Numbers 24:1 kjv
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Numbers 24:1 nkjv
Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Numbers 24:1 niv
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.
Numbers 24:1 esv
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.
Numbers 24:1 nlt
By now Balaam realized that the LORD was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness,
Numbers 24 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind..." | God's immutable nature. |
| Gen 12:2-3 | "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse..." | God's foundational blessing covenant. |
| Gen 22:17 | "I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring..." | God's sworn promise to bless Abraham's descendants. |
| Deut 7:6-8 | "...the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession." | God's sovereign choice and love for Israel. |
| Deut 18:10-12 | "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering... or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer." | Prohibition of divination. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption as iniquity and idolatry." | Equating rebellion with divination. |
| Isa 46:10 | "Declaring the end from the beginning... My counsel shall stand..." | God's unchangeable plan and sovereignty. |
| Jer 1:12 | "...for I am watching over My word to perform it." | God's faithfulness to His promises. |
| Ps 33:11 | "The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." | God's eternal purposes. |
| Prov 16:33 | "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." | God's ultimate control over all outcomes. |
| Prov 21:1 | "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD..." | God's power over human intentions. |
| Isa 55:11 | "so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty..." | Efficacy of God's word. |
| Josh 24:9-10 | "...Balak... hired Balaam... to curse you. But I would not listen to Balaam..." | God's refusal to allow Israel to be cursed. |
| Exod 7:12 | "For every man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs." | God's supremacy over magic. |
| John 11:49-51 | "...he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation..." | God using unlikely individuals to prophesy. |
| Rom 8:28 | "...God works all things together for good for those who love him..." | God's purpose even through opposition. |
| Rom 9:6 | "But it is not as though the word of God has failed..." | God's covenant with Israel endures. |
| Rom 11:29 | "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." | God's unchanging call on His people. |
| Eph 1:3-5 | "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing..." | God's pre-ordained spiritual blessings. |
| 2 Pet 2:15 | "Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam..." | Warning against false teachers' greed. |
| Jude 1:11 | "...Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error..." | Denunciation of mercenary spirituality. |
| Rev 2:14 | "But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel..." | Balaam's harmful counsel of compromise. |
| Num 31:16 | "Behold, these women caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD..." | Balaam's insidious advice (from previous oracle, applied later). |
Numbers 24 verses
Numbers 24 1 Meaning
Numbers 24:1 describes a pivotal shift in Balaam's approach. Having repeatedly witnessed that God Himself intended to bless Israel and could not be persuaded otherwise, Balaam ceased his usual practice of seeking divine omens or enchantments. Instead, he directly confronted the wilderness where Israel was encamped, ready to declare God's immutable will without resorting to pagan rituals. This signifies his acknowledgement of the futility of human-led attempts to manipulate divine purpose against God's chosen people.
Numbers 24 1 Context
Numbers chapters 22-24 narrate the account of Balak, king of Moab, hiring the Mesopotamian diviner Balaam to curse the Israelites, whose immense numbers struck fear in his heart as they camped on his border. In the preceding chapters (Num 23), Balaam had already made two attempts to curse Israel at different vantage points. Each time, despite Balak's pressure and his own intentions, the Lord put words of blessing into Balaam's mouth, resulting in prophecies that affirmed Israel's unique status and the immutability of God's promises. This verse (Num 24:1) marks a critical transition to Balaam's third and final prophetic oracle in this initial series (followed by subsequent, unsolicited oracles later in the chapter). Historically and culturally, Balaam was a well-known figure, practicing a form of divination common in the ancient Near East, where diviners would seek omens and perform rituals to manipulate spiritual forces. The immediate context of this verse highlights the stark contrast between human attempts to thwart divine will through pagan practices and God's sovereign, unchangeable plan for His covenant people, Israel.
Numbers 24 1 Word analysis
- When Balaam saw (vayar Bala'am): This implies more than just physical observation; it denotes a perception, understanding, or recognition. Balaam, renowned for his ability to see visions, now truly discerned God's consistent purpose, making any further attempt to counteract it futile.
