Numbers 22:31

Then 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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
LORD	יְהוָה֮ Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
opened	וַיְגַ֣ל vay.Gal	H1540	to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense) · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
eyes	עֵינֵ֣י 'ei.Nei	H5869	an eye (literally or figuratively) · noun, common feminine dual construct
Balaam	בִלְעָם֒ vil.'Am	H1109	Bilam · proper noun, a man's name
saw	וַיַּ֞רְא vai.Yar'	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
angel	מַלְאַ֤ךְ mal.'Akh	H4397	a messenger · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD	יְהוָה֙ Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
standing	נִצָּ֣ב ni.Tzav	H5324	to station · verb, niphal active participle, masculine singular absolute
way	בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ ba.De.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · preposition with the article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
sword	וְחַרְבּ֥וֹ ve.char.Bo	H2719	drought · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
drawn	שְׁלֻפָ֖ה she.lu.Fah	H8025	to pull out · verb, qal passive participle, feminine singular absolute
hand	בְּיָד֑וֹ be.ya.Do	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
down	וַיִּקֹּ֥ד vai.yi.Kod	H6915	to shrivel up · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
flat	וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ vai.yish.Ta.chu	H7812	to depress · conjunction + verb, sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
face	לְאַפָּֽיו le.'a.Pav	H639	properly · preposition + noun, common masculine dual construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Genesis 21:19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
Luke 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Numbers 24:4 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:
Numbers 24:16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a tr…
1 Chronicles 21:16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretch…
Luke 24:16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins…
Exodus 34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:22-35

We have here an account of the opposition God gave to Balaam in his journey towards Moab; probably the princes had gone before, or gone some other way, and Balaam had pointed out where he would meet them, or where they should stay for him, for we read nothing of them in this part of our narrative, only that Balaam, like a person of some quality, was attended with his two men-honour enough, one would think, for such a man, he needed not be beholden to Balak for promotion. I. Here is God's displeasure against Balaam for undertaking this journey: God's anger was kindled because he went, Num 22:22. Note, 1. The sin of sinners is not to be thought the less provoking to God because he permits it.…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:28

the Lord opened the mouth of the ass--to utter, like a parrot, articulate sounds, without understanding them. That this was a visionary scene is a notion which seems inadmissible, because of the improbability of a vision being described as an actual occurrence in the middle of a plain history. Besides, the opening of the ass's mouth must have been an external act, and that, with the manifest tenor of Peter's language, strongly favors the literal view [Pe2 2:15-16]. The absence of any surprise at such a phenomenon on the part of Balaam may be accounted for by his mind being wholly engrossed with the prospect of gain, which produced "the madness of the prophet" [Pe2 2:16]. "It was a miracle, w…

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John Gill on Numbers 22:31

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam,.... Who either was struck with blindness, as the men of Sodom were, so some think, or rather his eyes were held, that he could not see the angel; he could see other objects, as his ass, but he could not see that; as Elisha's servant could see the host that compassed the city, but not the chariots and horses of fire about Elisha, till his eyes were opened, 2 Kings 6:15 and so it was with Balaam until the Lord uncovered his eyes, or rolled away the vail over them, or took that off which by his power and providence hindered his sight: and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; in the same position as in Number…

Dictionary and topics

Ass (Donkey) · .Used for riding — .Used for riding
B · Domestic: Not to be cruelly used — Domestic: Not to be cruelly used
Balaam · Anger of, rebuked by his ass — Anger of, rebuked by his ass
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · Balaam not permitted to curse Israel — Balaam not permitted to curse Israel

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Numbers 22:31

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:22-35

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:28

John Gill on Numbers 22:31

Dictionary and topics

Numbers 22:31

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:22-35

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:28

John Gill on Numbers 22:31

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Numbers 22:31-30

Keil & Delitzsch on Numbers 22:28-31

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 22:28-31

Rashi on Numbers 22:30