the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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New King James Version
Numbers 24:1
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And Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, so he did not go as at other times to encounter omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lorde that he should blesse Israel, he went not as he dyd twise before to meete a soothsaying: but set his face towarde the wyldernesse.
Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, so he did not try to change that by using any kind of magic. But Balaam turned and looked toward the desert.
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.
When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn't go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam sawe that it pleased the Lord to blesse Israel, hee went not, as at other times to seeke for inchantments, but hee set his face toward the wildernesse.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Now whan Balaam sawe yt it pleased the LORDE, that he shulde blesse Israel, he wente not (as he dyd before) to seke witches, but set his face straight towarde the wyldernesse,
By now Balaam realized that God wanted to bless Israel. So he didn't work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the wilderness. As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him, and he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision; Decree of a man who hears God speak, who sees what The Strong God shows him, Who falls on his face in worship, who sees what's really going on. What beautiful tents, Jacob, oh, your homes, Israel! Like valleys stretching out in the distance, like gardens planted by rivers, Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener God , like red cedars by pools and springs, Their buckets will brim with water, their seed will spread life everywhere. Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk, their kingdom surpassingly majestic. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox, Gulping enemies like morsels of meat, crushing their bones, snapping their arrows. Israel crouches like a lion and naps, king-of-the-beasts—who dares disturb him? Whoever blesses you is blessed, whoever curses you is cursed. Balak lost his temper with Balaam. He shook his fist. He said to Balaam: "I got you in here to curse my enemies and what have you done? Blessed them! Blessed them three times! Get out of here! Go home! I told you I would pay you well, but you're getting nothing. You can blame God ." Balaam said to Balak, "Didn't I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn't do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against God 's command'? I'm leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come." Then he spoke his oracle-message: Decree of Balaam son of Beor, decree of the man with 20/20 vision, Decree of the man who hears godly speech, who knows what's going on with the High God, Who sees what The Strong God reveals, who bows in worship and sees what's real. I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob a scepter from Israel, Crushing the heads of Moab, the skulls of all the noisy windbags; I see Edom sold off at auction, enemy Seir marked down at the flea market, while Israel walks off with the trophies. A ruler is coming from Jacob who'll destroy what's left in the city. Then Balaam spotted Amalek and delivered an oracle-message. He said, Amalek, you're in first place among nations right now, but you're going to come in last, ruined. He saw the Kenites and delivered his oracle-message to them: Your home is in a nice secure place, like a nest high on the face of a cliff. Still, you Kenites will look stupid when Asshur takes you prisoner. Balaam spoke his final oracle-message: Doom! Who stands a chance when God starts in? Sea-Peoples, raiders from across the sea, will harass Asshur and Eber, But they'll also come to nothing, just like all the rest. Balaam got up and went home. Balak also went on his way.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Now when Balaam saw that it was the Lord's pleasure to give his blessing to Israel, he did not, as at other times, make use of secret arts, but turning his face to the waste land,
And when Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he did not go, as at the other times, to use magic, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
When 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.
Balaam was sure that the Lord would tell him to bless Israel again. So he did not use any magic to find out what the Lord wanted him to do, as he had the first two times. Instead, he looked out toward the desert
When Bil‘am saw that it pleased Adonai to bless Isra'el, he didn't go, as at the other times, to make use of divination, but looked out toward the desert.
And Balaam saw that it was good in the sight of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to blesse Israel, then he went not, as certaine times before, to set diuinations, but set his face toward the wildernesse.
AND when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to seek divination; but set his face toward the wilderness.
By now Balaam knew that the Lord wanted him to bless the people of Israel, so he did not go to look for omens, as he had done before. He turned toward the desert
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as he had done each time before [superstitiously] to seek omens and signs [in the natural world], but he set his face toward the wilderness (desert).
When Bil`am saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Yisra'el, he didn't go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness,
Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to speak good of Israel. So he did not go, as at other times, and look for special things to see. Instead he looked toward the desert.
Now Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he did not go according to his custom to meet the omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.
And when Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, he went not as at other times to invoke enchantments, - but set towards the desert, his face.
