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Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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The Darby Translation

Numbers 22:33

And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times; had she not turned from me, I had now certainly slain thee, and saved her alive.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Ass (Donkey);   Balaam;   Repentance;   Thompson Chain Reference - Balaam;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Desert, Journey of Israel through the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Midianites;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Balaam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Jonah, Theology of;   Kill, Killing;   Miracle;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ass;   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;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sa'tan;  

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 - Hafá¹­arah;   Joshua, the Samaritan Book of;   Salvation;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain you, and saved her alive.
King James Version
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
Lexham English Bible
The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from my face, then I would have killed you and kept her alive."
English Standard Version
The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live."
New Century Version
The donkey saw me and turned away from me three times. If she had not turned away, I would have killed you by now, but I would have let her live."
New English Translation
The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive."
Amplified Bible
"The donkey saw Me and turned away from Me these three times. If she had not turned away from Me, I would have certainly killed you now, and let her live."
New American Standard Bible
"But the donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I certainly would have killed you just now, and let her live."
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the asse sawe me, and turned fro me now three times: for els, if she had not turned fro me, surely I had euen nowe slaine thee, and saued her aliue.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If it had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let it live."
Contemporary English Version
If your donkey had not seen me and stopped those three times, I would have killed you and let the donkey live."
Complete Jewish Bible
The donkey saw me and turned aside these three times; and indeed, if she hadn't turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and saved it alive!"
Easy-to-Read Version
your donkey saw me and turned away from me. That happened three times. If the donkey had not turned away, I probably would have killed you already. And I would have let your donkey live."
George Lamsa Translation
And the she-ass saw me and turned aside from me these three times; and if she had not turned aside from me, surely now I would have slain you, and saved her alive.
Good News Translation
But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it hadn't, I would have killed you and spared the donkey."
Christian Standard Bible®
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.”
Literal Translation
And the ass saw Me and turned aside before Me these three times. If she had not turned aside surely now I would have killed you and saved her alive.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye Asse sawe me, & auoyded fro me thre tymes: or els yf she had not turned asyde fro me, I had slayne the, & saued the Asse alyue.
American Standard Version
and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive.
Bible in Basic English
And the ass saw me, turning to one side from me three times: if she had not gone to one side, I would certainly have put you to death and kept her safe.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the asse saw me, and turned from me now three times: or els if she had not turned fro me, I had surely slayne thee, and saued her aliue.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times; unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive.'
King James Version (1611)
And the asse saw me, and turned from me these three times: vnlesse shee had turned from me, surely now also I had slaine thee, and saued her aliue.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if she had not turned out of the way, surely now, I should have slain thee, and should have saved her alive.
English Revised Version
and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive.
Berean Standard Bible
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would surely have killed you by now, and let her live."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and if the femal asse hadde not bowid a wey fro the weie, and youe place to ayenstondere, Y hadde slayn thee, and sche schulde lyue.
Young's Literal Translation
and the ass seeth me, and turneth aside at my presence these three times; unless she had turned aside from my presence, surely now also, thee I had slain, and her kept alive.'
Update Bible Version
and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely I would have even killed you by now, and saved her alive.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
World English Bible
and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain you, and saved her alive.
New King James Version
The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live."
New Living Translation
Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey."
New Life Bible
But the donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, for sure I would have killed you, and let her live."
New Revised Standard
The donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let it live."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the ass hath seen me, and hath turned aside at ray presence these three times: Unless she had turned aside from my presence, yea now even thee, had I slain, but, her, had I suffered to live.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And unless the ass had turned out of the way, giving place to me who stood against thee, I had slain thee, and she should have lived.
Revised Standard Version
and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have slain you and let her live."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live."

Contextual Overview

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went; and the Angel of Jehovah set himself in the way to withstand him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two young men were with him. 23 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. 24 And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a hollow of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and she pressed herself against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again. 26 Then the Angel of Jehovah went still further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And the ass saw the Angel of Jehovah, and lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff. 28 And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? 29 And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee! 30 And the ass said to Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine to this day? was I ever wont to do so to thee? And he said, No. 31 Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Angel of Jehovah standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed and prostrated himself on his face.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

surely: Numbers 14:37, Numbers 16:33-35, 1 Kings 13:24-28

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times,.... The ass saw the angel when Balaam did not, and that was the reason of its turning aside; and it was well for him it did, and therefore he should not have smote it:

unless she had turned from me; if she had pushed on, endeavouring to make her way:

surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive; had certainly and only slain him, and not the ass; and from hence the Jewish writers t gather, that the ass was now slain, lest it should be said, this is the ass that spoke, and so be made an idol of.

t Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 20. fol. 227. 4. Aben Ezra in loc.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 22:33. Surely now also I had slain thee — How often are the meanest animals, and the most trivial occurrences, instruments of the preservation of our lives, and of the salvation of our souls! The messenger of justice would have killed Balaam, had not the mercy of God prevented the ass from proceeding.


 
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