Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, May 15th, 2025
the Fourth Week after Easter
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

King James Version

Numbers 24:2

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Balaam;   Holy Spirit;   Prophets;   Thompson Chain Reference - Balaam;   Holy Spirit;   Power;   Spirit;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophecy;   Tents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Prophets;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Holy Spirit;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Oracles;   Peor;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Balaam;   Balak;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Targums;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Camp;   Jephthah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Balaam;   Holy Spirit;   Prophecy;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Aloes;   Holy Spirit;   Inspiration;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Bil`am lifted up his eyes, and he saw Yisra'el dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.
Lexham English Bible
Balaam lift up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God was upon it.
English Standard Version
And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him,
New Century Version
When Balaam saw the Israelites camped in their tribes, the Spirit of God took control of him,
New English Translation
When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Amplified Bible
And Balaam raised his eyes and he saw Israel living in their tents tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came on him.
New American Standard Bible
And Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Balaam lift vp his eyes, & looked vpon Israel, which dwelt according to their tribes, and the Spirit of God came vpon him.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Contemporary English Version
and saw the tribes of Israel camped below. Just then, God's Spirit took control of him,
Complete Jewish Bible
Bil‘am raised his eyes and saw Isra'el encamped tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,
Darby 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.
Easy-to-Read Version
He looked out across the desert and saw all the Israelites. They were camped with the tribes in their different areas. Then the Spirit of God came on him,
George Lamsa Translation
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel encamping, tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him.
Good News Translation
and saw the people of Israel camped tribe by tribe. The spirit of God took control of him,
Christian Standard Bible®
When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him,
Literal Translation
And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping, by its tribes. And the Spirit of God was on him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
lifte vp his eyes, and sawe Israel, how they laye acordinge to their trybes, and the sprete of God came vpon 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.
Bible in Basic English
And lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel there, with their tents in the order of their tribes: and the spirit of God came on him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Balaam lift vp his eyes, and loked vpon Israel as he lay accordyng to his tribes, and the spirite of God came vpon hym.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him.
King James Version (1611)
And Balaam lift vp his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents, according to their Tribes: and the Spirit of God came vpon him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and sees Israel encamped by their 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.
Berean Standard Bible
When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and reiside iyen, and siy Israel dwellynge in tentis bi hise lynagis. And whanne the Spirit of God felde on hym, and whanne a parable was takun,
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,
Update Bible Version
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on 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.
New King James Version
And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
New Living Translation
where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,
New Life Bible
Balaam looked up and saw Israel living in their tents by their families. And the Spirit of God came upon him.
New Revised Standard
Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel, dwelling, according to his tribes, - then came upon him the Spirit of God;
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,
Revised Standard Version
And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and saw Israel encamping 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.

Contextual Overview

1 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. 2 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. 3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: 4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! 6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. 7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

abiding: Numbers 24:5, Numbers 2:2-34, Numbers 23:9, Numbers 23:10, Song of Solomon 6:4, Song of Solomon 6:10

the spirit: Numbers 11:25-29, 1 Samuel 10:10, 1 Samuel 19:20, 1 Samuel 19:23, 2 Chronicles 15:1, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 10:4, Matthew 10:8, Luke 10:20, John 11:49-51

Reciprocal: Leviticus 23:42 - General Numbers 1:52 - General Numbers 2:34 - so they Numbers 23:7 - parable 1 Kings 13:11 - an old prophet 2 Chronicles 20:14 - came the Spirit Daniel 8:3 - I lifted John 11:51 - he prophesied

Cross-References

Genesis 15:2
And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Genesis 24:4
But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
Genesis 24:6
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
Genesis 24:8
And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
Genesis 24:9
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
Genesis 24:10
And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
Genesis 44:1
And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.
Genesis 47:29
And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:
1 Chronicles 29:24
And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.
1 Timothy 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Gill's Notes on the 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Balaam gazed over the camp of Israel that stretched before him, and allowed the spectacle to work its own influence upon him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 24:2. 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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile