Numbers 22:29
in Numbers 22Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.
KJV
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
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This verse in Numbers 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseBalaam said - Balaam was not much terrified with the ass's speaking, because perhaps he was accustomed to converse with evil spirits, who appeared to him and discoursed with him in the shape of such creatures. Perhaps he was so blinded by passion, that he did not consider the strangeness of the thing.
This site's exposition
Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth
on Numbers 22:28-30
The LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asks, What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times? Balaam wishes for a sword to kill her, and the sword he wants is drawn in a hand he cannot see.
This site's exposition
You have made a fool of me
Matthew Henry notes the weakness of the threat: a man who would ruin Israel with words cannot kill his donkey without a sword. John Wesley thinks her speech did not startle him. Either he was used to evil spirits speaking through such creatures, or anger blinded him to its strangeness.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Balaam said unto the ass, because thou hast mocked me,....
Such was the madness of this false prophet. Here bishop Hall observes, It is ill falling into the hands of those whom the brute-creatures find unmerciful; for a good man regardeth the life of his beast. [2.] The ass reasoned with him,
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בִּלְעָם֙ | bilam | Balaam | H1109 → | 61 times |
| לָֽאָת֔וֹן | laaton | to the donkey | H860 → | 34 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִתְעַלַּ֖לְתְּ | hitalalt | you have dealt wantonly | H5953 → | |
| בִּ֑י | bi | with <the> me | ||
| ל֤וּ | lu | if | H3863 → | 22 times |
| יֶשׁ־ | yesh- | there | H3426 → | 140 times |
| חֶ֙רֶב֙ | cherev | [were] a sword | H2719 → | 413 times |
| בְּיָדִ֔י | beyadi | in hand my | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַתָּ֖ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| הֲרַגְתִּֽיךְ׃ | haragtikh | I killed you | H2026 → | 167 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
בִּלְעָם֙Balaam
bilamH1109 →61 times
לָֽאָת֔וֹןto the donkey
laatonH860 →34 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
הִתְעַלַּ֖לְתְּyou have dealt wantonly
hitalaltH5953 →
בִּ֑יwith <the> me
bi
ל֤וּif
luH3863 →22 times
יֶשׁ־there
yesh-H3426 →140 times
חֶ֙רֶב֙[were] a sword
cherevH2719 →413 times
בְּיָדִ֔יin hand my
beyadiH3027 →1618 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
עַתָּ֖הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
הֲרַגְתִּֽיךְ׃I killed you
haragtikhH2026 →167 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
Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 7:21–23
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- Galatians 5:19–21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
- James 1:13–15
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.
- Titus 3:2–6
to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
- Jeremiah 17:9
Through
Proverbs 12:10A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 25:4
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
- Deuteronomy 25:4
Through
Proverbs 12:16A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
it leads to
- Proverbs 29:11
A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back.
- James 1:19
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
- Proverbs 29:11
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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
