Numbers 24:3

3 He took up his parable, and said, Bil`am the son of Be'or says, The man whose eye was closed says;

Numbers 24:3 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 24:3

And he took up his parable
His parable of prophecy, as the Targums, his prophetic speech, which, with a loud voice, he expressed in the hearing of Balak and his nobles:

and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said;
the preface to his prophecy is pompous, and seems to be full of pride and vanity, and so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem represent him;

``the man who is more excellent than his father hath said, to whom hidden secrets, even what was hidden from the prophets is revealed to him;''

and the Jews have a saying ^F20 that he that has an evil eye, a haughty spirit, and a large soul, or is covetous, is one of the disciples of Balaam the wicked:

and the man whose eyes are open hath said;
or, as some ^F21 render it, whose eyes were shut, but now open; either the eyes of his body, which were shut when the angel met him, and the ass saw him and not he, but afterwards were open, and he saw him also; or the eyes of his understanding blinded with ambition and covetousness, but were open to see his mistake, at least so far as to be sensible that he could never prevail upon God to allow him to curse Israel; or rather open, by the spirit of prophecy coming on him, whereby he saw and foretold things to come.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 19.
F21 So V. L. Montanus, Tigurine version

Numbers 24:3 In-Context

1 When Bil`am saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Yisra'el, he didn't go, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

2 Bil`am lifted up his eyes, and he saw Yisra'el dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him.

3 He took up his parable, and said, Bil`am the son of Be'or says, The man whose eye was closed says;

4 He says, who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of Shaddai, Falling down, and having his eyes open:

5 How goodly are your tents, Ya`akov, Your tents, Yisra'el!