Numbers 22:23

23 And when the asse sawe the angell of the Lorde stonde in the waye and his swerde drawen in his hande she turned a syde oute of the waye and went out in to the felde. And Balam smote the asse to turne her in to the waye.

Numbers 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:23

And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way,
&c.] Which Balaam did not; his eyes being held from seeing him by the power and providence of God, that he might be reproved and rebuked by his ass, to whom God gave power to see, more than to him, as Jarchi notes, so that he had little reason to boast of his visions and revelations, and that he was the man whose eyes were open: the angel stood in the very pathway on which the ass was carrying Balaam: and his sword drawn in his hand; as threatening to destroy him, and as if he was just about to push at him, and signifying hereby not only that he deserved to die, but what death he should die of, namely, by the sword, as he did, ( Numbers 31:8 ) ( 1 Chronicles 21:16 )

and the ass turned aside out of the way;
out of the common road, to save its master and itself, from a natural principle of self-preservation: and went into the field; adjoining to, and that lay along the road side:

and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way;
with his staff, as in ( Numbers 22:27 ) to bring her into the common road again.

Numbers 22:23 In-Context

21 And Balam rose vppe early and sadelde his asse and went with the lordes of Moab

22 But God was angrye because he went. And the angell of the Lorde stode in the waye agenste hym. And he ryd vppon hys asse and two seruauntes with him.

23 And when the asse sawe the angell of the Lorde stonde in the waye and his swerde drawen in his hande she turned a syde oute of the waye and went out in to the felde. And Balam smote the asse to turne her in to the waye.

24 And the angell of the Lorde went and stode in a path betwene the vyneyardes where was a wall on the one syde and another on the other.

25 When the asse sawe the angell of the Lorde she wrenshed vnto the walle and thrust Balams fote vnto the wall and he smote her agayne.