These two phrases mean the same thing. Balaam viewed Israel from the top of a hill. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])
# I see him ... I look at him
Here "him" is a metonymy that refers to the people of Israel. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])
# there is a people
"there is a group of people"
# do not consider themselves as just an ordinary nation
This negative statement is used to stress that the opposite is true. AT: "they consider themselves to be a special nation" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-litotes]])