Numbers 22:21

Balaam’s Donkey

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.

Numbers 22:21 in Other Translations

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

21 So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials.

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab.

21 When he got up in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the officials of Moab.

Numbers 22:21 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:21

And Balaam rose up in the morning
Early, not waiting for the call of the princes, which showed how eager he was to be gone, and how intent upon the journey:

and saddled his ass;
which, if he did himself, as Jarchi suggests, this is a further proof of the haste he was in; though, as he had two servants with him, it is more likely that they did it by his order: the same is said of Abraham, ( Genesis 22:3 ) , it was usual for persons of note and figure, in those times and countries, to ride on asses, ( Judges 5:10 ) and went with the princes of Moab; in company with them, and with as good a will as they, his heart and theirs being alike, as Jarchi notes; though it seems by what follows that by some means or another they soon parted company; for when the affair of the ass happened, Balaam was alone, only attended by his two servants.

Numbers 22:21 In-Context

19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the LORD will tell me.”

20 That 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.”

21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials.

22 But 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.

23 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.