Numbers 22:24

THE MESSAGE

But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God 's angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam's foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

King James Version
But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

Lexham English Bible
The angel of Yahweh stood in the narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on either side.

English Standard Version
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.

New Century Version
Later, the angel of the Lord stood on a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides.

New English Translation
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a path among the vineyards, where there was a wall on either side.

Amplified Bible
But the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a [stone] wall on this side and a [stone] wall on that side.

New American Standard Bible
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a stone wall on this side and on that side.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Againe the Angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyardes, hauing a wall on the one side, and a wall on the other.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

Contemporary English Version
Then the angel stood between two vineyards, in a narrow path with a stone wall on each side.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then the angel of Adonai stood on the road where it became narrow as it passed among the vineyards and had stone walls on both sides.

Darby Translation
And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a hollow of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

Easy-to-Read Version
Later, the Lord 's angel stood at a place where the road became narrow. This was between two vineyards. There were walls on both sides of the road.

George Lamsa Translation
But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyard, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side.

Good News Translation
Then the angel stood where the road narrowed between two vineyards and had a stone wall on each side.

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side.

Literal Translation
And the Angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then stode the angell of the LORDE in ye pathe by the vynyardes, where there were walles on both the sydes.

American Standard Version
Then the angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

Bible in Basic English
Then the angel of the Lord took up his position in a narrow road through the vine-gardens, with a wall on this side and on that.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the angell of the Lorde stoode in a path betweene the vineyardes, and there was a wall on the one syde, and another on the other.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a hollow way between the vineyards, a fence being on this side, and a fence on that side.

King James Version (1611)
But the Angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, & a wall on that side.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the angel of the Lord stood in the avenues of the vines, a fence being on this side and a fence on that.

English Revised Version
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a hollow way between the vineyards, a fence being on this side, and a fence on that side.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
the aungel stood in the streitnessis of twei wallis, with whiche the vyneris weren cumpassid.

Young's Literal Translation
And the messenger of Jehovah standeth in a narrow path of the vineyards -- a wall on this [side] and a wall on that --

Update Bible Version
Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall [being] on this side, and a wall on that side.

World English Bible
Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

New King James Version
Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

New Living Translation
Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls.

New Life Bible
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path in the grape-field, with a wall on each side.

New Revised Standard
Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the messenger of Yahweh took his stand, in a hollow pass of the vineyards, - with a fence on this side, and a fence on that side.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The angel stood in a narrow place between two walls, wherewith the vineyards were enclosed.

Revised Standard Version
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

Contextual Overview

²⁴But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God 's angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam's foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again. ²⁶ God 's angel blocked the way yet again—a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam's donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick. ²⁸ Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: "What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?" ²⁹ Balaam said, "Because you've been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now." ³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you've ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?" He said, "No." ³¹ Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God 's angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt. ³² God 's angel said to him: "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off." ³⁴ Balaam said to God 's angel, "I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don't like what I'm doing, I'll head back." ³⁵ But God 's angel said to Balaam, "Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say—absolutely no other word." And so Balaam continued to go with Balak's nobles.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 16:3
So Sarai, Abram's wife, took her Egyptian maid Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife. Abram had been living ten years in Canaan when this took place. He slept with Hagar and she got pregnant. When Hagar learned she was pregnant, she looked down on her mistress.

Proverbs 15:25
God smashes the pretensions of the arrogant; he stands with those who have no standing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyard,..... Which were in the field into which the ass went, and before Balaam could turn her back she got into a narrow path, between the vineyards, as the Targum of Jonathan; a footpath which lay between them, or a footpath where foxes ran and had their holes, who used to lie near vineyards and among them, see Song of Solomon 1:14 however, it was a very narrow path, and here the angel placed himself, so that there was no passage for Balaam and his ass, at least not without great difficulty and danger;

a wall [being] on this side, and a wall on that side; and therefore there was no going out into the field, as before, to avoid the difficulty and danger; this being, as Jarchi observes, a stone wall that was on each side.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In a path of the vineyards - i. e., in a path shut in by vineyard-walls on each side. The progress from the road through the open field Numbers 22:23 to that walled in, and thence to the strait place, where there was no room to turn Numbers 22:26, shows that Balaam was approaching a city, no doubt that which was the goal of his journey.