English Standard Version
Numbers 22:28
28Then 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?"
Numbers 22:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
- New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then 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?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
Context of Numbers 22:28
26Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then 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?" 29And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you." 30And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" And he said, "No."
Read all of Numbers 22Numbers 22:28 word by word
וַיִּפְתַּ֥ח יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־פִּ֣י הָאָת֑וֹן וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לְבִלְעָם֙ מֶה־עָשִׂ֣יתִֽי לְךָ֔ כִּ֣י הִכִּיתַ֔נִי זֶ֖ה שָׁלֹ֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- openedפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- of the assאָתוֹן'âthôn · she-assH860
- and she saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Balaamבִּלְעָםbil‛âm · BalaamH1109
- What have I doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- unto thee, that thou hast smittenנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- me these threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- timesרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
Cross-references for Numbers 22:28
- Exodus 4:11Then the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
- Luke 1:37For nothing will be impossible with God."
- 1 Corinthians 1:19For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
- 2 Peter 2:16but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
- Romans 8:22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Commentaries on Numbers 22:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28The Lord opened the mouth of the ass - And where is the wonder of all this? If the ass had opened her own mouth, and reproved the rash prophet, we might well be astonished; but when God opens the mouth, an ass can speak as well as a man. It is worthy of remark here, that Balaam testifies no surprise at this miracle, because he saw it was the Lord's doing. Of animate and inanimate things receiving for a short time the gift of speech, the heathen mythology…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass - The account was perhaps given by Balaam to the Israelites after his capture in the war against Midian. Compare Numbers 31:8. That which is here recorded was apparently perceived by him alone among human witnesses. God may have brought it about that sounds uttered by the creature after its kind became to the prophet‘s intelligence as though it addressed him in rational speech. Indeed to an augur, priding himself…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. 28-31The only similar event in Scripture is the serpent talking to Eve (Genesis 3:1–5). God used the donkey to correct the foolish diviner (2 Peter 2:15–16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. the Lord opened the mouth of the ass--to utter, like a parrot, articulate sounds, without understanding them. That this was a visionary scene is a notion which seems inadmissible, because of the improbability of a vision being described as an actual occurrence in the middle of a plain history. Besides, the opening of the ass's mouth must have been an external act, and that, with the manifest tenor of Peter's language, strongly favors the literal view…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 22:28
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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