Numbers 22:22

Numbers 22:22

And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

a. ASV: And God’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of Jehovah placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

b. YLT: And the anger of God burneth because he is going, and a messenger of Jehovah stationeth himself in the way for an adversary to him, and he is riding on his ass, and two of his servants are with him,

c. Amplified Bible Classic: And God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the Angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

d. Septuagint: And God was very angry because he went; and the angel of the Lord rose up to withstand him. Now he had mounted his ass, and his two servants were with him.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: God’s wrath flared because he was going, and an angel of HASHEM stood on the road to impede him. He was riding on his she-donkey and his two young men were with him.

1. “And God’s anger was kindled because he went…”

a. [And] God’s [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.]

b. anger [Strong: 639 ʼaph, af; from H599; properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire:—anger(-gry), before, countenance, face, forebearing, forehead, (long-) suffering, nose, nostril, snout, × worthy, wrath.]

c. [was] kindled [Strong: 2734 chârâh, khaw-raw'; a primitive root (compare H2787); to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy:—be angry, burn, be displeased, × earnestly, fret self, grieve, be (wax) hot, be incensed, kindle, × very, be wroth.]

d. because [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

e. he [Strong: 1931 huw' hoo of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.]

f. went [Strong: 1980 hâlak, haw-lak'; akin to H3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively):—(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, be eased, enter, exercise (self), follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, × more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), send, speedily, spread, still, surely, tale-bearer, travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-) faring man, × be weak, whirl.]

1). The Lord told him he could go,  and then he went and God got mad. The NIV Study Bible gives what I believe to be a weak explanation that follows the traditional Jewish explanation, that God was angry because of what was in Balaam’s heart. I don’t buy that and never have.

a).  NIV Study Bible: There appears to be a contradiction between the permission God grants Balaam here and the prohibition he had given earlier (v. 12), and then the anger the Lord displayed against Balaam on his journey (v. 22). The difficulty is best understood a lying in the contrary character of Balaam. God forbidden him to go curse Israel. He then allowed Balaam to go, but only if he would follow the Lord’s direction. But Balaam’s real inventions were known to the Lord, and so with severe displeasure he confronted the pagan prophet.

2). Most people who read the passage miss what happened in verses 20-22. Perhaps the translation they read confuses them or they just don’t see it. The Lord got mad at Balaam because Balaam didn’t wait for the men to call on him. The first thing in the morning he just saddled his ass and went. This is the only explanation for the response from God. If the verses in Numbers 22:20-22 are compared with Numbers 22:35, it is obvious that the only real difference between to two was the condition the LORD stated in verse 20: “If the men come to call thee…”  Why would God be mad enough to kill him because he was doing something that God had said he could do? He was mad enough to kill him because he didn’t wait. It was disobedience. I have had this position for over thirty years because of what I believe was the leading of the Holy Ghost. It was not until March of 2019 that i discovered this gem in Adam Clarke’s Commentary.

a). Adam Clarke Commentary: “Mr. Shuckford observes that the pronoun הוא hu is sometimes used to denote a person's doing a thing out of his own head, without regard to the directions of another. Thus in the case of Balaam, when God had allowed him to go with the messengers of Balak, if they came in the morning to call him; because he was more hasty than he ought to have been, and went to them instead of staying till they should come to him, it was said of him, not כי הלך ki halach, that he went, but כי הולך הוא ki holech hu, i. e., he went of his own head - without being called; and in this, Mr. Shuckford supposes, his iniquity chiefly lay - Connex., vol. iii., p. 115.”

b). Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown Commentary: “God's anger was kindled because he went--The displeasure arose partly from his neglecting the condition on which leave was granted him--namely, to wait till the princes of Moab "came to call him" [Num 22:20], and because, through desire for "the wages of unrighteousness" [Pe2 2:15], he entertained the secret purpose of acting in opposition to the solemn charge of God.”

2. “...and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him…”

a. [and the] angel [Strong: 4397 mălʼâk, mal-awk'; from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):—ambassador, angel, king, messenger.]

b. [of the] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.]

c. stood [Strong: 3320 yâtsab, yaw-tsab'; a primitive root; to place (any thing so as to stay); reflexively, to station, offer, continue:—present selves, remaining, resort, set (selves), (be able to, can, with-) stand (fast, forth, -ing, still, up).]

d. [in the] way [Strong: 1870 derek, deh'-rek; from H1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb:—along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).]

e. [for an] adversary [against him] [Strong: 7854 derek, deh'-rek; from H1869; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb:—along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).]

3. “...Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.”

a. [Now] he [Strong: 1931 huw' hoo of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.]

b. [was] riding [Strong: 7392 râkab, raw-kab'; a primitive root; to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle); causatively, to place upon (for riding or generally), to despatch:—bring (on (horse-) back), carry, get (oneself) up, on (horse-) back, put, (cause to, make to) ride (in a chariot, on, -r), set.]

c. upon [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

d. [his] ass [Strong: 860 ʼâthôwn, aw-thone'; probably from the same as H386 (in the sense of patience); a female donkey (from its docility):—(she) ass.]

e. [and his] two [Strong: 8147 shᵉnayim, shen-ah'-yim; dual of H8145; feminine שְׁתַּיִם shᵉttayim; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:—both, couple, double, second, twain, twelfth, twelve, twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.]

f. servants [Strong: 5288 naʻar, nah'-ar; from H5287; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age):—babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).]

g. [were] with him [Strong: 5973 `im eem from 6004; adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English):--accompanying, against, and, as (X long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-)to, with(-al).]