Numbers 22:31
in Numbers 22Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.
KJV
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
⋯
This verse in Numbers 22
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes
on Numbers 22:31-33
Both openings read opened, though the Hebrew uses one verb for a mouth and another for uncovering eyes. The seer needed his own eyes uncovered by God. He ends facedown before a figure his donkey had watched three times.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), and then he himself fell flat upon his face, in reverence of that glorious messenger, and in fear of the sword he saw in his hand. God has many ways of breading and bringing down the hard and unhumbled heart.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam,....
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְגַ֣ל | vaygal | and he uncovered | H1540 → | 186 times |
| יְהוָה֮ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵינֵ֣י | ʾeinei | [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| בִלְעָם֒ | vilam | Balaam | H1109 → | 61 times |
| וַיַּ֞רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַלְאַ֤ךְ | malakh | [the] angel of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| נִצָּ֣ב | nitzav | standing | H5324 → | 75 times |
| בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ | baderekh | in the road | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וְחַרְבּ֥וֹ | vecharbo | and sword his | H2719 → | 413 times |
| שְׁלֻפָ֖ה | shelufah | [was] drawn | H8025 → | |
| בְּיָד֑וֹ | beyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַיִּקֹּ֥ד | vaiyikod | and he bowed low | H6915 → | |
| וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ | vaiyishtachu | and he bowed down | H7812 → | |
| לְאַפָּֽיו׃ | leapav | to face his | H639 → | 276 times |
וַיְגַ֣לand he uncovered
vaygalH1540 →186 times
יְהוָה֮Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵינֵ֣י[the] eyes of
ʾeineiH5869 →887 times
בִלְעָם֒Balaam
vilamH1109 →61 times
וַיַּ֞רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַלְאַ֤ךְ[the] angel of
malakhH4397 →213 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
נִצָּ֣בstanding
nitzavH5324 →75 times
בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְin the road
baderekhH1870 →707 times
וְחַרְבּ֥וֹand sword his
vecharboH2719 →413 times
שְׁלֻפָ֖ה[was] drawn
shelufahH8025 →
בְּיָד֑וֹin hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
וַיִּקֹּ֥דand he bowed low
vaiyikodH6915 →
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּand he bowed down
vaiyishtachuH7812 →
לְאַפָּֽיו׃to face his
leapavH639 →276 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
Acts 26:18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Ephesians 1:18
I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,
- Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
- Acts 20:32
And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.
- Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
- 1 Peter 2:9
Through
Genesis 21:19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 6:17–20
Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and…
- Isaiah 35:5–6
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
- 2 Kings 6:17–20
Through
Luke 24:31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.
it leads to
- Luke 24:16
But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
- Luke 24:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
On this verse
On this chapter
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.