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.

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

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!"

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!”

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 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.”
Literal Translations
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”;

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;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Balaam will say to the ass, Because thou didst vex me: would that a sword was in my hand, for now I had killed thee.
Catholic Translations
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Balaam responded, “Because you have deserved it, and you have mistreated me. If only I had a sword, so that I might pierce you.”

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.”

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!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Balaam said to the she-ass, Because you have mocked me; I would there were a sword in my hands, for now would I kill you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
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.”
OT Translations
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.'

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.

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
2 Peter 2:15-16
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. / But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

Deuteronomy 23:4-5
For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim to curse you. / Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

Joshua 24:9-10
Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, / but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.

Nehemiah 13:2
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

Micah 6:5
My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

1 Corinthians 10:10-11
And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. / Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “and I ate.”

Exodus 4:10-12
“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.” / And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD? / Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

1 Kings 13:24-28
As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. / And there were men passing by who saw the body lying in the road with the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported this in the city where the old prophet lived. / When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard this, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, and it has mauled him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to him.” ...

Isaiah 1:3
The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”


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.

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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














Balaam answered the donkey
This phrase is striking as it highlights the unusual nature of the event. In the Hebrew text, the word for "answered" is "וַיֹּאמֶר" (vayomer), which is a common term for speaking or responding. The fact that Balaam is conversing with a donkey underscores the supernatural intervention occurring. In the ancient Near Eastern context, animals were not typically seen as communicative beings, making this event a clear indication of divine involvement. This interaction serves as a humbling moment for Balaam, a renowned prophet, who is now engaging in dialogue with a beast of burden.

You have made a fool of me!
The Hebrew root for "made a fool" is "הָתַל" (hatal), which conveys the idea of mocking or derision. Balaam's pride is wounded, as he perceives the donkey's actions as a personal affront to his dignity. This phrase reflects the human tendency to react defensively when one's ego is challenged. In the broader scriptural context, it serves as a reminder of the dangers of pride and the importance of humility before God. Balaam's indignation reveals his misplaced priorities, valuing his reputation over discerning the divine message being conveyed through the donkey.

If I had a sword in my hand
The mention of a sword is significant, as it symbolizes power and authority. In the ancient world, a sword was a tool of judgment and execution. Balaam's desire for a sword indicates his frustration and his instinct to assert control through violence. This reflects a broader biblical theme where reliance on human strength and weapons is contrasted with trust in God's sovereignty. Balaam's impulse to resort to violence reveals his lack of spiritual insight at this moment, as he fails to recognize the divine purpose behind the donkey's actions.

I would kill you right now
This phrase reveals Balaam's anger and impulsive nature. The Hebrew verb "הָרַג" (harag) means to kill or slay, indicating Balaam's extreme reaction to the situation. His willingness to kill the donkey highlights his inability to see beyond his immediate frustration to the larger spiritual reality. In the biblical narrative, this moment serves as a turning point, where Balaam's eyes are eventually opened to the angel of the Lord standing in his path. It underscores the theme of divine patience and the need for spiritual discernment, reminding believers of the importance of seeking God's perspective rather than reacting out of anger or pride.

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


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