Balaam gives his third and fourth oracles

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Balaam gives his third and fourth oracles

Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.

A divine message communicated through a human mediator to one or more human recipients.

Lexham Bible Dictionary

The most advanced Bible Dictionary

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Dictionaries

The Lexham Bible Dictionary

Oracle

Oracle A divine message communicated through a human mediator to one or more human recipients.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary

Oracle

ORACLE. An oracle is information transmitted from the deity to human beings, usually either answers to important questions or revelations about future events. This entry consists of two articles, one surveying the use of the word “oracle” (Heb maśśāʾ) in the OT, and the other surveying oracles as

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible

Oracle

Oracle. Divine revelation communicated through God’s spokesperson (prophet, priest, or king), usually pronouncing blessing, instruction or judgment. Contrary to Balak’s request for Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam spoke an oracle of blessing instead (Nm 24:3–16). God instructed Moses through “living oracles” (Acts

Tyndale Bible Dictionary

Oracle

ORACLE Divine revelation communicated through God’s spokesperson (prophet, priest, or king), usually pronouncing blessing, instruction, or judgment. Contrary to Balak’s request for Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam spoke an oracle of blessing (Nm 24:3–16). God instructed Moses through “living oracles” (Acts

The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated)

Oracle

oracle1 A message from God delivered through a prophet. This is the primary way in which the word “oracle” (Heb. massa’) is used in the Bible. The word derives from a Hebrew word for “burden,” implying that it is something placed by God upon the prophet that the prophet must “unload.” The divine inspiration

The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia

Oracle

ORACLE. In itself an oracle was a divine message, often given to man through a prophet as an answer to man’s request. The Heb. word n˒um, literally, “the utterance, declaration of,” is employed hundreds of times to designate such messages (e.g., Gen 22:16; Isa 14:22; 49:18; 54:17; 56:8). In 2 Sam 16:23

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition

Oracle

ORACLE. The translation ‘oracle’ occurs 17 times in the av of the OT. Sixteen times it is the consistent mistranslation of the Heb. d^eḇîr, used exclusively of the inner shrine of Solomon’s *Temple. The faulty derivation from dibber, ‘speak’, rather than from dāḇar in the sense of ‘to be behind’ stems

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible

Oracle

OracleA message from God to an individual or group of people, usually delivered by a prophet. Heb. makkāʾ, in its basic meaning “burden,” frequently refers to the prophetic communication from God to humankind (cf. the double usage in Jer. 23:33–40). When associated with prophetic speech, makkāʾ usually,

Eerdmans Bible Dictionary

Oracle

Oracle (Heb. maśśā˒ “burden,” n^e˒um “utterance”; Gk. lógion “word”). A communication from a deity. Heb. n^e˒um is the most common term, designating the actual words of the divine speech (e.g., Num. 24:3–4, 15–16; 2 Sam. 23:1; KJV “[hath] said”) or the act of speaking prophetically (Jer. 23:31;

The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary

Oracle

ORACLE (Heb. dbı̂r, from dābar, to “speak”; Gk. logion, “utterance” of God). The divine communications given to the Hebrews. The manner of such utterances was various: God speaking sometimes face to face, as with Abraham and Moses; sometimes by dreams and visions, as with Joseph and Pharaoh; sometimes

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Oracle

Oracle—In the Old Testament used in every case, except 2 Sam. 16:23, to denote the most holy place in the temple (1 Kings 6:5, 19–23; 8:6). In 2 Sam. 16:23 it means the Word of God. A man inquired “at the oracle of God” by means of the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate on the high priest’s ephod. In

Harper’s Bible Dictionary

Oracle

Oracleoracle, a message from a god, usually in response to an inquiry; also the sacred precincts whose powers made it possible for the oracle-prophet to consult the god. The Greco-Roman world knew three types of oracles: the oracle obtained through the casting of lots; the dream oracle obtained by

Key passages

Nu 23:27–24:25

Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please, come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will be acceptable to God, and you will curse for me from there.” So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks down on the face of the Jeshimon. And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me these …

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