Numbers 24:1-9·~1 min

Balaam’s Third Oracle

Balaam abandons his earlier practices, looks on Israel in the wilderness, and receives the Spirit. He introduces the oracle as the speech of one who hears and sees what God gives.

A¹nd when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not seek omens 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, ³and he lifted up an oracle, saying: ⁴the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,

The oracle praises Israel’s tents, fruitfulness, and royal strength, tracing their power back to God’s deliverance from Egypt. It ends by portraying Israel as a lion at rest, dangerous to disturb and surrounded by blessing.

⁵How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, ⁶They spread out like palm groves, ⁷Water will flow from his buckets, ⁸God brought him out of Egypt ⁹He crouches, he lies down like a lion,

Section summaryBalaam no longer looks for omens but turns toward Israel, and the Spirit of God comes upon him. His oracle lingers over Israel’s beauty, abundance, and strength, ending with the image of a lion at rest and a blessing on those who bless them.

Role in the chapterThis section brings Balaam’s third blessing to its fullest poetic form. It shifts from Balak’s attempted control to a clear Spirit-given vision of Israel as a people already marked by divine favor and settled strength.