Numbers 24:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Balaam opens his third oracle filled with a profound awareness of the divine insight that has come upon him. He describes himself as a person with a keen perception, who, despite collapsing to the earth in prophetic ecstasy and surrendering his external senses, possesses an inner vision that reaches far into the horizon of what is yet to come.

The Spirit of the Lord descended upon Balaam, inspiring him with prophetic insight. Balaam felt himself under the sway of a higher Divine authority, conscious that his words and thoughts were guided by the Spirit. As a mere instrument of the Divine, he could speak nothing from his own volition but only articulate what the Lord commanded him (Num. 23:12, 26; Num. 24:13). - And consider your proverb. This is the third proverb, following the first two that had been delivered earlier (Num. 23:7, 18). A proverb can be defined as an intricate expression or discourse - complex in its composition, rich in multiple meanings, and filled with imagery that conveys spiritual and other truths through veiled hints and varying degrees of clarity about future occurrences. Such is the nature of all Balaam's oracles. Each one captivated the audience with its poetic form and profound, mostly prophetic significance, concealed beneath vivid images.