Numbers 24:1
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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,

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens, rather he turned his attention toward the wilderness.

NASB 1995
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.

NASB 1977
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, so he did not go as at other times to encounter omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Amplified Bible
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as he had done each time before [superstitiously] to seek omens and signs [in the natural world], but he set his face toward the wilderness (desert).

Christian Standard Bible
Since Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned toward the wilderness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Since Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned toward the wilderness.

American Standard Version
And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Balaam saw that it was pleasing in the eyes of LORD JEHOVAH for his blessing of Israel and he did not go as in every other time to know divination and set his face to the wilderness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when Balaam saw that it pleased God to bless Israel, he did not go according to his custom to meet the omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness.

Contemporary English Version
Balaam was sure that the LORD would tell him to bless Israel again. So he did not use any magic to find out what the LORD wanted him to do, as he had the first two times. Instead, he looked out toward the desert

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord that he should bless Israel. he went not as he had gone before, to seek divination: but setting his face towards the desert,

English Revised Version
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When Balaam saw that the LORD wanted to bless Israel, he didn't look for omens as he had done before. He turned toward the desert,

Good News Translation
By now Balaam knew that the LORD wanted him to bless the people of Israel, so he did not go to look for omens, as he had done before. He turned toward the desert

International Standard Version
When Balaam noticed that the LORD was pleased that Balaam was blessing Israel, he didn't behave as he had time after time before, that is, to practice divination. Instead, he turned with his face to the wilderness,

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Literal Standard Version
And Balaam sees that [it is] good in the eyes of YHWH to bless Israel, and he has not gone as time by time to seek enchantments, and he sets his face toward the wilderness;

Majority Standard Bible
And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness.

New American Bible
Balaam, however, perceiving that the LORD was pleased to bless Israel, did not go aside as before to seek omens, but turned his gaze toward the wilderness.

NET Bible
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to seek for omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

New Revised Standard Version
Now Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.

New Heart English Bible
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at the other times, to meet with omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he didn’t go, as at the other times, to use divination, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

Young's Literal Translation
And Balaam seeth that it is good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he hath not gone as time by time to meet enchantments, and he setteth towards the wilderness his face;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Balaam's Third Oracle
1And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as on previous occasions, but he turned his face toward the wilderness. 2When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him,…

Cross References
Numbers 22:7
The elders of Moab and Midian departed with the fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and relayed to him the words of Balak.

Numbers 23:23
For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What great things God has done!'

Numbers 23:28
And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland.

Numbers 23:30
So Balak did as Balaam had instructed, and he offered a bull and a ram on each altar.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

the spirit

Numbers 11:25-29
And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease…

1 Samuel 10:10
And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

1 Samuel 19:20,23
And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied…

Jump to Previous
Arts Bless Blessing Desert Enchantments Eyes Israel Lord's Meet Omens Pleased Pleasure Resort Secret Seek Sight Sorcery Times Towards Turned Turning Use Waste Wilderness
Jump to Next
Arts Bless Blessing Desert Enchantments Eyes Israel Lord's Meet Omens Pleased Pleasure Resort Secret Seek Sight Sorcery Times Towards Turned Turning Use Waste Wilderness
Numbers 24
1. Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel
10. Balak, in anger, dismisses him
15. He prophesies of the Star of Jacob, and the destruction of some nations














XXIV.

(1) He set his face toward the wilderness.--i.e., towards the place where the Israelites were encamped on the steppes of Moab.

Chapter 24:1. - As at other times, or, "as (he had done) time after time." Septuagint, κατὰ τὸ εἰωθός. To seek for enchantments. Rather, "for the meeting with aunties." לִקְםראת נְחַשִׁים. Septuagint, to συνάντησιν τοῖς οἰωνοῖς. Nachashim., as in Numbers 23:23, is not enchantments in the sense of magical practices, but definitely auguries, i.e. omens and signs in the natural world observed and interpreted according to an artificial system as manifesting the purposes of God. As one of the commonest and worst of heathen practices, it was forbidden to Israel (Leviticus 19:26; Deuteronomy 18:10) and held up to reprobation, as in 2 Kings 17:17; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chronicles 33:6. Toward the wilderness. הַמִּדְבָּר. Not "Jeshimon," but apparently the Arboth Moab in which Israel was encamped, and which were for the most part desert as compared with the country around.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And when Balaam
בִּלְעָ֗ם (bil·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1109: Balaam -- a prophet

saw
וַיַּ֣רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

that
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

it pleased
ט֞וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2895: To be pleasing or good

the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

to bless
לְבָרֵ֣ךְ (lə·ḇā·rêḵ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse

Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

he did not
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

resort
הָלַ֥ךְ (hā·laḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to sorcery
נְחָשִׁ֑ים (nə·ḥā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5173: Divination, enchantment

as on previous occasions,
כְּפַֽעַם־ (kə·p̄a·‘am-)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6471: A beat, foot, anvil, occurrence

but he turned
וַיָּ֥שֶׁת (way·yā·šeṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7896: To put, set

his face
פָּנָֽיו׃ (pā·nāw)
Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face

toward
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the wilderness.
הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר (ham·miḏ·bār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech


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OT Law: Numbers 24:1 When Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh (Nu Num.)
Numbers 23:30
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