Lexical Summary shatham: To stop up, to close, to shut Original Word: שָׁתַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be open A primitive root; to unveil (figuratively) -- be open. Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׁתַם] verb dubious; if text correct, open (Late Hebrew Aramaic שׁתם open [vessel]); — only Qal Passive participle construct הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הְעָ֑יִן Numbers 24:3,15 (poems in J E) the man opened of [mental] eye, so ᵑ6 Ki Ew and others RVm; ᵑ9 Rö Ke Di and others render closed of [bodily] eye, reading then implicity שְׂתֻם (compare סָתַם, שָׂתַם Lamentations 3:8); see further Gray. [שׁתן, הִשְׁתִּין] see שִׁין. Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Immediate Context The word appears twice, both in Balaam’s third and fourth oracles (Numbers 24:3; Numbers 24:15). Each time it modifies “eye,” presenting Balaam as “the man whose eye is opened” (Numbers 24:3). The immediate setting is Moab’s plains, where Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, yet the Spirit of God overruled and put words of blessing in Balaam’s mouth (Numbers 24:2). Literary Function 1. Prophetic Authority – By stressing Balaam’s “opened eye,” Scripture signals that what follows is no ordinary speech but direct revelation received with spiritual perception (compare 1 Samuel 9:9; 2 Peter 1:21). Historical Significance Balaam’s visions occur on Israel’s threshold of the Promised Land. The nations fear Israel’s advance, yet God turns attempted cursing into blessing (Genesis 12:3 fulfilled). The “opened eye” phrase highlights the turning point: a pagan diviner momentarily becomes an instrument of divine revelation, foreshadowing how God will later use Gentile kings such as Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1-4). Theological Insights 1. Sovereign Revelation – The account teaches that spiritual perception is a gift God grants or withholds (Psalm 119:18; Luke 24:31). Balaam could not speak beyond what the LORD permitted (Numbers 24:13). Connections to the Wider Canon • Spiritual sight is a recurring biblical metaphor: Elisha’s servant (2 Kings 6:17), blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:51-52), and Paul’s prayer for “the eyes of your hearts to be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). Ministry Application 1. Pursue true spiritual vision through the Word and prayer (Psalm 119:18; James 1:5). Devotional Reflection Pray that God would open your eyes to behold “wondrous things” (Psalm 119:18) and keep your heart aligned with the truth you see, lest spiritual privilege become spiritual peril as it did for Balaam. Forms and Transliterations שְׁתֻ֥ם שתם šə·ṯum šəṯum sheTumLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 24:3 HEB: וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃ NAS: of the man whose eye is opened; KJV: whose eyes are open hath said: INT: and the oracle of the man is opened eye Numbers 24:15 2 Occurrences |
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