Numbers 22:24

24 stetit angelus in angustiis duarum maceriarum quibus vineae cingebantur

Numbers 22:24 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:24

But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyard,
&c.]. Which were in the field into which the ass went, and before Balaam could turn her back she got into a narrow path, between the vineyards, as the Targum of Jonathan; a footpath which lay between them, or a footpath where foxes ran and had their holes, who used to lie near vineyards and among them, see ( Song of Solomon 1:14 ) however, it was a very narrow path, and here the angel placed himself, so that there was no passage for Balaam and his ass, at least not without great difficulty and danger; a wall [being] on this side, and a wall on that side;
and therefore there was no going out into the field, as before, to avoid the difficulty and danger; this being, as Jarchi observes, a stone wall that was on each side.

Numbers 22:24 In-Context

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