Numbers 24:2

2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him

Numbers 24:2 in Other Translations

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.

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him,

2 where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him,

2 As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him,

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

2 looked up, and saw Israel's camp grouped by tribes. The Spirit of God entered him,

2 When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God descended on him,

2 He looked out and saw Israel. They had set up their camps tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on 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 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.

2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him

3 and he spoke his message: “The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,

4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty,who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

5 “How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!

Cross References

• 1. S Numbers 11:25,26; 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:20; 2 Chronicles 15:1