Numbers 22:29
New International Version
Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”

New Living Translation
“You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!”

English Standard Version
And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.”

Berean Standard Bible
Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”

King James Bible
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

New King James Version
And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

New American Standard Bible
And Balaam said to the donkey, “It is because you have made a mockery of me! If only there had been a sword in my hand! For I would have killed you by now!”

NASB 1995
Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”

NASB 1977
Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”

Amplified Bible
Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now!”

Christian Standard Bible
Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!”

American Standard Version
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, and if there were a sword in my hands now, I would have killed you.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; and if I had had a sword in my hand, I would now have killed thee.

Contemporary English Version
"You made me look stupid!" Balaam answered. "If I had a sword, I'd kill you here and now!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
Balaam answered: Because thou hast deserved it, and hast served me ill: I would I had a sword that I might kill thee.

English Revised Version
And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now I had killed thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Balaam answered, "You've made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I'd kill you right now."

Good News Translation
Balaam answered, "Because you have made a fool of me! If I had a sword, I would kill you."

International Standard Version
"Because you're playing a dirty trick on me," Balaam answered the donkey. "If only I had a sword in my hand! I'd kill you right now!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Balaam said unto the ass: 'Because thou hast mocked me; I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.'

Literal Standard Version
And Balaam says to the donkey, “Because you have rolled yourself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain you”;

Majority Standard Bible
Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!”

New American Bible
“You have acted so willfully against me,” said Balaam to the donkey, “that if I only had a sword at hand, I would kill you here and now.”

NET Bible
And Balaam said to the donkey, "You have made me look stupid; I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now."

New Revised Standard Version
Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!”

New Heart English Bible
Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Balaam said to the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill thee.

World English Bible
Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have mocked me, I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.”

Young's Literal Translation
and Balaam saith to the ass, 'Because thou hast rolled thyself against me; oh that there were a sword in my hand, for now I had slain thee;'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Angel and Balaam's Donkey
28Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 29Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” 30But the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied.…

Cross References
Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

Numbers 22:30
But the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not the donkey you have ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?" "No," he replied.

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.


Treasury of Scripture

And Balaam said to the ass, Because you have mocked me: I would there were a sword in my hand, for now would I kill you.

for now would

Proverbs 12:10,16
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel…

Ecclesiastes 9:3
This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Jump to Previous
Ass Death Donkey Hand Kill Killed Mocked Mockery Right Rolled Seem Slain Sport Sword Thyself Wish
Jump to Next
Ass Death Donkey Hand Kill Killed Mocked Mockery Right Rolled Seem Slain Sport Sword Thyself Wish
Numbers 22
1. Balak's first message for Balaam is refused
15. His second message obtains him
22. An angel would have slain him, if he had not been saved by his donkey
36. Balak entertains him














Verse 29. - And Balaam said unto the ass. That Beldam should answer the ass without expressing any astonishment is certainly more marvelous than that the ass should speak to him. It must, however, in fairness be considered -

1. That Balaam was a prophet. He was accustomed to hear Divine voices speaking to him when no man was near. He had a large and unquestioning faith, and a peculiar familiarity with the unseen.

2. Balaam was a sorcerer. It was part of his profession to show signs and wonders such as even now in those countries confound the most experienced and skeptical beholders. It is likely that he had often made dumb animals speak in order to bewilder others. He must indeed have been conscious to some extent of imposture, but he would not draw any sharp line in his own mind between the marvels which really happened to him and the marvels he displayed to others. Both as prophet and as sorcerer, he must have lived, more than any other even of that age, in an atmosphere of the supernatural. If, therefore, this portent was really given, it was certainly given to the very man of all that ever lived to whom it was most suitable. Just as one cannot imagine the miracle of the stater (Matthew 17:27) happening to any one of less simple and childlike faith than St. Peter, so one could not think of the ass as speaking to any one in the Bible but the wizard prophet, for whom - both on his good and on his bad side - the boundary lines between the natural and supernatural were almost obliterated.

3. Balaam was at this moment intensely angry., and nothing blunts the edge of natural surprise so much as rage. Things which afterwards, when calmly recollected, cause the utmost astonishment, notoriously produce no effect at the moment upon a mind which is thoroughly exasperated.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Balaam
בִּלְעָם֙ (bil·‘ām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1109: Balaam -- a prophet

answered
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the donkey,
לָֽאָת֔וֹן (lā·’ā·ṯō·wn)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 860: A female donkey

“You have made a fool of me!
הִתְעַלַּ֖לְתְּ (hiṯ·‘al·lalt)
Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 5953: To effect thoroughly, to glean, to overdo, maltreat, be saucy to, pain, impose

If
ל֤וּ (lū)
Preposition
Strong's 3863: If, would that!

I had
יֶשׁ־ (yeš-)
Adverb
Strong's 3426: Being, substance, existence, is

a sword
חֶ֙רֶב֙ (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

in my hand,
בְּיָדִ֔י (bə·yā·ḏî)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

I would kill you
הֲרַגְתִּֽיךְ׃ (hă·raḡ·tîḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

right now!”
עַתָּ֖ה (‘at·tāh)
Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time


Links
Numbers 22:29 NIV
Numbers 22:29 NLT
Numbers 22:29 ESV
Numbers 22:29 NASB
Numbers 22:29 KJV

Numbers 22:29 BibleApps.com
Numbers 22:29 Biblia Paralela
Numbers 22:29 Chinese Bible
Numbers 22:29 French Bible
Numbers 22:29 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Numbers 22:29 Balaam said to the donkey Because you (Nu Num.)
Numbers 22:28
Top of Page
Top of Page