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Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Numbers 22:23

And when the ass saw the angel of God standing opposite in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, then the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass with his staff to direct her in the way.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (Holy Trinity);   Angel (a Spirit);   Animals;   Ass (Donkey);   Balaam;   Miracles;   Thompson Chain Reference - Angel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ass, the Domestic;   Desert, Journey of Israel through the;   Moabites;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Midianites;   Moabites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kill, Killing;   Miracle;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ass;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Balaam;   Field;   Sadducees;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Angel;   Ass;   Balaam;   Transjordan;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ass;   Balaam;   Balak;   Moab, Moabites;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Miracles;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Balaam;   Balak;   Midian;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Ass;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Balaam;   Numbers, Book of;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Balaam;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Angelology;   Hafá¹­arah;   Joshua, the Samaritan Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Bil`am struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.
King James Version
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
Lexham English Bible
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road.
English Standard Version
And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road.
New Century Version
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey left the road and went into the field. Balaam hit the donkey to force her back on the road.
New English Translation
And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road.
Amplified Bible
When the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way and His drawn sword in His hand, the donkey turned off the path and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back toward the path.
New American Standard Bible
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to guide her back onto the road.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lord stand in the way, and his sworde drawen in his hand, the asse turned out of the way and went into the field, but Balaam smote the asse, to turne her into the way.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; so Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back into the way.
Contemporary English Version
When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.
Complete Jewish Bible
The donkey saw the angel of Adonai standing on the road, drawn sword in hand; so the donkey turned off the road into the field; and Bil‘am had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.
Darby Translation
And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field, and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way.
Easy-to-Read Version
When Balaam's donkey saw the Lord 's angel standing in the road with a sword in his hand, the donkey turned from the road and went into the field. Balaam could not see the angel, so he was very angry at the donkey. He hit the donkey and forced it to go back on the road.
George Lamsa Translation
The she-ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn and held in his hand; and the she-ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field; and Balaam struck the she-ass to turn her into the way.
Good News Translation
When the donkey saw the angel standing there holding a sword, it left the road and turned into the fields. Balaam beat the donkey and brought it back onto the road.
Christian Standard Bible®
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path.
Literal Translation
And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the road, and His sword was drawn in His hand. And the ass turned out of the road and went into a field. And Balaam struck the ass, to turn it back into the road.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye Asse sawe ye angell of ye LORDE stodinge in ye waye, & his swerde drawen in his hade. And ye Asse turned a syde out of ye waye, & wete in to the felde. But Balaam smote her, yt she shulde go in the waye.
American Standard Version
And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
Bible in Basic English
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord waiting in the road with his sword in his hand; and turning from the road, the ass went into the field; and Balaam gave the ass blows, to get her back on to the road.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the asse sawe the angell of the Lord stand in the way, and hauyng his sworde drawen in his hand, the asse turned aside out of the way, and went out into the fielde: And Balaam smote the asse, to turne her into the way.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
King James Version (1611)
And the Asse sawe the Angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawen in his hand: and the asse turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the asse, to turne her into the way.
English Revised Version
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
Berean Standard Bible
When the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in His hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The femal asse siy the aungel stondynge in the weie, with swerd drawun, and `turnede a wei hir silf fro the weie, and yede bi the feeld. And whanne Balaam beet hir, and wolde lede ayen to the path,
Young's Literal Translation
and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turneth aside out of the way, and goeth into a field, and Balaam smiteth the ass to turn it aside into the way.
Update Bible Version
And the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the donkey, to turn her into the way.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
World English Bible
The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.
New King James Version
Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
New Living Translation
Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.
New Life Bible
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword in his hand, the donkey turned off the road and went into the field. But Balaam hit the donkey to turn her on the road again.
New Revised Standard
The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the ass saw the messenger of Yahweh stationed in the road with his drawn sword in his hand, so the ass turned aside out of the road and went into the field, - and Balaam smote the ass, to make her turn back into the road.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The ass seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way,
Revised Standard Version
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the ass, to turn her into the road.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

Contextual Overview

22 And God was very angry because he went; and the angel of the Lord rose up to withstand him. Now he had mounted his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23 And when the ass saw the angel of God standing opposite in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, then the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass with his staff to direct her in the way. 24 And the angel of the Lord stood in the avenues of the vines, a fence being on this side and a fence on that. 25 And when the ass saw the angel of God, she thrust herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall, and he smote her again. 26 And the angel of the Lord went farther, and came and stood in a narrow place where it was impossible to turn to the right or the left. 27 And when the ass saw the angel of God, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was angry, and struck the ass with his staff. 28 And God opened the mouth of the ass, and she says to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me this third time? 29 And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; and if I had had a sword in my hand, I would now have killed thee. 30 And the ass says to Balaam, Am not I thine ass on which thou hast ridden since thy youth till this day? did I ever do thus to thee, utterly disregarding thee? and he said, No. 31 And God opened the eyes of Balaam, and he sees the angel of the Lord withstanding him in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, and he stooped down and worshipped on his face.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the ass saw: 2 Kings 6:17, 1 Chronicles 21:16, Daniel 10:7, Acts 22:9, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, 2 Peter 2:16, Jude 1:11

the ass turned: Jeremiah 8:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:24 - a flaming Exodus 4:24 - the Lord Joshua 5:13 - his sword 2 Peter 2:15 - who

Cross-References

Genesis 24:15
And it came to pass before he had done speaking in his mind, that behold, Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Melcha, the wife of Nachor, and the same the brother of Abraam, came forth, having a water-pot on her shoulders.
Genesis 24:24
And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bathuel the son of Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor.
Genesis 24:47
And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me; and she said, I am daughter of Bathuel the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him; and I put on her the ear-rings, and the bracelets on her hands.
Genesis 24:51
Behold, Rebecca is before thee, take her and go away, and let her be wife to the son of thy master, as the Lord has said.
Genesis 24:60
And they blessed Rebecca, and said to her, Thou art our sister; become thou thousands of myriads, and let thy seed possess the cities of their enemies.
Genesis 24:67
And Isaac went into the house of his mother, and took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted for Sarrha his mother.
Genesis 25:20
Abraam begot Isaac. And Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife Rebecca, daughter of Bathuel the Syrian, out of Syrian Mesopotamia, sister of Laban the Syrian.
Genesis 28:2
Rise and depart quickly into Mesopotamia, to the house of Bathuel the father of thy mother, and take to thyself thence a wife of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.
Genesis 28:5
So Isaac sent away Jacob, and he went into Mesopotamia to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebecca the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,.... Which Balaam did not; his eyes being held from seeing him by the power and providence of God, that he might be reproved and rebuked by his ass, to whom God gave power to see, more than to him, as Jarchi notes, so that he had little reason to boast of his visions and revelations, and that he was the man whose eyes were open: the angel stood in the very pathway on which the ass was carrying Balaam: and his sword drawn in his hand; as threatening to destroy him, and as if he was just about to push at him, and signifying hereby not only that he deserved to die, but what death he should die of, namely, by the sword, as he did, Numbers 31:8

and the ass turned aside out of the way; out of the common road, to save its master and itself, from a natural principle of self-preservation: and went into the field; adjoining to, and that lay along the road side:

and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way; with his staff, as in Numbers 22:27 to bring her into the common road again.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 22:23. And the ass saw the angel — When God granted visions those alone who were particularly interested saw them while others in the same company saw nothing; see Daniel 10:7; Acts 9:7.


 
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