Numbers 24:3

Numbers 24:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
• New International Version (NIV)and he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,
• English Standard Version (ESV)and he took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he took up his oracle and said: “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

Context of Numbers 24:3

1When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to seek for omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. Then he uttered this oracle: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor; the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; 4the oracle of the one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, although falling flat on the ground with eyes open: 5‘How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, and your dwelling places, O Israel!

Numbers 24:3 word by word

וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he took upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: loudH5375
• his parableמָשָׁלmâshâl · proverbH4912
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Beorבְּעוֹרbe‛ôr · BeorH1160
• hath saidנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• and the manגָּבֶרgeber · great manH1397
• whose eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• are openשָׁתַםshâtham · to openH8365

Cross-references for Numbers 24:3

• Numbers 12:6The Lord said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream.
• Genesis 15:12When the sun went down, Abram fell sound asleep, and great terror overwhelmed him.
• Psalms 89:19Then you spoke through a vision to your faithful followers and said: “I have energized a warrior; I have raised up a young man from the people.
• Daniel 8:26The vision of the evenings and mornings that was told to you is correct. But you should seal up the vision, for it refers to a time many days from now.”
• Acts 10:10He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him.
• Acts 22:17When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance
• 2 Corinthians 12:1It is necessary to go on boasting. Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
• Numbers 22:31Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground.
• 1 Samuel 19:24He even stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel. He lay there naked all that day and night. (For that reason it is asked, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”)
• Ezekiel 1:28like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds after the rain. This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.
• Daniel 8:17So he approached the place where I was standing. As he came, I felt terrified and fell flat on the ground. Then he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision pertains to the time of the end.”
• Daniel 10:15While he was saying this to me, I was flat on the ground and unable to speak.
• Revelation 1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,

Commentaries on Numbers 24:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He took up his parable - His prophetic declaration couched in highly poetic terms, and in regular metre, as the preceding were. The man whose eyes are open - I believe the original שתם shethum, should be translated shut, not open; for in the next verse, where the opening of his eyes is mentioned, a widely different word is used, גלה galah, which signifies to open or reveal. At first the eyes of Balaam were shut, and so closely too that he could not see…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Whose eyes are open - i. e., opened in inward vision, to discern things that were hidden from ordinary beholders.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-9The third message describes God's plan to bless Israel again.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. the man whose eyes are open--that is, a seer (1Sa 9:9), a prophet, to whom the visioned future was disclosed--sometimes when falling into a sleep (Ge 15:12-15), frequently into "a trance."Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 24:3

• Balaam
• Prophets

In the dictionaries

• Balaam
• Advertise
• Beor
• Coast
• Rise
• Tabernacle
• Abel-Shittim
• Balak
• Charm
• Close

Commentaries on Numbers 24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings