Bilangan 22:22

God Opposes Balaam

22:22 Then God’s anger was kindled ¹  because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose ²  him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.

Bilangan 22:32-33

22:32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing ³  is perverse before me. ⁴  22:33 The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If ⁵  she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive.”

[22:22]  ¹ sn God’s anger now seems to contradict the permission he gave Balaam just before this. Some commentators argue that God’s anger is a response to Balaam’s character in setting out – which the Bible does not explain. God saw in him greed and pleasure for the riches, which is why he was so willing to go.

[22:22]  ² tn The word is שָׂטָן (satan, “to be an adversary, to oppose”).

[22:32]  ³ tn Heb “your way.”

[22:32]  ⁴ tn The verb יָרַט (yarat) occurs only here and in Job 16:11. Balaam is embarking on a foolish mission with base motives. The old rendering “perverse” is still acceptable.

[22:33]  ⁵ tc Many commentators consider אוּלַי (’ulay, “perhaps”) to be a misspelling in the MT in place of לוּלֵי (luley, “if not”).