Numbers 22:27

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

²²Then God's anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the Angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³When 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. ²⁴Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side. ²⁵And the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her once again. ²⁶And the Angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or left. ²⁷When the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he became furious and beat her with his staff.²⁸Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?" ²⁹Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!" ³⁰But the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?" "No," he replied. ³¹Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in His hand. And Balaam bowed low and fell facedown.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and Balaam's anger: Proverbs 14:16, Proverbs 27:3, Proverbs 27:4

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord,.... The third time; for it seems that he was not always in sight, but disappeared as he removed from place to place, and at every new place where he stood the ass saw him, though her master did not:

she fell down under Balaam; upon her knees on the ground, not being able to go backwards nor forwards, nor to turn out of the way to the right or left:

and Balaam's anger was kindled; he was displeased and out of humour before, when it turned into the field, and when it squeezed his foot against the wall, and therefore he smote it; but now falling down with him, he was in a fume and fury, quite enraged:

and he smote the ass with a staff; which he rode with, perhaps his divining staff, see Hosea 4:12, it is not said what he smote it with before but probably with the same: Aben Ezra says, at the first and second time he smote it with a small stick, or with a thong.