New International Version
Numbers 22:32
32The 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.
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:
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Why did you beat your donkey those three times?” the angel of the Lord demanded. “Look, I have come to block your way because you are stubbornly resisting me.
Context of Numbers 22:32
30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. 31Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. 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. 33The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.” 34Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go 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 22:28Then 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?”
- Deuteronomy 25:4Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
- Psalms 36:6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
- Psalms 145:9The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
- Psalms 147:9He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
- Jonah 4:11And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
- Numbers 22:22But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
- Deuteronomy 23:4For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you.
- Proverbs 28:6Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.
- Micah 6:5My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”
- Acts 13:10“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?
- 2 Peter 2:14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
- Numbers 22:20That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
- Exodus 3:2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
- Proverbs 14:2Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways.
- Proverbs 28:18The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit.
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries