Amplified Bible
Numbers 22:32
32The Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your behavior was obstinate and contrary to Me.
Numbers 22:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
- New International Version (NIV)The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.
Context of Numbers 22:32
30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.” 31Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and lay himself face down. The Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your behavior was obstinate and contrary to Me. 33The 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.” 34Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that You were standing in the way against me. But now, if my going displeases You, I will turn back.”
Read all of Numbers 22Numbers 22:32 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה עַל־מָ֗ה הִכִּ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־אֲתֹ֣נְךָ֔ זֶ֖ה שָׁל֣וֹשׁ רְגָלִ֑ים הִנֵּ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ יָצָ֣אתִי לְשָׂטָ֔ן כִּֽי־יָרַ֥ט הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ לְנֶגְדִּֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Wherefore hast thou smittenנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- thine assאָתוֹן'âthôn · she-assH860
- these threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- timesרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- behold, I went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- to withstandשָׂטָןώâţân · SatanH7854
- wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- is perverseיָרַטyâraţ · to pushH3399
Cross-references for Numbers 22:32
- Numbers 22:28And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?”
- Deuteronomy 25:4“You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing [to prevent him from eating any of the grain].
- Psalms 36:6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, Your judgments are like the great deep. O Lord, You preserve man and beast.
- Psalms 145:9The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
- Psalms 147:9He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens that for which they cry.
- Jonah 4:11Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 [innocent] persons, who do not know the difference between their right and left hand [and are not yet accountable for sin], as well as many [blameless] animals?”
- Numbers 22:22But God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
- Deuteronomy 23:4because they did not meet you with bread (food) and water on the road as you came out of Egypt, and because they hired [to act] against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
- Proverbs 28:6Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked and two-faced though he is rich.
- Micah 6:5My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab devised [with his evil plan against Israel] And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him [turning the curse into blessing for Israel], [Remember what the Lord did for you] from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you may know the righteous and saving acts [displaying the power] of the Lord.”
- Acts 13:10and said, “You [Elymas] who are full of every [kind of] deceit, and every [kind of] fraud, you son of the devil, enemy of everything that is right and good, will you never stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord?
- 2 Peter 2:14They have eyes full of adultery, constantly looking for sin, enticing and luring away unstable souls. Having hearts trained in greed, [they are] children of a curse.
- Numbers 22:20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them, but you shall still do only what I tell you.”
- Exodus 3:2The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing flame of fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was on fire, yet it was not consumed.
- Proverbs 14:2He who walks in uprightness [reverently] fears the Lord [and obeys and worships Him with profound respect], But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.
- Proverbs 28:18He who walks blamelessly and uprightly will be kept safe, But he who is crooked (perverse) will suddenly fall.
Commentaries on Numbers 22:32
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 32Is perverse - Rather, is headlong. Compare Peter‘s words 2 Peter 2:16, “the madness of the prophet.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-35Verses 22-35 We must not think, that because God does not always by his providence restrain men from sin, therefore he approves of it, or that it is not hateful to him. The holy angels oppose sin, and perhaps are employed in preventing it more than we are aware. This angel was an adversary to Balaam, because Balaam counted him his adversary; those are really our best friends, and we ought so to reckon them, who stop our progress in sinful ways. Balaam has…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-41This passage clearly uses humor to make fun of Balaam, the professional diviner. The story shows that his spiritual understanding and obedience to God were less than those of his own donkey.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-4121. Balaam ... saddled his ass--probably one of the white sprightly animals which persons of rank were accustomed to ride. The saddle, as usually in the East, would be nothing more than a pad or his outer cloak.Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 22:32
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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