And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
When Balaam realized that the LORD wanted to bless Israel, he didn't go looking for magic spells like he had done before. Instead, he turned toward the wilderness.
Balaam recognized that God wanted to bless Israel, so he stopped trying to use magic and simply looked toward where the Israelites were camped.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Numbers, Balaam was a non-Israelite prophet hired by King Balak of Moab to curse the Israelites as they journeyed toward the Promised Land. However, God had already commanded Balaam to bless Israel instead, leading to previous instances where Balaam's attempts at divination were overruled by divine will. In this verse, Balaam recognizes God's intention to bless Israel and chooses not to rely on his usual pagan enchantments, turning instead toward the wilderness where the Israelites were encamped.
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