Numbers 24:2
◄  Numbers 24:2  ►
New International Version (©2011)
When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him

New Living Translation (©2007)
where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,

English Standard Version (©2001)
And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him,

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him,

International Standard Version (©2012)
looked up, and saw Israel encamped in their respective tribal order. Just then, the spirit of God came upon him.

NET Bible (©2006)
When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
looked up, and saw Israel's camp grouped by tribes. The Spirit of God entered him,

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in its tents according to its tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

American King James Version
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came on him.

American Standard Version
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in their tents by their tribes: and the spirit of God rushing upon him,

Darby Bible Translation
And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling in tents according to his tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

English Revised Version
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.

Young's Literal Translation
and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him,

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

24:1-9 Now Balaam spake not his own sense, but the language of the Spirit that came upon him. Many have their eyes open who have not their hearts open; are enlightened, but not sanctified. That knowledge which puffs men up with pride, will but serve to light them to hell, whither many go with their eyes open. The blessing is nearly the same as those given before. He admires in Israel, their beauty. The righteous, doubtless, is more excellent than his neighbour. Their fruitfulness and increase. Their honour and advancement. Their power and victory. He looks back upon what had been done for them. Their power and victory. He looks back upon what had been done for them. Their courage and security. The righteous are bold as a lion, not when assaulting others, but when at rest, because God maketh them to dwell in safety. Their influence upon their neighbours. God takes what is done to them, whether good or evil, as done to himself.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - The spirit of God came upon him. This seems to intimate a higher state of inspiration than the expression, "God put a word into his mouth" (Numbers 23:5, 16).

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Balaam lifted up his eyes,.... Being on Mount Peor:

and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; in that exact order in which they were directed to encamp under four standards, and so many tribes under each standard, Numbers 2:1.

and the Spirit of God came upon him; not in his grace but in his gifts; not as a spirit of sanctification, but as a spirit of prophecy, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan paraphrase it; and so sometimes the Spirit of God in this sense has come upon wicked men, as on Caiaphas and others, John 11:51.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. 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).

Numbers 24:2 Parallel Commentaries

Numbers 24:2 NIV
Numbers 24:2 NLT
Numbers 24:2 ESV
Numbers 24:2 NASB
Numbers 24:2 KJV

Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Balaam's Third Oracle
1And 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. 2And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came on him. 3And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said: …

Revelation 1:10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
Numbers 2:2 "The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family."
Numbers 11:26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.
Judges 3:10 The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.
1 Samuel 19:20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they also prophesied.