Verses 1-3a introduce the third oracle of Balaam. This introduction indicates that the third oracle will be different from the first two. Balaam was no longer looking for omens; instead he looked out straightaway to the wilderness where the Israelites were encamped (so Alter, page 810). He now saw all of them, not just part of them, and the spirit of God was upon him. It is clear that this time Balaam knew that there would be a blessing. He was obedient (so Knierim and Coats, page 258) and would now pronounce his most comprehensive blessing of Israel (so Alter, page 810). He was no longer a pagan diviner, but had become a prophet of the LORD (so Levine, page 191).

When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel: Balaam already understood before this point in the account that the LORD wanted to bless Israel. The translation should not suggest that he realized this only now at this point in the account. In the Hebrew text this clause is independent, but in many languages it will be more natural to connect it closely with what follows by rendering the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”) at the beginning of this verse as When. Good News Translation translates this conjunction as “By now,” which helps to show that Balaam had already begun to see that the LORD wanted to bless Israel and that his will could not be undone. For the idiomatic Hebrew expression rendered it pleased the LORD (literally “it was good in the eyes of the LORD”), see the comments at 23.27 on “it will please God,” which is similar.

He did not go, as at other times, to look for omens: As at other times is literally “as time after time” or “as time on time.” It may be helpful to say “as he had the first two times” (Contemporary English Version), which refers to the two previous occasions more explicitly. To look for omens (literally “to meet omens”) may be rendered “to seek for omens” (NET Bible). The Hebrew word for omens (nachash) is the same one rendered “enchantment” in 23.23 (see the comments there).

But set his face toward the wilderness may be rendered “Instead, he looked out toward the desert” (Contemporary English Version). For the Hebrew word rendered wilderness (midbar), see the comments on 1.1.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .