What Does Numbers 24:4 Mean in the King James?
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:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The speaker falls, yet his eyes remain uncovered: the verse joins the giving way of ordinary awareness with clear perception.
THE MEANING
You hear the words of God and see a vision of the Almighty. Even as you fall into a trance, your eyes are uncovered; the verse holds hearing and sight together when your ordinary awareness gives way.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie is that you must stay composed and in control for your perception to be trustworthy; here, the seer falls and still sees.
THE ROOT
גְּלוּי
galuy
GROWS FROM
גלה
g-l-h
Uncover, reveal, bring into view.
“open” in this verse is galuy. The Hebrew says the eyes are uncovered. Sight is pictured as what becomes possible when a covering is removed, not as a capacity newly installed.
ALSO GROWS
galah: Uncover, reveal.
גָּלָה
This is the action behind the eyes being open: what was covered is disclosed.
niglah: Be revealed, become visible.
נִגְלָה
The verse presents perception as something disclosed to the seer.
מַחֲזֵה
machazeh
GROWS FROM
חזה
ḥ-z-h
See, behold.
“vision / saw” in this verse is machazeh. English separates “vision” from “saw,” but the Hebrew forms echo the same root: machazeh, vision, and yechezeh, he sees. The vision and the act of beholding are bound together in the wording.
ALSO GROWS
chazah: See, behold.
חָזָה
This verb is the seed shared by both the vision and the seeing in the verse.
chozeh: Seer, one who beholds.
חֹזֶה
The related word names the person by the act of seeing that defines this verse’s speaker.
שֹׁמֵעַ
shomea
GROWS FROM
שמע
sh-m-ʿ
Hear, listen, heed.
“heard” in this verse is shomea. The seer is also named as one who hears God’s words. The Hebrew root can carry hearing into response, so receiving the words and seeing the vision belong together.
ALSO GROWS
shema: Hear and respond.
שְׁמַע
It carries the responsive force of hearing the words of God.
shemuah: Report, tidings; something heard.
שְׁמוּעָה
This branch points to the words received before the vision is described.
THE PATTERN
Perception is uncovered when what obstructs sight is removed, allowing what is present to be seen.
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.Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.THE THREAD
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.The Hebrew word translated “opened” here comes from the same root, גלה (galah), as “uncovered” in Numbers 24:4. There, Balaam’s eyes are uncovered to see what is already standing in his path; here, they remain uncovered as he falls.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us