Numbers 24:15

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹⁵Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying, "This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,¹⁶the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open: ¹⁷I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth. ¹⁸Edom will become a possession, Seir will be owned by his enemies, but Israel will perform with valor. ¹⁹A ruler will come from Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city." ²⁰Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: "Amalek was first among the nations, but his end shall be destruction." ²¹Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: "Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff. ²²Yet Kain will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive." ²³Once more Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: "Ah, who can live unless God has ordained it? ²⁴Ships will come from the coast of Kittim; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will perish forever."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Numbers 24:3, Numbers 24:4, Numbers 23:7, Numbers 23:18, Job 27:1, Matthew 13:35

Reciprocal: Proverbs 18:2 - but Micah 2:4 - shall 1 Corinthians 13:2 - I have the Hebrews 6:4 - were once

Cross-References

Genesis 11:27
This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.

Genesis 21:14
Early in the morning, Abraham got up, took bread and a skin of water, put them on Hagar's shoulders, and sent her away with the boy. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

Genesis 24:18
"Drink, my lord," she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

Genesis 24:19
After she had given him a drink, she said, "I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink."

Genesis 24:20
And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels.

Genesis 24:23
"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"

Genesis 24:24
She replied, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor."

Genesis 24:36
My master's wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.

Genesis 24:40
And he told me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house.

Genesis 24:45
And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he took up his parable, and said,.... In this and the following verse; the same preface, in the same words, is made to his prophecy as before, :- :-; only one clause is added, "and knew the knowledge of the Most High"; that Balaam had some knowledge of God is certain from the names by which he calls him, being such that he made himself known by to the patriarchs, and by which he is frequently called in the sacred writings; but then this knowledge of his was merely notional and speculative, and not spiritual and supernatural, and was such as men may have who are destitute of the grace of God: he was one that professed to know him in words, but in works denied him, see 1 Corinthians 13:2 and he also was admitted to much nearness to God, and converse with him, of which he boasted; but then this was not for his own sake, or as a mark of friendship to him, but for the sake of the people of Israel, and to prevent his doing them mischief. His prophecy follows.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 24:15. The man whose eyes are open — Numbers 24:3. It seems strange that our version should have fallen into such a mistake as to render שתם shethum, open, which it does not signify, when the very sound of the word expresses the sense. The Vulgate has very properly preserved the true meaning, by rendering the clause cujus obturatus est oculus, he whose eyes are shut. The Targum first paraphrased the passage falsely, and most of the versions followed it.