Numbers 24:2

2 When Balaam saw the Israelites camped in their tribes, the Spirit of God took control of him,

Numbers 24:2 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 24:2

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 2:1-34 )

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 ) ( Matthew 7:22 Matthew 7:23 ) .

Numbers 24:2 In-Context

1 Balaam saw that the Lord wanted to bless Israel, so he did not try to use any magic but looked toward the desert.

2 When Balaam saw the Israelites camped in their tribes, the Spirit of God took control of him,

3 and he gave this message: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of a man who sees clearly;

4 this is the message of a man who hears the words of God. I see a vision from the Almighty, and my eyes are open as I fall before him.

5 Your tents are beautiful, people of Jacob! So are your homes, Israel!