A profound shift occurs in Balaam's prophetic experience. Up until this point, he spoke entirely against his will, merely voicing the words God forced into his mouth. Now, however, he chooses to speak willingly and from his own mind. He begins by boasting about his spiritual greatness, his unique powers, and his prophetic grasp [אור החיים, רש״ר הירש]. In doing so, he reflects on his origins. While he initially inherited a basic foundation of witchcraft and impurity from his father [מלבי״ם, אור החיים], Balaam eventually grew so powerful in prophecy that he far surpassed him. In the realm of the spiritual and prophetic, his father effectively became his student [רש״י, הדר זקנים, שפתי כהן, רש״ר הירש].
Balaam views himself as a man of extraordinary might, taking pride in his physical and mental endurance. Unlike other prophets who would collapse and faint when receiving a divine vision, he boasts that he could stand firm and bear the crushing intensity of prophecy without losing his composure [שפתי כהן]. Other traditions link his self-proclaimed strength to the nature of a rooster. Just as a rooster instinctively senses the shifting hours of the night, Balaam possessed a dark intuition, knowing the exact moment of God's anger. This animalistic comparison also points to his deeply lustful character, foreshadowing his later advice to tempt the Israelites into sin through prostitution [רבנו בחיי, קיצור בעל הטורים, שפתי כהן].
His boasting extends to his sight, though the exact quality of his vision is a matter of perspective. On one hand, he claims his eyes are completely open and pierced through to the spiritual realm, allowing him to grasp and comprehend any divine sight he focuses upon [רשב״ם, אבן עזרא, רמב״ן, רלב״ג, אדרת אליהו]. On the other hand, a primary approach among commentators suggests he was actually blind in one eye [רש״י, תורה תמימה, משכיל לדוד]. This physical blindness was a direct punishment from God. It was inflicted either because Balaam arrogantly mocked God's protective care over the purity of the Israelites [רש״י, הדר זקנים, ברכת אשר], or because he actively tried to cast an evil eye upon them after witnessing their humble camp in the desert. To stop him from causing spiritual harm, God immediately sealed one of his eyes [העמק דבר, כלי יקר].
Ultimately, these differing perspectives on his vision merge into one grand display of arrogance. Balaam is actually boasting about his physical defect. He proudly claims that even though he is half-blind, with his single remaining eye he can clearly perceive exalted, divine visions that ordinary people could never see, even with two perfectly open eyes [אם למקרא, שפתי כהן].