4

COMBINED MEANING

offered

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of offer, meaning to present, bring, give, propose, or attempt.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

upon

↗

1. Marks the person, place, thing, or basis to which something is related: on or onto; above or over; toward or against as the target of action, speech, thought, attention, or force; resting on, assigned to, or affecting as a state, gift, burden, duty, guilt, or judgment; supported by or based on; or one placed, added, or repeated on or after another. 2. With a stated time or occasion, or a preceding event, at that time or point, or at or after that event: on, at, when, then, or following it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

every

↗

Each individual or member of the class, group, place, time, side, or kind named; all distributively.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Numbers 23:5

COMBINED MEANING

put

↗

To place, set, lay, appoint, bring into a condition, or cause to be.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

word

↗

Sense 1: A spoken or written expression, saying, message, command, promise, report, or matter. Sense 2: God's revealed word.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

mouth

↗

Sense 1: The bodily opening used for eating, breathing, and speaking. Sense 2: The opening or entrance of a thing. Sense 3: Speech, utterance, or the agency of speaking.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

return

↗

Sense 1: To go, come, send, or give back; to restore, answer, or turn again. Sense 2: The act or time of coming back or recurring.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

speak

↗

Sense 1: To utter words or articulate sounds, or to use a language. Sense 2: To address or converse with someone. Sense 3: To state, declare, make mention of, or otherwise make a matter known.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Numbers 23:6

COMBINED MEANING

returned

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of return, meaning to go, come, send, or give back; to restore, answer, or turn again.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

lo

↗

An exclamation meaning look, see, behold, observe, or take notice, used to call immediate attention to what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sacrifice

↗

Sense 1: An offering presented to God or to a false god, or the thing so offered. Sense 2: To present, slay, or consume something as such an offering.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Cawdrey 1604 · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Numbers 23:7

COMBINED MEANING

parable

↗

A figurative saying, comparison, or narrative that sets one matter beside another to convey meaning.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

king

↗

A sovereign ruler; one exercising royal authority over a kingdom.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

out

↗

Outside, away from within, forth, absent, or no longer in a stated condition.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

east

↗

The direction of sunrise; lands or regions toward that direction.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

curse

↗

Sense 1: A pronouncement, sentence, or imposed condition of evil, loss, or judgment; an oath invoking such a penalty. Sense 2: As a verb, to pronounce judgment or evil upon, condemn, or revile.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

defy

↗

To dare; to provoke to combat or strife, by appealing to the courage of another; to invite one to contest; to challenge.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

Israel

↗

The name given to Jacob and, by extension, his descendants, their nation, or the people so called.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Numbers 23:8

COMBINED MEANING

shall

↗

An auxiliary verb expressing future action, intention, promise, command, requirement, or determination.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

curse

↗

Sense 1: A pronouncement, sentence, or imposed condition of evil, loss, or judgment; an oath invoking such a penalty. Sense 2: As a verb, to pronounce judgment or evil upon, condemn, or revile.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

whom

↗

The objective form of who, referring to the person or persons acted upon or related to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

defy

↗

To dare; to provoke to combat or strife, by appealing to the courage of another; to invite one to contest; to challenge.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

defied

↗

Past-tense or past-participial form of defy (to dare; to provoke to combat or strife, by appealing to the courage of another; to invite one to contest; to challenge).

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Numbers 23:9

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

see

↗

Sense 1: To perceive or behold with the eyes or in a vision. Sense 2: To observe, examine, discover, ascertain, consider, understand, know, or recognize. Sense 3: To visit, meet, converse with, or be in the presence of. Sense 4: To experience, undergo, endure, or enjoy. Sense 5: To attend to, take care, ensure, or beware.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

behold

↗

1. Used as an attention word or command directing someone to look at or take notice of the person, thing, statement, or event presented: look; see; take notice. 2. As a verb, to look upon, see, observe, or witness.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

lo

↗

An exclamation meaning look, see, behold, observe, or take notice, used to call immediate attention to what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

people

↗

Persons collectively; a nation, community, or group considered as a body.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

shall

↗

An auxiliary verb expressing future action, intention, promise, command, requirement, or determination.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

alone

↗

1. Without others, company, or help; by oneself. 2. Only or solely. 3. In "let ... alone," to leave undisturbed or refrain from interfering with.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

reckoned

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of reckon, meaning to count, calculate, consider, regard, or place to an account.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

nations

↗

Sense 1: Distinct peoples or political communities. Sense 2: The Gentile peoples as distinguished from Israel.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

READ THE PASSAGE

View in context

Suggested context · Numbers 23:1–10

The selected passage is highlighted. Context is a study aid.

23:1AND Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.

23:2And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

23:3And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.

23:4And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.

Selected passage

23:5And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

Selected passage

23:6And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.

Selected passage

23:7And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

Selected passage

23:8How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

Selected passage

23:9For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Selected passage

23:10Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!

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