Bible Strands
Numbers 24:15
Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Balaam speaks to Balak at the conclusion of his third prophetic session, immediately after warning him of future events. He delivers these words as the formal preamble to a final oracle concerning Israel’s destiny.
The words — The phrase וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ (va-yissa meshalo) literally means “he lifted up an oracle,” and נְאֻם (ne'um) translates as “an utterance” or “a prophetic declaration.” These terms mark the following speech as a weighty, divinely authorized pronouncement rather than casual advice.
The thread — This identical introductory formula appears in Numbers 23:7, 23:18, and 24:3, where Balaam similarly prepares to deliver a message that overrides Balak’s demands. Each repetition signals a transition from human orchestration to divine control.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to separate the speaker’s original intentions from the authoritative content of the utterance. It demands that attention remain fixed on the declared reality rather than the messenger’s background.
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The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
Cross-references
- Numbers 23:7 And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
- Numbers 24:3 and he lifted up an oracle, saying: “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,
- Numbers 23:18 Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
- Job 27:1 Job continued his discourse:
- Matthew 13:35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”