Numbers 22:23

And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
ass	הָאָתוֹן֩ ha.'a.tOn	H860	a female donkey (from its docility) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
saw	וַתֵּ֣רֶא va.Te.re'	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
angel	מַלְאַ֨ךְ mal.'Akh	H4397	a messenger · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD	יְהוָ֜ה Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
standing	נִצָּ֣ב ni.Tzav	H5324	to station · verb, niphal active participle, masculine singular absolute
way	בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ ba.De.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · preposition with the article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
sword	וְחַרְבּ֤וֹ ve.char.Bo	H2719	drought · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
drawn	שְׁלוּפָה֙ she.lu.Fah	H8025	to pull out · verb, qal passive participle, feminine singular absolute
hand	בְּיָד֔וֹ be.ya.Do	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
ass	הָֽאָתוֹן֙ ha.'a.tOn	H860	a female donkey (from its docility) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
aside	וַתֵּ֤ט va.Tet	H5186	to stretch or spread out · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
way	הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ ha.De.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
went	יָלַךְ yâlak	H3212	to walk (literally or figuratively)
field	בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה ba.sa.Deh	H7704	a field (as flat) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Balaam	בִּלְעָם֙ bil.'Am	H1109	Bilam · proper noun, a man's name
smote	וַיַּ֤ךְ vai.Yakh	H5221	to strike (lightly or severely · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
ass	הָ֣אָת֔וֹן ha.'a.Ton	H860	a female donkey (from its docility) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
turn	לְהַטֹּתָ֖הּ le.ha.to.Tah	H5186	to stretch or spread out · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person feminine singular
way	הַדָּֽרֶךְ ha.Da.rekh	H1870	a road (as trodden) · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying…
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the t…
2 Peter 2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: a…
1 Chronicles 21:16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretch…
Jeremiah 8:7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but…
Daniel 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled t…
Acts 22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:22-35

We have here an account of the opposition God gave to Balaam in his journey towards Moab; probably the princes had gone before, or gone some other way, and Balaam had pointed out where he would meet them, or where they should stay for him, for we read nothing of them in this part of our narrative, only that Balaam, like a person of some quality, was attended with his two men-honour enough, one would think, for such a man, he needed not be beholden to Balak for promotion. I. Here is God's displeasure against Balaam for undertaking this journey: God's anger was kindled because he went, Num 22:22. Note, 1. The sin of sinners is not to be thought the less provoking to God because he permits it.…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:22

God's anger was kindled because he went--The displeasure arose partly from his neglecting the condition on which leave was granted him--namely, to wait till the princes of Moab "came to call him" [Num 22:20], and because, through desire for "the wages of unrighteousness" [Pe2 2:15], he entertained the secret purpose of acting in opposition to the solemn charge of God.

John Gill on Numbers 22:23

And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,.... Which Balaam did not; his eyes being held from seeing him by the power and providence of God, that he might be reproved and rebuked by his ass, to whom God gave power to see, more than to him, as Jarchi notes, so that he had little reason to boast of his visions and revelations, and that he was the man whose eyes were open: the angel stood in the very pathway on which the ass was carrying Balaam: and his sword drawn in his hand; as threatening to destroy him, and as if he was just about to push at him, and signifying hereby not only that he deserved to die, but what death he should die of, namely, by the sword, as he did, Numbers…

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John Calvin on Numbers 22:22-27

Dictionary and topics

Ass — Frequently mentioned throughout Scripture. Of the domesticated species we read of, (1.) The she ass (Heb. ‘athon), so named from its slowness (Gen. 12:16; 45:23; Num. 22:23; 1 Sam. 9:3). (2.) The…
Angel (Holy Trinity) · . — .
Ass (Donkey) · .Used for riding — .Used for riding
Ass, The Domestic · Urged on with a staff — Urged on with a staff
Balaam · Anger of, rebuked by his ass — Anger of, rebuked by his ass
Desert, Journey Of Israel Through The · Balaam not permitted to curse Israel — Balaam not permitted to curse Israel

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Numbers 22:23

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:22-35

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:22

John Gill on Numbers 22:23

John Calvin on Numbers 22:22-27

Dictionary and topics

Numbers 22:23

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Numbers 22:22-35

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 22:22

John Gill on Numbers 22:23

John Calvin on Numbers 22:22-27

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Numbers 22:22-23

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Numbers 22:22

Rashi on Numbers 22:23