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel, he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert,
And Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, and he did not go as other times to seek out sorcery; instead, he set his face toward the desert.
And Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, and he did not go, as at other times to seek spells. And he set his face toward the wilderness.
When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens, rather he turned his attention toward the wilderness.
Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, so he did not try to use any magic but looked toward the desert.
Since Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned toward the wilderness.
And whanne Balaam siy that it pleside the Lord that he schulde blesse Israel, he yede not as he `hadde go bifore, `that he schulde seke fals dyuynyng `bi chiteryng of briddis, but he dresside his face ayens the desert,
And Balaam seeth that [it is] good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face;
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
saw: Numbers 22:13, Numbers 23:20, Numbers 31:16, 1 Samuel 24:20, 1 Samuel 26:2, 1 Samuel 26:25, Revelation 2:14
at other times: Numbers 23:3, Numbers 23:15
to seek for enchantments: Heb. to the meeting of enchantments, Numbers 23:23
Reciprocal: Genesis 19:37 - Moabites Genesis 31:21 - set his Numbers 3:17 - Gershon Numbers 23:16 - General Joshua 13:22 - Balaam Isaiah 19:25 - the Lord
Cross-References
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. [fn]
Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;
The LORD has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.
By the God of your father who will help you, And by the Almighty who will bless you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that lies beneath, Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And when Balsam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,.... That it was good in his sight, what he approved of, and was well-pleasing to him, and that it was his determined mind that Israel should be blessed, and not cursed, from which there was no turning him, by offering sacrifices to him, and much less by his sorceries and divinations:
he went not as at other times; or, "as at a time in a time" q, at two times, of which see Numbers 23:3, he abode in the place where the sacrifices were offered, and did not depart to another at some distance, as he had twice before done:
to seek for enchantments; which it seems he used before, for he not only offered sacrifices to the true God, which yet were attended with superstitious rites, but he made use of his divining art also; and not only went to meet with God, and hear what he would say to him, but consulted the devil also, being willing to have two strings to his bow, and that, if possible, he might carry his point, and get what his covetous and ambitious mind was desirous of: the words may be literally rendered, "to meet enchantments" r; but what should be meant by the phrase is not easy to say; I should rather choose to render them, "to meet serpents", and make use of them in his divinations, make observations on them, and predictions from them: one sort of divination is called "ophiomancy", or divining by serpents; so Calchas, on seeing a serpent devour eight sparrows with their dam, foretold the duration of the siege of Troy s:
but he set his face towards the wilderness: where the people of Israel lay encamped, not with an intention to bless them, though he saw it pleased the Lord, but to take an opportunity, if he could, without his leave, to curse them; and therefore he did not go out as he did before, to know his will, but stood by the sacrifice, with his face to the wilderness, where the people were, to take any advantage that offered.
q כפעם בפעם "sicut vice in vice", Montanus, Vatablus. r לקראת נחשים "in occursum auguriorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus. s Homer. Iliad. 2. see more instances in Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 1. c. 3. col. 21, 22.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER XXIV
Balaam, finding that God was determined to bless Israel, seeks
no longer for enchantments, 1.
The Spirit of God coming upon him, he delivers a most important
prophetic parable, 2-9.
Balak's anger is kindled against him, and he commands him to
depart to his own country, 10,11.
Balaam vindicates his conduct, 12, 13;
and delivers a prophecy relative to the future destruction of
Moab by the Israelites, 14-17;
also of Edom, 18, 19;
of the Amalekites, 20;
and of the Kenites, 21, 22.
Predicts also the destruction of Asshur and Eber, by the naval
power of Chittim, which should afterwards be itself destroyed,
23, 24.
Balaam and Balak separate, 25.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXIV
Verse Numbers 24:1. He went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments — We have already had occasion to observe that the proper meaning of the word נחש nachash is not easily ascertained; see Numbers 21:9, and see on Genesis 3:1. Here the plural נחשים nechashim is rendered enchantments; but it probably means no more than the knowledge of future events. When Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he therefore thought it unnecessary to apply for any farther prophetic declarations of God's will as he had done before, for he could safely infer every good to this people, from the evident disposition of God towards them.
