Numbers 22:14-24

14 The princes of Mo'av got up, returned to Balak and said, "Bil'am refuses to come with us."

15 Balak again sent princes, more of them and of higher status than the first group.

16 They went to Bil'am and said to him, "Here is what Balak the son of Tzippor says: 'Please don't let anything keep you from coming to me.

17 I will reward you very well, and whatever you say to me I will do. So please come, and curse this people for me.'"

18 Bil'am answered the servants of Balak, "Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of ADONAI my God to do anything, great or small.

19 Now, please, you too, stay here tonight; so that I may find out what else ADONAI will say to me."

20 God came to Bil'am during the night and said to him, "If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them; but do only what I tell you."

21 So Bil'am got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Mo'av.

22 But God's anger flared up because he went, and the angel of ADONAI stationed himself on the path to bar his way. He was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

23 The donkey saw the angel of ADONAI standing on the road, drawn sword in hand; so the donkey turned off the road into the field; and Bil'am had to beat the donkey to get it back on the road.

24 Then the angel of ADONAI stood on the road where it became narrow as it passed among the vineyards and had stone walls on both sides.

Numbers 22:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 22

The children of Israel being come into the plains of Moab, put the king of Moab into a panic, who expressed his fears to the elders of Midian, Nu 22:1-4 and sent for Balaam the soothsayer to curse the people of Israel, but he, upon consulting the Lord refused to come, Nu 22:5-14, on which the king of Moab sent to him a second time, making large promises of preferment to him, and who at this time got leave from the Lord to go with the messengers, Nu 22:15-21, but was met with in the way by an angel of the Lord, who would have slain him had it not been for his ass, of which a very wonderful revelation is given, Nu 22:22-35, and the chapter is closed with the interview between Balak king of Moab and Balaam, and an account of what passed between them, and what was done by them, Nu 22:36-41.