- that it pleased the LORD (ki yitav b'einei YHWH): "Pleased" (from the root tov, good) indicates God's favorable and fixed intention. It implies that God was set on His course of blessing, and nothing would change His mind. This is "pleasing" in God's eyes, not Balaam's.
- to bless Israel (levarakh et-Yisrael): "Bless" (barakh) means to empower with prosperity, favor, and well-being. This blessing is divinely initiated and divinely secured, opposing Balak's request for a curse. Israel here represents God's covenant people.
- he did not go as at other times (v'lo halakh kefah-am b'fah-am): This phrase highlights a definitive change in Balaam's behavior and method. His previous reliance on seeking omens (nachash) at set intervals or locations is abandoned. The repetition ("as time in time") emphasizes a routine that is now broken.
- to seek enchantments (li-krat nehashim): "Enchantments" or "divinations" (nehashim) refers to magical arts, augury, or seeking omens (e.g., snake charming, fortune-telling). This was a staple of Balaam's profession (Num 23:3, 15). His abandonment of this practice underscores his recognition of YHWH's supremacy over all such pagan arts and the futility of human-derived insight in the face of divine revelation.
- but he set his face toward the wilderness (va-yashet et panav el-hamidbar): "Set his face" (sum panav) indicates a deliberate, determined focus, implying resolve and directness. Instead of looking for omens or manipulating spirits, Balaam turned his attention directly to Israel, camped in the wilderness. The "wilderness" is symbolic of Israel's journey and dwelling under God's protection. Facing them suggests he would now directly speak God's message about them, without external intermediaries or magical rites.
Numbers 24 1 Bonus section
The transformation of Balaam's methodology in this verse is temporary and specific to the delivery of these particular blessings. While he appears to submit to God's will here, later in the narrative (Num 31:16, Rev 2:14), we find that Balaam ultimately retained his self-serving disposition, evidenced by his insidious advice to Balak to tempt Israel into idolatry and immorality through the women of Moab. This demonstrates that intellectual assent to God's sovereignty (as seen in Num 24:1) does not equate to a transformed heart or genuine repentance. Balaam remains a powerful testament to the fact that even an individual whom God uses to speak His truth can, simultaneously, be personally corrupted and ultimately opposed to God's ways in their heart. The abandonment of 'enchantments' here highlights God's power to compel truth from an unlikely source, rather than a genuine change in Balaam's moral character or commitment to YHWH alone.
Numbers 24 1 Commentary
Numbers 24:1 marks a profound turning point in the Balaam narrative. Prior to this, Balaam operated under the conventional assumption that divine favor could be manipulated or external omens could reveal God's shifting will. However, three consecutive attempts to curse Israel ended with God overruling him and forcing a blessing. This cumulative experience finally broke through Balaam's conventional practices. His seeing God's settled intention to bless Israel implies a forced spiritual discernment – a recognition of the unchanging and irresistible nature of God's covenant with His people. This realization causes him to abandon the methods of pagan divination, which he had practiced expertly throughout his life, symbolizing a surrender (even if only for the duration of this prophecy) to God's absolute sovereignty. He no longer needed to seek for signs or enchantments; God's will was plain and unassailable. Turning his face directly towards the wilderness where Israel dwelt signifies an act of direct revelation, devoid of ritualistic intermediaries, focusing solely on the object of God's divine favor. This verse demonstrates that no human power, no magical practice, nor any pagan wisdom can withstand or alter the pre-determined will of the sovereign Lord God of Israel. It reinforces the theological truth that God’s counsel will stand, and He will accomplish all His purpose.For practical usage, this can serve as a powerful reminder for believers that:
- God's purposes for His people are unchangeable (Rom 11:29).
- Human opposition or manipulation is futile against divine decree (Ps 33:11).
- We are called to trust God's sovereignty, not rely on our own efforts or questionable means.