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:
Parallel translations
- WEB he says, who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, and having his eyes open:
- BSB the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:
- NKJV The utterance of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
- NASB The declaration of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,
- NLT the message of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Balaam describes himself as one who hears God's words and sees the vision of the Almighty, falling prostrate with eyes opened. He stresses the divine source of his message.
Overview
The piling up of titles for God and descriptions of revelation emphasizes the authority behind the oracle. Balaam is overwhelmed by the vision, falling down yet seeing clearly, a portrait of a prophet gripped by divine disclosure. The repeated emphasis assures the reader that the blessing about to be spoken comes from the Almighty Himself, not from human invention.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Rev 1:17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
- Rev 1:10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
- Ezek 1:28As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
- 2 Cor 12:1–4It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
- Num 12:6And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
- Ps 89:19Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
- Dan 8:17–18So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
- Gen 15:1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
- Dan 8:26–27And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
- Acts 10:10And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
- Dan 10:15–16And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
- Acts 22:17And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
- Gen 15:12And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
- 1 Sam 19:24And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?
- Acts 10:19While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
- Num 22:31Then 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.
- Num 22:20And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 24:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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