Berean Standard Bible
Numbers 22:32
32The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse1 before 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
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. The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me. 33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, then by now I would surely have killed you and let her live.” 34“I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.”
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
- The angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- of the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- asked himאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- asked himאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- Whyעַל‛al · uponH5921
- Whyמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- have you beatenנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- your donkeyאָתוֹן'âthôn · she-assH860
- theseזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- timesרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- Beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
- Iאָֽנֹכִ֫י'ânôkîy · IH595
- have come outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- to oppose youשָׂטָןώâţân · SatanH7854
- becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
- your wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- is perverseיָרַטyâraţ · to pushH3399
- before meנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
Cross-references for Numbers 22:32
- Numbers 22:28Then 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?”
- Deuteronomy 25:4Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
- Psalms 36:6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
- Psalms 145:9The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.
- Psalms 147:9He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.
- Jonah 4:11So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”
- Numbers 22:22Then 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.
- Deuteronomy 23:4For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you.
- Proverbs 28:6Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
- Micah 6:5My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”
- Acts 13:10and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
- 2 Peter 2:14Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
- Numbers 22:20That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.”
- Exodus 3:2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed.
- Proverbs 14:2He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
- Proverbs 28:18He who walks with integrity will be kept safe, but whoever is perverse in his ways 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
Notes
- 1. Numbers 22:32 Or reckless or contrary ↩
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
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries