Numbers 22:40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him.

◄ Numbers 22:40 ►

New International Version
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the officials who were with him.

New Living Translation
where the king sacrificed cattle and sheep. He sent portions of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.

English Standard Version
And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.

Berean Standard Bible
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him.

King James Bible
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

New King James Version
Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

New American Standard Bible
Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

NASB 1995
Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

NASB 1977
And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

Amplified Bible
Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and to the leaders who were with him.

Christian Standard Bible
Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him.

American Standard Version
And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

Contemporary English Version
where Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the officials who were with him.

English Revised Version
And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats, and sent some of the meat to Balaam and the princes who were with him.

Good News Translation
where Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep and gave some of the meat to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

International Standard Version
where he sacrificed oxen and sheep.

Majority Standard Bible
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him.

NET Bible
And Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep, and sent some to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.

New Heart English Bible
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

World English Bible
Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and Balak sacrifices oxen and sheep, and sends [some] to Balaam and to the princes who [are] with him;

Young's Literal Translation
and Balak sacrificeth oxen and sheep, and sendeth to Balaam, and to the princes who are with him;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Balak will sacrifice oxen and sheep, and he will send to Balaam and to the leaders which were with him.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Balac had killed oxen and sheep, he sent presents to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And after Balak had killed oxen and sheep, he sent the gifts to Balaam, and to the leaders who were with him.

New American Bible
Here Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent portions to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

New Revised Standard Version
Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent them to Balaam and to the officials who were with him.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And Balak slaughtered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Balaq slaughtered bulls and sheep and he sent to Balaam and to the Princes of his people.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Balac offered sheep and calves, and sent to Balaam and to his princes who were with him.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Angel and Balaam's Donkey
…39So Balaam accompanied Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and he gave portions to Balaam and the princes who were with him. 41The next morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see the outskirts of the camp of the people.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Genesis 31:54
Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

1 Samuel 9:12-13
“Yes, he is ahead of you,” they answered. “Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place. / As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.”

1 Kings 1:9
And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah who were servants of the king.

2 Kings 6:23
So the king prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. And the Aramean raiders did not come into the land of Israel again.

2 Chronicles 18:2
And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to march up to Ramoth-gilead.

Proverbs 15:17
Better a dish of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred.

Isaiah 22:13
But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Jeremiah 51:39
While they are flushed with heat, I will serve them a feast, and I will make them drunk so that they may revel; then they will fall asleep forever and never wake up, declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 39:17-20
And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. / You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls—all the fattened animals of Bashan. / At the sacrifice I am preparing, you will eat fat until you are gorged and drink blood until you are drunk. ...

Daniel 5:1
Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.

Matthew 22:4
Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

Luke 14:16-17
But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests. / When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

Luke 15:23
Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.

John 2:1-2
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, / and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

John 12:2
So they hosted a dinner for Jesus there. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.

Treasury of Scripture

And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

Numbers 23:2,14,30
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram…

Genesis 31:54
Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

Proverbs 1:16
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

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Numbers 22

1. Balak's first message for Balaam is refused
15. His second message obtains him
22. An angel would have slain him, if he had not been saved by his donkey
36. Balak entertains him

Berean Study Bible

Balak
The name "Balak" is derived from the Hebrew root "בָּלַק" (balak), meaning "devastator" or "waster." Balak was the king of Moab, a nation often in conflict with Israel. His actions in this narrative reflect the fear and desperation of a leader who sees the Israelites as a formidable threat. Historically, the Moabites were descendants of Lot, and their interactions with Israel were marked by both kinship and enmity. Balak's role in this account sets the stage for a confrontation between the divine will of God and human attempts to manipulate spiritual powers.

sacrificed cattle and sheep
The act of sacrificing animals was a common religious practice in the ancient Near East, intended to appease deities or seek their favor. The Hebrew word for "sacrificed" is "זָבַח" (zabach), which implies a ritualistic offering. Cattle and sheep were valuable assets, indicating Balak's willingness to invest significantly in his attempt to secure Balaam's services. This act underscores the seriousness with which Balak approached the situation, highlighting the cultural and religious importance of sacrifices as a means of communication with the divine.

gave some to Balaam
Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, is a complex figure in the biblical narrative. His name, "בִּלְעָם" (Balaam), can mean "not of the people" or "devourer of the people," reflecting his ambiguous role. By giving portions of the sacrifice to Balaam, Balak was not only honoring him but also attempting to secure his favor and cooperation. This gesture illustrates the ancient custom of sharing sacrificial meals as a sign of alliance and mutual obligation. It also raises questions about Balaam's motivations and the potential for compromise in his prophetic mission.

and the princes who were with him
The "princes" refer to the Moabite and Midianite leaders accompanying Balaam. The Hebrew term "שָׂרִים" (sarim) denotes officials or leaders, emphasizing the political and diplomatic nature of this encounter. By including the princes in the sacrificial meal, Balak was reinforcing alliances and ensuring that all parties were invested in the outcome. This detail highlights the collective effort to influence Balaam and the broader implications of his prophecy for the surrounding nations.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(40) And Balak offered . . . --Better, and Balak slew (or, slaughtered in sacrifice), &c. The word rendered offered does not necessarily denote anything more than to slay. It is very commonly used, however, to denote slaying in sacrifice; and it is most probable that Balak made a sacrificial feast, and sent portions of the flesh to Balaam and the princes who were with him. Kings not unfrequently acted as priests of old, as, e.g., Melchizedek. (Comp. Rex Anius, rex idem hominum Phoebique sacerdos, Aen. 3:80.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 40. - Balak offered oxen and sheep. Probably these sacrifices were offered not to Chemosh, but to the Lord, in whose name Balaam always spoke. Indeed the known fact that Beldam was a prophet of the Lord was no doubt one of Balak's chief reasons for wishing to obtain his services. Balak shared the common opinion of antiquity, that the various national deities were enabled by circumstances past human understanding to do sometimes more, sometimes less, for their special votaries. He perceived that the God of Israel was likely, as things stood, to carry all before him; but he thought that he might by judicious management be won over, at least to some extent, to desert the cause of Israel and to favour that of Moab. To this end he "retained" at great cost the services of Balaam, the prophet of the Lord, and to this end he was willing to offer any number of sacrifices. Even the resolute and self-reliant Romans believed in the wisdom of such a policy. Thus Pliny quotes ancient authors as affirming "in oppugnationibus ante omnia solitum a Romanis sacrdotibus evocari Deum, cujus in tutela id oppidum esset, promittique illi eundem aut ampliorem apud Romanos cultum," and he adds, "durat in Pontificum disciplina id sacrum, constatque ideo occultatum, in cujus Dei tutela Roma esset, ne qui hostium simili modo agerent." And sent, i.e., portions of the sacrificial meats.

CHAPTER 22:41; 23, 24

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Balak
בָּלָ֖ק (bā·lāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1111: Balak -- 'devastator', a Moabite king

sacrificed
וַיִּזְבַּ֥ח (way·yiz·baḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

cattle
בָּקָ֣ר (bā·qār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1241: Beef cattle, ox, a herd

and sheep,
וָצֹ֑אן (wā·ṣōn)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

and he gave [portions]
וַיְשַׁלַּ֣ח (way·šal·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

to Balaam
לְבִלְעָ֔ם (lə·ḇil·‘ām)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1109: Balaam -- a prophet

and the princes
וְלַשָּׂרִ֖ים (wə·laś·śā·rîm)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

who
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

were with him.
אִתּֽוֹ׃ (’it·tōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

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OT Law: Numbers 22:40 Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep and sent (Nu Num.)