Numbers 22:18-28

18 respondit Balaam si dederit mihi Balac plenam domum suam argenti et auri non potero inmutare verbum Domini Dei mei ut vel plus vel minus loquar

19 obsecro ut hic maneatis etiam hac nocte et scire queam quid mihi rursum respondeat Dominus

20 venit ergo Deus ad Balaam nocte et ait ei si vocare te venerunt homines isti surge et vade cum eis ita dumtaxat ut quod tibi praecepero facias

21 surrexit Balaam mane et strata asina profectus est cum eis

22 et iratus est Deus stetitque angelus Domini in via contra Balaam qui sedebat asinae et duos pueros habebat secum

23 cernens asina angelum stantem in via evaginato gladio avertit se de itinere et ibat per agrum quam cum verberaret Balaam et vellet ad semitam reducere

24 stetit angelus in angustiis duarum maceriarum quibus vineae cingebantur

25 quem videns asina iunxit se parieti et adtrivit sedentis pedem at ille iterum verberabat

26 et nihilominus angelus ad locum angustum transiens ubi nec ad dextram nec ad sinistram poterat deviari obvius stetit

27 cumque vidisset asina stantem angelum concidit sub pedibus sedentis qui iratus vehementius caedebat fuste latera

28 aperuitque Dominus os asinae et locuta est quid feci tibi cur percutis me ecce iam tertio

Numbers 22:18-28 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.