Numbers 24:2
in Numbers 24When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
KJV
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
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This verse in Numbers 24
Commentary
7 notes on this verseIt is said, then, that the Spirit of God was upon him, not as if it had begun to inspire him at that particular moment when he cast his eyes upon the camp of Israel; but because it prompted him to look in that direction, in order that the impulse of prophecy might be stronger in him, as respecting a thing actually before his eyes.
This site's exposition
he set his face toward the wilderness
on Numbers 24:1-2
Twice before this Balaam went aside to meet omens, at 23:3 and 23:15, and the men who fetched him carried the rewards of divination at 22:7. Here he stops, because 23:23 had already told him there is no enchantment against Jacob. What he sees when he turns is the camp lying tribe by tribe in the order set at Numbers 2, and the text then says the spirit of God came upon him. Matthew Henry sets that beside 1 Samuel 19:23, where the same words fall on Saul while Saul is hunting David.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Nothing recommends religion more to the good opinion of those that look upon it at a distance than the unity and harmony of its professors, Ps. cxxxiii. The amiableness of this people, and the great reputation they should gain among their neighbours, are compared (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And Balaam lifted up his eyes,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes--that is, in the orderly distribution of the camp (Nu 2:1-34). the spirit of God came upon him--Before the regular ministry of the prophets was instituted, God made use of various persons as the instruments through whom He revealed His will, and Balaam was one of these (De 23:5).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The Spirit of God came upon him - This Divine afflatus he had not expected on the present occasion, but God had not yet declared the whole of his will.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Balaam gazed over the camp of Israel that stretched before him, and allowed the spectacle to work its own influence upon him.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשָּׂ֨א | vaiyisa' | and he lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| בִלְעָ֜ם | vilam | Balaam | H1109 → | 61 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵינָ֗יו | ʾeinav | eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וַיַּרְא֙ | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| שֹׁכֵ֖ן | shokhen | dwelling | H7931 → | 129 times |
| לִשְׁבָטָ֑יו | lishvatav | to tribes its | H7626 → | 190 times |
| וַתְּהִ֥י | vatehi | and it came | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| ר֥וּחַ | ruach | [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
וַיִּשָּׂ֨אand he lifted up
vaiyisa'H5375 →656 times
בִלְעָ֜םBalaam
vilamH1109 →61 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵינָ֗יוeyes his
ʾeinavH5869 →887 times
וַיַּרְא֙and he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
שֹׁכֵ֖ןdwelling
shokhenH7931 →129 times
לִשְׁבָטָ֑יוto tribes its
lishvatavH7626 →190 times
וַתְּהִ֥יand it came
vatehiH1961 →3559 times
עָלָ֖יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
ר֥וּחַ[the] spirit of
ruachH7307 →378 times
אֱלֹהִֽים׃God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 19:20he sent messengers to capture him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 10:5–6
After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 10:10
When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joel 2:28
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
- John 7:32
When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.
- 1 Corinthians 14:24–25
But if an unbeliever or uninstructed person comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convicted and called to account by all,
- 1 Samuel 10:5–6
Through
1 Samuel 19:23So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Proverbs 16:9
Through
2 Chronicles 15:1Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 20:14
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants, as he stood in the…
- 2 Chronicles 24:20
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments…
- 2 Chronicles 20:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.