New American Standard Bible 2020
Numbers 22:32
32Then the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was 1reckless 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
30But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been in the habit of doing such a thing 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 sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. Then the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was reckless and contrary to me. 33But the donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I certainly would have killed you just now, and let her live.” 34So Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to 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
- Then the angelמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messenger: angelH4397
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to him, “Whyעַל‛al · uponH5921
- to him, “Whyמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- have you struckנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- your donkeyאָתוֹן'âthôn · she-assH860
- theseזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- timesרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272
- Beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
- I have comeיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- as an adversaryשָׂטָןώâţân · SatanH7854
- becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
- your wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- recklessיָרַטyâraţ · to pushH3399
- contraryנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
Cross-references for Numbers 22:32
- Numbers 22:28Then 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?”
- Deuteronomy 25:4“You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.
- Psalms 36:6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep. Lord, You protect mankind and animals.
- Psalms 145:9The Lord is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.
- Psalms 147:9It is He who gives an animal its food, And feeds young ravens that cry.
- Jonah 4:11Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many animals?”
- Numbers 22:22But God was angry that he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the road 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 food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
- Proverbs 28:6Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity, Than a person who is crooked, though he is rich.
- Micah 6:5My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab planned And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
- Acts 13:10and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not stop making crooked the straight ways of the Lord?
- 2 Peter 2:14having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children;
- Numbers 22:20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise and go with them; but you shall do only the thing that I tell you.”
- Exodus 3:2Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed.
- Proverbs 14:2One who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, But one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
- Proverbs 28:18One who walks blamelessly will receive help, But one who is crooked will fall all at once.
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 2 Pet 2:15 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 2020 — © 1960–2020 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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