Numbers 22:23
New International Version
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.

New Living Translation
Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road.

English Standard Version
And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road.

Berean Standard Bible
When 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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

New American Standard Bible
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, the donkey turned off from the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to guide her back onto the road.

NASB 1995
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

NASB 1977
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; so Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back into the way.

Amplified Bible
When the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way and His drawn sword in His hand, the donkey turned off the path and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back toward the path.

Christian Standard Bible
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing on the path with a drawn sword in His hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the donkey saw the Angel of LORD JEHOVAH who was standing in the way and his sword drawn and held in his hand, and the donkey turned away from the way and went in the field, and Balaam struck the donkey for her turning out of the road.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when the ass saw the angel of God standing opposite in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, then the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass with his staff to direct her in the way.

Contemporary English Version
When Balaam's donkey saw the angel standing there with a sword, it walked off the road and into an open field. Balaam had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The ass seeing the angel standing in the way, with a drawn sword, turned herself out of the way, and went into the field. And when Balaam beat her, and had a mind to bring her again to the way,

English Revised Version
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the donkey saw the Messenger of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn, the donkey turned off the road into a field. Balaam hit the donkey to get it back on the road.

Good News Translation
When the donkey saw the angel standing there holding a sword, it left the road and turned into the fields. Balaam beat the donkey and brought it back onto the road.

International Standard Version
all of a sudden the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with an unsheathed sword in his hand! The donkey turned off the road and went into an open field. Balaam started beating the donkey in order to turn her back to the road,

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the ass saw the angel of the LORD 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.

Literal Standard Version
and the donkey sees the Messenger of YHWH standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turns aside out of the way and goes into a field, and Balaam strikes the donkey to turn it aside into the way.

Majority Standard Bible
When 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.

New American Bible
the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with sword drawn. The donkey turned off the road and went into the field, and Balaam beat the donkey to bring her back on the road.

NET Bible
And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road.

New Revised Standard Version
The donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road.

New Heart English Bible
The donkey saw the angel of God standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the way.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
The donkey saw Yahweh’s angel standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned out of the path, and went into the field. Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the path.

Young's Literal Translation
and the ass seeth the messenger of Jehovah standing in the way, and his drawn sword in his hand, and the ass turneth aside out of the way, and goeth into a field, and Balaam smiteth the ass to turn it aside into the way.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Angel and Balaam's Donkey
22Then God’s anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23When 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. 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side.…

Cross References
2 Peter 2:16
But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

Numbers 22:22
Then God's anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

Numbers 22:24
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between two vineyards, with walls on either side.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

the ass saw

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: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

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 stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

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 to hide themselves.

the ass turned

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 my people know not the judgment of the LORD.

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Angel Ass Balaam Drawn Hand Smote Standing Struck Sword Turn Turned Way
Numbers 22
1. Balak's first message for Balaam is refused
15. His second message obtains him
22. An angel would have slain him, if he had not been saved by his donkey
36. Balak entertains him














Verse 23. - And the ass saw the angel of the Lord. This was clearly part of the miracle, the σήμειον which was to exhibit in such a striking manner the stupidity and blindness of the most brilliant and gifted intellect when clouded by greed and selfishness. It is nothing to the point that the lower animals have a quicker perception of some natural phenomena than men, for this was not a natural phenomenon; it is nothing to the point that the lower animals are credited by some with possessing "the second sight," for all that belongs to the fantastic and legendary. If the ass saw the angel, it was because the Lord opened her eyes then, as he did her mouth afterwards.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When the donkey
הָאָתוֹן֩ (hā·’ā·ṯō·wn)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 860: A female donkey

saw
וַתֵּ֣רֶא (wat·tê·re)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

the Angel
מַלְאַ֨ךְ (mal·’aḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4397: A messenger, of God, an angel

of the LORD
יְהוָ֜ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

standing
נִצָּ֣ב (niṣ·ṣāḇ)
Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5324: To take one's stand, stand

in the road
בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ (bad·de·reḵ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

with a drawn
שְׁלוּפָה֙ (šə·lū·p̄āh)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 8025: To pull out, up, off

sword
וְחַרְבּ֤וֹ (wə·ḥar·bōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

in His hand,
בְּיָד֔וֹ (bə·yā·ḏōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

she
הָֽאָתוֹן֙ (hā·’ā·ṯō·wn)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 860: A female donkey

turned
וַתֵּ֤ט (wat·têṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

off
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

the path
הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ (had·de·reḵ)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

and went
וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ (wat·tê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

into a field.
בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה (baś·śā·ḏeh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

So Balaam
בִּלְעָם֙ (bil·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1109: Balaam -- a prophet

beat
וַיַּ֤ךְ (way·yaḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

her
הָ֣אָת֔וֹן (hā·’ā·ṯō·wn)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 860: A female donkey

to return her
לְהַטֹּתָ֖הּ (lə·haṭ·ṭō·ṯāh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

to the path.
הַדָּֽרֶךְ׃ (had·dā·reḵ)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action


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OT Law: Numbers 22:23 The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh (Nu Num.)
Numbers 22:22
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