Numbers 22:23
in Numbers 22When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into a field. So Balaam beat her to return her to the path.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with 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.
KJV
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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This verse in Numbers 22
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd the ass saw the angel - When God granted visions those alone who were particularly interested saw them while others in the same company saw nothing; see Dan 10:7; Act 9:7.
This site's exposition
the ass turned aside out of the way
on Numbers 22:23-25
The obstruction repeats and the space tightens with each repetition, first open field, then a path between two vineyard walls where a foot gets crushed. Every time the animal moves to save his life she is beaten for the thing that saved it. A man hired for his sight is riding a beast that sees what he cannot.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
How vainly did Balaam boast that he was a man whose eyes were open, and that he saw the visions of the Almighty ( ch. xxiv. 3, 4 ), when the ass he rode on saw more than he did, his eyes being blinded with covetousness and ambition and dazzled with the rewards of divination! Note, Many have God against them, and his holy angels, but are not aware of it.
), a flaming sword, like that in the hands of the cherubim ( Gen. iii. Note, The holy angels are at war with those with whom God is angry, for they are the ministers of his justice.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,....
Balaam should have taken the hint of this, and considered whether he was not out of the way of his duty; but, instead of this, he beat her into the way again. Thus those who by wilful sin are running headlong into perdition are angry at those that would prevent their ruin.
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּ֣רֶא | vatere' | and it saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| הָאָתוֹן֩ | haaton | the donkey | H860 → | 34 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַלְאַ֨ךְ | malakh | [the] angel of | H4397 → | 213 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| נִצָּ֣ב | nitzav | standing | H5324 → | 75 times |
| בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ | baderekh | in the road | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וְחַרְבּ֤וֹ | vecharbo | and sword his | H2719 → | 413 times |
| שְׁלוּפָה֙ | shelufah | [was] drawn | H8025 → | |
| בְּיָד֔וֹ | beyado | in hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַתֵּ֤ט | vatet | and it turned aside | H5186 → | 214 times |
| הָֽאָתוֹן֙ | haaton | the donkey | H860 → | 34 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ | haderekh | the road | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ | vatelekh | and it went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה | basadeh | in the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| וַיַּ֤ךְ | vaiyakh | and he struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| בִּלְעָם֙ | bilam | Balaam | H1109 → | 61 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָ֣אָת֔וֹן | haaton | the donkey | H860 → | 34 times |
| לְהַטֹּתָ֖הּ | lehatotah | to turn it | H5186 → | 214 times |
| הַדָּֽרֶךְ׃ | hadarekh | the road | H1870 → | 707 times |
וַתֵּ֣רֶאand it saw
vatere'H7200 →1300 times
הָאָתוֹן֩the donkey
haatonH860 →34 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַלְאַ֨ךְ[the] angel of
malakhH4397 →213 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
נִצָּ֣בstanding
nitzavH5324 →75 times
בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְin the road
baderekhH1870 →707 times
וְחַרְבּ֤וֹand sword his
vecharboH2719 →413 times
שְׁלוּפָה֙[was] drawn
shelufahH8025 →
בְּיָד֔וֹin hand his
beyadoH3027 →1618 times
וַתֵּ֤טand it turned aside
vatetH5186 →214 times
הָֽאָתוֹן֙the donkey
haatonH860 →34 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַדֶּ֔רֶךְthe road
haderekhH1870 →707 times
וַתֵּ֖לֶךְand it went
vatelekhH1980 →1546 times
בַּשָּׂדֶ֑הin the field
basadehH7704 →334 times
וַיַּ֤ךְand he struck
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
בִּלְעָם֙Balaam
bilamH1109 →61 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָ֣אָת֔וֹןthe donkey
haatonH860 →34 times
לְהַטֹּתָ֖הּto turn it
lehatotahH5186 →214 times
הַדָּֽרֶךְ׃the road
hadarekhH1870 →707 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Kings 6:17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and…
it leads to
- Psalms 68:17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.
- Psalms 34:7
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.
- Zechariah 6:1–7
And again I lifted up my eyes and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze.
- Hebrews 1:14
Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
- Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- Psalms 68:17
Through
Jude 1:11Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:15
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
- Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food…
- 1 John 3:12
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- 2 Peter 2:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.