Samaritan's Purse Is Aiding Communities Devastated by Hurricane Helene. You Can Help

Numbers 22:28

28 Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

Numbers 22:28 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
English Standard Version (ESV)
28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"
New Living Translation (NLT)
28 Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
The Message Bible (MSG)
28 Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: "What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?"
American Standard Version (ASV)
28 And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
28 Then the LORD made the donkey speak, and it asked Balaam, "What have I done to make you hit me three times?"
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
28 Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she asked Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?"
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
28 Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth. It said to Balaam, "What have I done to you? Why did you hit me those three times?"

Numbers 22:28 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:28

And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto
Balaam
This was a very extraordinary and miraculous affair, and effected by a supernatural power, that a dumb creature, which had not organs endued with speech, should speak so plainly and distinctly, as is after expressed; and yet it should not be thought incredible, for what is it that Omnipotence cannot do? wherefore there is no need to say, as some Jewish writers F9, that this was all done in a visionary way, and not really and literally performed; nor can Heathens well object to the verity of it, if they believe what they themselves report concerning one of the asses which carried Bacchus over a river, to which, for reward, he gave the power of speaking with an human voice {k}; though it is very probable the fable was framed from this story, and frequently do their writers speak of other brute creatures endued with speech; so Homer F12 represents Xanthus, the horse of Achilles, having the faculty of speech given it by Juno: Pliny says F13, it is commonly reported among the wonderful things of the ancients, that an ox spoke; and Livy F14 frequently makes mention of an ox spoke speaking in divers places, and of one particularly that said,

``Rome, take heed to thyself;''

not to take notice of a lamb in Egypt in the times of Bocchoris that spoke, related by Aelianus F15 and others; nor of the ram of Phrixus, or the dog at Ariminum, and the elephant of Porus in India, with others Bochart F16 has collected together: the words spoken by the ass were as follow:

what have l done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three
times?
and just so many times she had been smitten by him, ( Numbers 22:23-27 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F9 Maimon. Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 42. Ben Gersom in loc.
F11 Hygin. Poet. Astronomic. l. 2. c. 23. "Lactant, de falsa Relig". l. 1. c. 21.
F12 Iliad. 19. "prope finem".
F13 Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 45.
F14 Hist. l. 24. c. 10. l. 27. c. 11. l. 28. c. 11. and l. 35. c. 21.
F15 De Animal. l. 12. c. 3.
F16 Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 14. col. 197, 198.

Numbers 22:28 In-Context

26 Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.
27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.
28 Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said.

Cross References 2

Scripture quoted by permission.  Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.  NIV®.  Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.  All rights reserved worldwide.