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:
• 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,
• New Living Translation (NLT)and this is the message he delivered: “This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,

Context of Numbers 24:3

1Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. 2When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him and he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly, 4the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: 5“How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, 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 12:6he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams.
• Genesis 15:12As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.
• Psalms 89:19Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have raised up a young man from among the people.
• Daniel 8:26“The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
• Acts 10:10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
• Acts 22:17“When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
• 2 Corinthians 12:1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, 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 road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
• 1 Samuel 19:24He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel’s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
• Ezekiel 1:28Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
• Daniel 8:17As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
• Daniel 10:15While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless.
• Revelation 1:10On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and 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